Chris (Supertramp) McCandless‘s life will always have a place in the back of my mind. Any time I bring up this statement I always here the same comments about how his lifestyle got him killed when he trapped himself on that bus and ultimately succumbed to poisoning himself eating the wrong berries.

I’m not saying Chris didn’t make a few mistakes along the way.

But

He lived his life the way he chose and not the other way around.

I read that book in my early twenties and I haven’t put it down since. I carry it with me in my head everywhere I go. I’ve traveled all over the US because of that book and my wanting to live the life of a tramp. My long distant resets are because of this book. When I see trains I want to jump in a car and see where it takes me. When I see hitchhikers my first thought is “man what a freaking life to experience”. The solitude, the freedom and excitement of wondering what’s next?

This is why I never plan itineraries my solo trips. This is why I never will. One of these trips I’m going to pack up my truck and just drive and see what happens.

True tramping

Every thing tastes better outside.

Your food

Your water

Coffee

Zest

Oxygen

Life

Spend enough time outside and you will begin to see and understand what I’m saying.

Touch that grass with your feet and your ass. It rhymes for a reason.

Put your feet in a creek – see there we go again.

Hands in the sand ok I’ll stop

I’m working today but my heart is still in Utah.

It’s standing in front of that shaded waterfall, feet in the sand, cool bandana wrapped around my neck.

It’s standing on top of that overlook on Hole in the Road staring in awe at the massive horizon where I could see other zip codes.

My feet hanging over my tent as I watched the sun set over Lone Rock.

Campfire chats with my buddy while we built fires like cowboys. Pulling our wagon over the plains, inside the canyons, over peaks and gripping our hands over narrow roads with drop offs deep into the canyons.

Skillet meals and or Arby’s (Shane)

Driving without any care as to where your next camp will be. Pulling off an old county road overlooking a farm and thinking “this will be my home for the night”

Prop up your home, build your fire, prop your feet with a book in your lap. No tvs, no cars honking, no buzzes or distractions. The moon is your overhead lamp.

We all have some feral in us. Let it out sometimes. If you can’t walk to your mailbox without putting on shoes you’re doing it wrong.

Get your grocery store feet organically.

Talk to that birds they’ll listen. Hug the trees and thank them for your breath.

Tell your water your grateful for it’s substance. It’s hydration.

Get high on life