When do you feel the most at ease? The most at peace? When stress can’t find you and life slows waaay down? When does that happen?

For me, life in the middle of nowhere is the closest I can get to nirvana. The small comforts of a stove to cook with, tent and warm sleeping bag, a flannel or two, a camera, a hammock, and a sketchbook.

When you have little, you need little. Being far back in the mountains forces my busy mind to slow down and stop seeking so much external stimulation. When you learn to listen to the mountains, you hear yourself echoing back. You eat when you’re hungry, sleep when you’re tired, read when your mind wants a story, and let yourself sink into deep existence.

Transitioning into the pace of a long camping trip is so much easier than coming back to the other side. The first few hours of camping I’m thinking “ok, what should I do next, what should I make for dinner later, what can I do to make my current status more comfortable/more fun/more relaxing.” Eventually I slip out of this need for control and let the day take me.

When all you have on your agenda for a few days is hike around, swim in lakes, scramble up some mountain peaks, catch some fish, and read a book, life just makes sense. Normal routine activities like brushing your teeth become sacred moments when you realize that the sky above you in peppered with stars, watching you watching them, toothpaste still on your lips.

Living small and simple is the absolute best (free) therapy. Full body and mind reset. Letting go of control and learning to dance freely through your days is among the most fulfilling experiences and biggest adventures.

Madlove my friends