In Search of Getting Lost
I like camping. And I don’t mind camping alone with the company of a few good books.
There is something about fire making and stargazing in me that I just can’t explain.
One of the more vivid memories that I have was camping in Grand Canyon a few years ago. It was a chill clear night. And the rangers were guiding everyone for a “star hike” - so I followed along. Once we get to a good stargazing spot, I quickly zoomed out and paid no attention to the ranger’s stories (sorry).
Under the blanket of the night, I laid on the granite looking comfortably upwards. I was simply zooming out and getting lost by gazing at the galaxy.
Then the stars started moving, visibly to my naked eyes. I could see each one of them moving slowly but so elegantly, as the earth was rotating itself. Time seemed to have stopped. It was magical.
Since then, I find every and any excuse to head to quiet camping places. The sparks of the wood fire, the smell of the grilled meat, and the calmness of reading under the stars are all simply mesmerizing.
The year 2020 is destined to be special. Looking back, the things that have not happened are probably just as important as the things that have.
The act of not doing something is just as meaningful as doing it.
Sometimes we are just aimlessly too busy. And the year 2020 gave us a good detox.
So get lost. Get lost in books [1], get lost in writing, get lost in more stargazing.
[1] This year, I have picked up some books that I normally would not. For the curious ones, here are some “off the beaten path” books that I would recommend: American Wolf by Nate Blakeslee, Why We Sleep by Matt Walker, Complexity by Waldrop, Genghis Khan and the Making of the Morden World by Jack Weatherford, to name a few.