Camping and Clarity
There is something about camping in the middle of nowhere that shows us how small we really are and how incredible this world really is.
It is funny to me how sometimes you have to get away from “all the things” to truly find everything. My greatest moments of clarity are often when I have the opportunity to get away from the phone calls, emails, meetings, and social media. I’m not saying that there is anything wrong with those things, but we so easily let these things become hindrances. Rather than using these tools for information and meaningful connections, we become slaves to them.
I think this is the main reason that overlanding and getting away from everything became appealing for us. It’s easy to focus on your family and the things around you when you remove the distractions. In those moments, be it sitting around a campfire with friends or trying to keep your kids from finding less than friendly wildlife, one is able to simply be. To be present in creation, to be fully in the moment, and to be aware of how small we really are.
Recently my family and some friend of ours explored the National Parks of Texas and New Mexico (be watching for that update soon). On this trip I was able to reflect on many things that I had allowed myself to ignore. This led to some pretty big decisions for my family that I am grateful for. Without those moments of clarity and the focus that came with them I am not sure that these things would have come to light as quickly as they did.
I understand that being in the middle of nowhere may not be everyones cup of tea, but I do encourage you to find that spot or thing that allows you to be away from distraction… to have complete clarity. Get out and go for a hike or set up a hammock in a quiet place and just listen. The moment of clarity I mentioned above happened to come camping near Carlsbad Caverns, but these moments can happen close to home too. That is what Within Reach is really about, finding a way to get outside and experience nature close to home…
…Just don’t be surprised when adventure takes your further.
