Sometimes it’s good to get away, far away from the comforts of our homes, our lives, the daily grind. As I write this, I am working in a cabin in Silver Lake, near Lake Tahoe. There is no electricity, just a generator that is turned on periodically. Soon I will be sitting in the dark, only able to see by way of propane and flashlights.
A while ago, I spent about a week in Haines, Alaska, in another cabin, also without electricity – or much plumbing. Being a girly-girl, I can’t say going days without a shower is something I prefer to do. But, again, I see, and appreciate, the awesomeness of getting away from things we take for granted and rely on.
Seeing moose and bald eagles and crunching through rivers with XtraTufs, boots I thought were hideous but within about a day grew to love, was cool. Pushing the limits of what feels safe also makes me feel more alive. My hands were embedded with stinging nettle after I slid down the side of a icy mountain, just outside of Haines, a town only accessible by ferry. I washed the sting away with some strong beer. I am a wine girl, but sometimes you just have to go with the flow.
I will conclude by closing my laptop and joining my friends here in the wilderness, about an hour away from Tahoe City – elevation 7,300 feet. A bit of boating, tubing, sunbathing, hiking, decompressing, before the sun begins its decent.
