But I actually kinda get that. When I was in my teens we could go to a camp retreat in Canada. Somewhere north of Sault Ste. Marie.
You could only get in by train which was… Exciting on the way in and a little sad on the way out cause it was over. The rest of the two weeks was hiking/some pontoon boats on the river to get to remote spots and then canoes or more hiking.
I don’t think we ever saw the train hit lots of high points/pitch dark. Stars bright.
@unksol Train watching in the middle of nowhere wilderness is a whole mood, as they say these days. Totally different vibes compared to in or near a city.
@PooltoyWolf I mean I could totally get that. On a pitch black hill watching the stars and a train goes by. I think there even a ~recent country song about about
/youtube Jason Aldean train in the dark
@unksol For me, it’s really cool to be out in the middle of the woods with no sounds or signs of anything but nature, then have the gradual sounds of the approaching train, its general loudness as it passes, and then the gradual return to the sounds of nature as the train fades into the distance. It’s neat.
EDIT: Not a perfect representation of the concept, but it’s close.
@unksol I’ll never forget the time I saw the stars from the side of a mountain in Wyoming, around age 14. You almost couldn’t see the sky for the stars. It was beautiful. Around here in central Florida, the light pollution is just inescapable, so such a sight is impossible.
@PooltoyWolf@unksol glad there are others here with this fascination. Wyoming, Utah, places like that especially. Especially in”the West” where it was the original and for a time only method of travel, except maybe by ship after a very long journey.
One trivia fact many don’t know. In remote areas like Kansas, Eastern Colorado, and Wyoming, towns seem to be spaced about 100 miles apart. You will see it’s usually About 90-110mi. This was because for the railroads, 100 mi was a good distance to cover between needing fuel (wood or coal) and water, and each area then needed a maintenance crew who lived there, and maintained tracks and locomotives. And towns, churches, schools, stores, a post office grew at each of them. The Western Interstate highways today link those towns which originally linked the railroads.
@PooltoyWolf@unksol also in places like Florida, the humidity creates a haze that keeps you from getting the crystal-clear night sky. In Wyoming, Utah, and most of Colorado you start at about 5000ft elevation, and with typically very dry air. So at high altitude there will be by far the best. And Montana which is called “Big Sky country” for a reason but my travels usually take me through Wyoming which is a close runner-up.
@PooltoyWolf we were up on some bluff in Ontario. I think. Back before the required passports . Pre 2001.
I honestly have no idea which but it kinda doesn’t matter. Some giddy kids with a pair of counselors asleep . Watching the stars and sunrise
I don’t think id want to live there but it’s definitely fun to visit.
I’ve shared before id really like to go into the boundary Waters for a couple weeks. but… I think we’ve all got more important commitments. Disconnecting for a whole month is not currently practical. 20 years ago. Yea.
@pmarin@unksol Exactly. Many, many major cities in this country (and plenty of smaller ones, too) were founded around railroad stations. For decades, passenger trains were by far the best way to travel long distances, before the Interstate Highway System and the airlines.
@pmarin@unksol Considering my fiancé lives in England, going on dates with him is a bit difficult…but we have shared a few beautiful places on his trips here.
@pmarin@PooltoyWolf there are plenty of gorgeous/historic places in the UK and aren’t flights/driving from it to Europe and Ireland super cheap? Or did brexit break it all? I’m sure you’ve considered this just saying.
Getting to actual wilderness. I don’t think the UK has that considering the size. Kinda a pipe dream now
@pmarin@PooltoyWolf oh I got it.long distance
relationships are hard. I was just saying. If it was a back and forth whose turn is it. You said he’d been over a few times. I was just thinking.
The cost must be the same for you to go over and back as him to fly back and forth. And there’s lots of cool things to do in the UK/ireland
Assuming you are allowed to take a vacation. Which a lot of jobs don’t allow us anymore…
@pmarin@PooltoyWolf although please make sure you’re being extremely careful. There are lot of scammers. Just because you met him a few times and he talked a good game. Just. Please be careful
@pmarin@unksol He stays with us at our house when he visits, which saves the cost of a hotel for long periods. This is not possible going the other way, since he lives with three cats and I am deathly allergic.
@pmarin@unksol This comment is honestly out of pocket, unless I misunderstand what you are saying. We have known each other for many years and have spent over a year of combined time together in person. I can assure you that my partner is not trying to scam me. Hahaha
@pmarin@PooltoyWolf I would normally say it was you lost something. Or. Maybe it was beyond your control. In this context… Not sure what the intended meaning would be.
@pmarin@PooltoyWolf honestly it doesn’t matter. I was wrong. I did that dumbass man thing where we
Try and explain the risk because we know how other men behave… Again I’m sorry…
@PooltoyWolf@unksol Not quite sure where this went but my few goat points while I still have the podium… goatium.
travel across Atlantic can be reasonable now that we are in off-season, especially if you are by an East-Coast hub.
The fear about foreign relationships is real. My wife who lived away from me in Netherlands (or Holland if you prefer; TMI I know) for a while and sometimes I would send her money through bank transfer. It was amazing the level of questions they asked about Are you sure you know this person. Because once you send the money internationally not much chance of getting it back.
My mother was in her 90s and with true goat perseverance was independent until her last few days. Still would drive herself to a casino in her VW Jetta (only a few miles and only in good weather.) She did not want to ever need to be cared-for but some have no choice and it is hard on everyone.
Damn lingo is strange between us and our former Imperialistic overlords (UK). “Fanny” means something else entirely. (Though in the same general area). “”Made redundant” is when you get laid off. But not “laid” as that would be different. A co-worker from the UK, about 20 years ago, was surprised that the Austin Powers movies used “shagging” so much, as that was virtually same as the more traditional F there at the time. He did like when we went to the Wanker’s Corner pub (south of Portland) and made sure to take pictures to send to his friends back in the UK.
There’s been a flock of turkeys wandering up the back yard. Some roosting up in the walnut trees which. Is relatively high. Have not seen a male though.
This is newish/more common. The deer do it ever year.
I never seem to see them when I have the windows open and the amp turned up. Trying to actually commune with them.
Also convene or commune? I think 4 of the 5 would be commune… but this may be entirely regional or even just how I heard it/think of it. I don’t think I’ve ever heard “convene with nature”
But I also think I perfectly valid answer would be hunting… So eh.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@PooltoyWolf basically. And you don’t exactly “gather in a group” with nature to me. You just kinda. Are out there and let it wash over you? In this context. But I think that is the implication and also not everyone uses words the same way.
@unksol In this case, the two words mean different things, so it’s not a case of both being usable for the same meaning. (I.e. ‘convene’ being interchangeable with ‘gather’, but not ‘commune’, which itself might be interchangeable with a word like ‘connect’.)
@PooltoyWolf@unksol About turkeys, these guys are just mocking us since we can’t figure out our own language. They are just trying to make it past Thanksgiving.
@unksol After the conversations about “convene” vs “commune” (I’m team ‘commune’, btw), I’m not sure if you really meant “nuisance” or “nuance” … but I’m enjoying the thoughts of it being both at the same time.
(but fwiw, I’m pretty sure all the top-level posts made by @mediocrebot are prepared by human employees, then funneled through the shared account for the sake of consistency and/or maintaining appearances)
@Kyeh@phendrick@unksol Actually this morning on a text discussing their local damage with my friends in Asheville (I’m not there yet), said: Nature reminding us who is in charge. Though likely us little humans fostered the conditions for “rapid intensification.”
3 of us have electric cars and 1 has solar so far.
@werehatrack Don’t know if I should thank you, or say “don’t ever do that again!” Fact is, language is not stagnant. Just listen to “kids these days” as I like to grumble (but not too seriously ).
Also reminds me of the “good old days” before I retired, when something would come up in an email discussion and I would drop some info (all valid and factual) that I knew would start something going and it was fun to sit back and watch. This was not politics,; it was engineering design which I think can be just as controversial. It was fun.
The other night my dog woke me at 1:30 to go outside. It was a beautiful night, not cold, not hot. Not a cloud in the sky so I could see so many stars. it was beautiful. I wish I could have shared it with someone other than my dog (who was just wandering around the yard sniffing out racoons anyway). I often think how beautiful it is on my farm, but not often enough.
@Kyeh@mbersiam I was awake at ~1:30 this morning - I looked out the bedroom window (to the east) and saw a bright point that I assumed was a planet. I verified this morning (via Stellarium) that what I saw was Jupiter with Aldebaran just above and to the right. Apparently, Mars was also in the vicinity but was behind the treeline from my point of view.
@macromeh@mbersiam I’m often up in the wee hours and I love to just step out and look at the sky. It’s so quiet and all the trees seem to loom larger and if the moon is out it’s especially beautiful.
I used to work for outdoor adventure programs and on tall ships (have USCG licenses). Backpacking, rock climbing, canoeing, kayaking, caving, dog sledding, x-c skiing, down hill skiing, sailing… Canada Ontario - including canoeingto the James Bay and saw a Polar Bear in the wild, and boundary waters/Quetico and north of that, USA -including MN, NC, ME, VT, NH, NC, OH, KY, NJ, MD, FL (took adjudicated youth canoeing across the state from the Atlantic ocean to the Gulf Of Mexico), GA, VA, WV, CT, RI, MS. England, Scotland, Holland (canoed the canals), Germany and Austria. Sailed out of ports in MA, NJ, FL, VA, plus in Scotland and the Caribbean. Sailed across the Atlantic (England to FL). Oh and Cambodia and Luxembourg.
Either with friends or with family - Canada (BC and Alberta - mountains), CA, CO, MI, ME, NH, VT, NC, SC, MA, FL, KY, TN, PA, OH, NY, WY, MT, ID, WA, OR, AZ, NM, TX, OK, HI, and probably a few places I have forgotten. Been in all but 2 states, did camping/hiking, etc, in most of them.
Have probably for gotten some of the places I have been and done outdoor adventure activities/sailing or gone car camping.
@Kidsandliz That is exactly what I wished for at least at a younger age. But managed to squeeze in a 2-month wedding and honeymoon from Colorado to Canada and Alaska in a 4WD truck with camper. One friend I worked with, his wife said sounds like a honeymoon from Hell! Did not see Polar a bears but saw a few grizzlys near the pipeline North of the Brooks Range in Alaska. At the time you weren’t supposed to drive there unless on official business. Got nervous and headed back towards Coldfoot as fuel got low but crossing the Brooks range was cool.
A season (I think Season 3) of Ice Road Truckers (Silly dramatic reality show) was about that road and it was fun to see it 30 years later.
Then a year in a motorhome where I did WFMH (Work from Motorhome) part-time but also took chunks of time off. Did an RV caravan through NE Canada including Montreal, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia. People asked us why we were doing it in our 30s when most were over 60. One was because figured out how to make it work, and also, will we get to that age? Will we still be able to do all the things we want to do? Anyway between that year, and the original camper, got about 45 of the states. Still not sure there really is a North Dakota.
Life is a balance and often choices are not obvious as you make them. Some choices you may doubt and then years later might realize it was the best thing you did. Goat words of wisdom.
@pmarin While doing that for a living had a huge negative impact on “income averaging” for social security, the experiences were invaluable. The places I’ve been and what I got to do expanded my view of the world. Now that I have been wiped out financially from 3 cancers in a state that didn’t expand medicaid I couldn’t afford to go all those places today, let alone see all the things I saw and do all the things I did. My parents kept telling me I’d regret it due to that career was exempt from minimum wage when I was older, not having enough money to save for retirement, etc. and of course at that age with no functioning frontal lobe I didn’t believe them (of course they were right financially), but those experiences made me what I am today and contributed to the development of so many interests beyond just outdoor adventure/sailing.
Watching trains in the wilderness.
@PooltoyWolf yes. Trains. The natural beasts.
But I actually kinda get that. When I was in my teens we could go to a camp retreat in Canada. Somewhere north of Sault Ste. Marie.
You could only get in by train which was… Exciting on the way in and a little sad on the way out cause it was over. The rest of the two weeks was hiking/some pontoon boats on the river to get to remote spots and then canoes or more hiking.
I don’t think we ever saw the train hit lots of high points/pitch dark. Stars bright.
@unksol Train watching in the middle of nowhere wilderness is a whole mood, as they say these days. Totally different vibes compared to in or near a city.
@PooltoyWolf I mean I could totally get that. On a pitch black hill watching the stars and a train goes by. I think there even a ~recent country song about about
/youtube Jason Aldean train in the dark
@unksol For me, it’s really cool to be out in the middle of the woods with no sounds or signs of anything but nature, then have the gradual sounds of the approaching train, its general loudness as it passes, and then the gradual return to the sounds of nature as the train fades into the distance. It’s neat.
EDIT: Not a perfect representation of the concept, but it’s close.
@PooltoyWolf agree. There’s also some… Clear innuendo in the jason aldeen song. It’s just the idea
But I get the straight on dead silence. It’s like the stars. You don’t get how bright they been be. Or how quiet things are. Until you’re no where.
I’ve never lived in a major city. Wont still. When you’re with no roads. Or 100 miles out of any town…
That’s very different
@unksol I’ll never forget the time I saw the stars from the side of a mountain in Wyoming, around age 14. You almost couldn’t see the sky for the stars. It was beautiful. Around here in central Florida, the light pollution is just inescapable, so such a sight is impossible.
@PooltoyWolf @unksol glad there are others here with this fascination. Wyoming, Utah, places like that especially. Especially in”the West” where it was the original and for a time only method of travel, except maybe by ship after a very long journey.
One trivia fact many don’t know. In remote areas like Kansas, Eastern Colorado, and Wyoming, towns seem to be spaced about 100 miles apart. You will see it’s usually About 90-110mi. This was because for the railroads, 100 mi was a good distance to cover between needing fuel (wood or coal) and water, and each area then needed a maintenance crew who lived there, and maintained tracks and locomotives. And towns, churches, schools, stores, a post office grew at each of them. The Western Interstate highways today link those towns which originally linked the railroads.
@PooltoyWolf @unksol also in places like Florida, the humidity creates a haze that keeps you from getting the crystal-clear night sky. In Wyoming, Utah, and most of Colorado you start at about 5000ft elevation, and with typically very dry air. So at high altitude there will be by far the best. And Montana which is called “Big Sky country” for a reason but my travels usually take me through Wyoming which is a close runner-up.
@PooltoyWolf we were up on some bluff in Ontario. I think. Back before the required passports . Pre 2001.
I honestly have no idea which but it kinda doesn’t matter. Some giddy kids with a pair of counselors asleep . Watching the stars and sunrise
I don’t think id want to live there but it’s definitely fun to visit.
I’ve shared before id really like to go into the boundary Waters for a couple weeks. but… I think we’ve all got more important commitments. Disconnecting for a whole month is not currently practical. 20 years ago. Yea.
@pmarin @unksol Exactly. Many, many major cities in this country (and plenty of smaller ones, too) were founded around railroad stations. For decades, passenger trains were by far the best way to travel long distances, before the Interstate Highway System and the airlines.
@unksol Boundary Waters were amazing when I went with my mother way back in 2008. Highly recommended trip.
@pmarin @PooltoyWolf also I call complete bullshit if you have never taken a date to your favorite spot.
Train hear/see it.
Metero shower.
I don’t think
/youtube I wanna check you for ticks
Is quiet as romantic
@pmarin @unksol Considering my fiancé lives in England, going on dates with him is a bit difficult…but we have shared a few beautiful places on his trips here.
@pmarin @PooltoyWolf there are plenty of gorgeous/historic places in the UK and aren’t flights/driving from it to Europe and Ireland super cheap? Or did brexit break it all? I’m sure you’ve considered this just saying.
Getting to actual wilderness. I don’t think the UK has that considering the size. Kinda a pipe dream now
@pmarin @unksol Neither of us can easily afford to travel across the pond. (I’m in the US and he’s in the UK, sorry if that wasn’t clear.)
@pmarin @PooltoyWolf oh I got it.long distance
relationships are hard. I was just saying. If it was a back and forth whose turn is it. You said he’d been over a few times. I was just thinking.
The cost must be the same for you to go over and back as him to fly back and forth. And there’s lots of cool things to do in the UK/ireland
Assuming you are allowed to take a vacation. Which a lot of jobs don’t allow us anymore…
@pmarin @PooltoyWolf although please make sure you’re being extremely careful. There are lot of scammers. Just because you met him a few times and he talked a good game. Just. Please be careful
@pmarin @PooltoyWolf and romance scams are so common…
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/jan/09/romance-fraud-scam-common-perfect-victim-money
@pmarin @PooltoyWolf @unksol They’ve spent time together - he posted some pics of them having fun at the beach!
@pmarin @unksol He stays with us at our house when he visits, which saves the cost of a hotel for long periods. This is not possible going the other way, since he lives with three cats and I am deathly allergic.
@pmarin @unksol This comment is honestly out of pocket, unless I misunderstand what you are saying. We have known each other for many years and have spent over a year of combined time together in person. I can assure you that my partner is not trying to scam me. Hahaha
@pmarin @PooltoyWolf I’m happy for you. I may have an overly pessimistic/cautious view of people… in general…
I’m sincerely sorry. I didn’t mean to… Be an asshole…
If you’re calling him your fiance already I’m sure your aware of the legal hurdles… And working on them.
@pmarin @PooltoyWolf there have been a rash of romance scams across the country… These clearly do not apply to you
I’m sorry/did not mean to butt In.
@pmarin @unksol You’re fine, you’re fine! The concern is appreciated.
@pmarin @PooltoyWolf well. I’m sure you did not appreciate. And it’s fine to say that.
Not sure how out of pocket relates but you can tell me off for that too if you want
@pmarin @unksol ‘Out of pocket’ is slang for unexpected or unusual things in conversation, at least whenever I’ve heard the term used.
@pmarin @PooltoyWolf I would normally say it was you lost something. Or. Maybe it was beyond your control. In this context… Not sure what the intended meaning would be.
@pmarin @PooltoyWolf speaking out of turn
Non of your damn business?
@pmarin @PooltoyWolf honestly it doesn’t matter. I was wrong. I did that dumbass man thing where we
Try and explain the risk because we know how other men behave… Again I’m sorry…
@pmarin @PooltoyWolf my grandma is in her 90s and they are micromanaging her. She’s going to die. Why does anyone care if any has fun doing it
@pmarin @PooltoyWolf I sincerely apologize. Ignore all that. . none of mine or anyone else’s business. Good luck
@PooltoyWolf @unksol Not quite sure where this went but my few goat points while I still have the podium… goatium.
There’s been a flock of turkeys wandering up the back yard. Some roosting up in the walnut trees which. Is relatively high. Have not seen a male though.
This is newish/more common. The deer do it ever year.
I never seem to see them when I have the windows open and the amp turned up. Trying to actually commune with them.
Also convene or commune? I think 4 of the 5 would be commune… but this may be entirely regional or even just how I heard it/think of it. I don’t think I’ve ever heard “convene with nature”
But I also think I perfectly valid answer would be hunting… So eh.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@unksol ‘Convene’ means to gather in a group, whereas ‘commune’ means to communicate or link with in a spiritual fashion. I think.
@PooltoyWolf basically. And you don’t exactly “gather in a group” with nature to me. You just kinda. Are out there and let it wash over you? In this context. But I think that is the implication and also not everyone uses words the same way.
@unksol In this case, the two words mean different things, so it’s not a case of both being usable for the same meaning. (I.e. ‘convene’ being interchangeable with ‘gather’, but not ‘commune’, which itself might be interchangeable with a word like ‘connect’.)
@PooltoyWolf I am aware of what the dictionary says. And I agree commune is probably the intent.
But just for fun. Google
“convene with nature vs commune with nature”
Now before this post there were a bunch that argued both. Now our forum discussion is number two.
I 100% think that the intent was commune based on the question. And should be there chosen word.
But for all you known he wanted us to start a cult and convene on a rat…
Also it’s gotten weird by now. The writer should not feel bad. I was just pointing out what I thought was correct and looking for some leeway
@PooltoyWolf @unksol About turkeys, these guys are just mocking us since we can’t figure out our own language. They are just trying to make it past Thanksgiving.
Convene the usual way, banging a gavel on the table.
Only then commune with the flora and fauna.
@phendrick lol that was my thought and then googled it. I guess some say convene. But I do prefer commune in this context
Also sometimes I convene with the mice in the garage. And there was that squirrel in the attic. But. Yes. Very different meanings in my head
@unksol
And is that also done with an gavel?
@phendrick @unksol I’d use gravel.
@blaineg @phendrick @unksol
Road biking and occasional hiking for me.
@andyw but which is which?
Do you convene while road biking? That sounds dangerous.
Communing while hiking seems… Peaceful
@andyw I do both with a Mtn bike, I just change my wheel set. (from knobs to tread)
Wait. I call pause. I thought. And I don’t know why.
A human wrote or at least reviewed the question.
I did not parse that out was mediocrebot. And if you gave him AI he cannot communicate and it’s dumber than before.
I was trying to be nice to the person who wrote convene vs commune.
If it was a bot who doesn’t understand the nuisance you better burn that down and delete all our input
@unksol After the conversations about “convene” vs “commune” (I’m team ‘commune’, btw), I’m not sure if you really meant “nuisance” or “nuance” … but I’m enjoying the thoughts of it being both at the same time.
(but fwiw, I’m pretty sure all the top-level posts made by @mediocrebot are prepared by human employees, then funneled through the shared account for the sake of consistency and/or maintaining appearances)
@mediocrebot @xobzoo but you gonna let this slide
“And should be there chosen word”. Not sure what there lol.
@mediocrebot @xobzoo and honestly if you’re trying to unpack all of this thread. There is a lot actually there lol
@unksol ITYM “nuances” up there, though “nuisance” has its own charm
Damn what is wrong with us all?? We can’t even “just be happy and enjoy” being in nature without getting into a “both sides” thing.
@pmarin
That’s what Floridians and those north of them have been doing this evening.
@phendrick @pmarin Nature seems to be kind of pissed off right now.
@pmarin I mean. Convene vs commune.
… The bot fucked up
If the bot doesn’t understand the difference between convene and commune…
We are fucked
@Kyeh @phendrick @pmarin also… Please for the love of God tell me you get how stupidly funny this is
@Kyeh @phendrick @pmarin oh right. Shit. The hurricane
@Kyeh @phendrick @unksol Actually this morning on a text discussing their local damage with my friends in Asheville (I’m not there yet), said: Nature reminding us who is in charge. Though likely us little humans fostered the conditions for “rapid intensification.”
3 of us have electric cars and 1 has solar so far.
By being a naturist
@OnionSoup
/showme naturst convening with nature
@mediocrebot yes… That’s me
@mediocrebot @OnionSoup Which one is you?
(I don’t see any dead goats in the pic…)
Mow the lawn…
Yanno, I was going to flag that “convene” in an Oops report last night, and then I decided not to, just to see what kind of discussion would result.
@werehatrack Don’t know if I should thank you, or say “don’t ever do that again!” Fact is, language is not stagnant. Just listen to “kids these days” as I like to grumble (but not too seriously ).
Also reminds me of the “good old days” before I retired, when something would come up in an email discussion and I would drop some info (all valid and factual) that I knew would start something going and it was fun to sit back and watch. This was not politics,; it was engineering design which I think can be just as controversial. It was fun.
The other night my dog woke me at 1:30 to go outside. It was a beautiful night, not cold, not hot. Not a cloud in the sky so I could see so many stars. it was beautiful. I wish I could have shared it with someone other than my dog (who was just wandering around the yard sniffing out racoons anyway). I often think how beautiful it is on my farm, but not often enough.
@mbersiam I was out really late the night of the full moon and I got this picture - I loved how the clouds were all broken up in little pieces.
@Kyeh @mbersiam I was awake at ~1:30 this morning - I looked out the bedroom window (to the east) and saw a bright point that I assumed was a planet. I verified this morning (via Stellarium) that what I saw was Jupiter with Aldebaran just above and to the right. Apparently, Mars was also in the vicinity but was behind the treeline from my point of view.
@macromeh @mbersiam I’m often up in the wee hours and I love to just step out and look at the sky. It’s so quiet and all the trees seem to loom larger and if the moon is out it’s especially beautiful.
@Kyeh gorgeous photo!
@mbersiam Thank you!
I used to work for outdoor adventure programs and on tall ships (have USCG licenses). Backpacking, rock climbing, canoeing, kayaking, caving, dog sledding, x-c skiing, down hill skiing, sailing… Canada Ontario - including canoeingto the James Bay and saw a Polar Bear in the wild, and boundary waters/Quetico and north of that, USA -including MN, NC, ME, VT, NH, NC, OH, KY, NJ, MD, FL (took adjudicated youth canoeing across the state from the Atlantic ocean to the Gulf Of Mexico), GA, VA, WV, CT, RI, MS. England, Scotland, Holland (canoed the canals), Germany and Austria. Sailed out of ports in MA, NJ, FL, VA, plus in Scotland and the Caribbean. Sailed across the Atlantic (England to FL). Oh and Cambodia and Luxembourg.
Either with friends or with family - Canada (BC and Alberta - mountains), CA, CO, MI, ME, NH, VT, NC, SC, MA, FL, KY, TN, PA, OH, NY, WY, MT, ID, WA, OR, AZ, NM, TX, OK, HI, and probably a few places I have forgotten. Been in all but 2 states, did camping/hiking, etc, in most of them.
Have probably for gotten some of the places I have been and done outdoor adventure activities/sailing or gone car camping.
@Kidsandliz That is exactly what I wished for at least at a younger age. But managed to squeeze in a 2-month wedding and honeymoon from Colorado to Canada and Alaska in a 4WD truck with camper. One friend I worked with, his wife said sounds like a honeymoon from Hell! Did not see Polar a bears but saw a few grizzlys near the pipeline North of the Brooks Range in Alaska. At the time you weren’t supposed to drive there unless on official business. Got nervous and headed back towards Coldfoot as fuel got low but crossing the Brooks range was cool.
A season (I think Season 3) of Ice Road Truckers (Silly dramatic reality show) was about that road and it was fun to see it 30 years later.
Then a year in a motorhome where I did WFMH (Work from Motorhome) part-time but also took chunks of time off. Did an RV caravan through NE Canada including Montreal, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia. People asked us why we were doing it in our 30s when most were over 60. One was because figured out how to make it work, and also, will we get to that age? Will we still be able to do all the things we want to do? Anyway between that year, and the original camper, got about 45 of the states. Still not sure there really is a North Dakota.
Life is a balance and often choices are not obvious as you make them. Some choices you may doubt and then years later might realize it was the best thing you did. Goat words of wisdom.
@pmarin While doing that for a living had a huge negative impact on “income averaging” for social security, the experiences were invaluable. The places I’ve been and what I got to do expanded my view of the world. Now that I have been wiped out financially from 3 cancers in a state that didn’t expand medicaid I couldn’t afford to go all those places today, let alone see all the things I saw and do all the things I did. My parents kept telling me I’d regret it due to that career was exempt from minimum wage when I was older, not having enough money to save for retirement, etc. and of course at that age with no functioning frontal lobe I didn’t believe them (of course they were right financially), but those experiences made me what I am today and contributed to the development of so many interests beyond just outdoor adventure/sailing.