I'm going to miss this

Hello Everyone,  

A few days ago, I stood outside my camper, staring at the stars on a clear, cool night. I've been stargazing a lot of nights on this trip. I was far away from town, everything was quiet, a slight smell of pine trees in the air. A thought came to me unbidden: I'm going to miss this. With the approach of Fall, I've begun to plan my return to Ottawa and the end of my adventure. It's not a sad process as I look forward to seeing friends and family again. But as I make these plans, I become more aware of the things I've enjoyed over the past year, especially those I'm unlikely to experience again. I'll go camping again and of course I'll still bike a lot, but I'm unlikely to ever get the chance to live this lifestyle. There's a difference between a weekend adventure and going home to the city, and a day of biking and coming home to the forest. As much as discovering new places, it's the lifestyle that has been the best part of this adventure. And that's saying a lot, as I love discovering new places. I get to live in the woods, with all the positives that come from that - peace and quiet, clean air, personal space, a beautiful natural environment - with none of the negatives like social isolation, poverty, lack of opportunity, etc. Not many people get the opportunity to go from one positive lifestyle to another. I wasn't forced in this direction, I was drawn. I'm very fortunate.  

Wes

Photos 

The first is from our ride yesterday. The next is from the road leading to our campsite, and the next two are from the site itself, just a pullout on a narrow mountain road.