I recently started “To Shake the Sleeping Self”, and by recently started I mean it was recommended on a sunday and i got too anxious to wait, and per the courtesy of amazon.de, its in my hands by Tuesday afternoon. It talks about how we perceive time in itself first few pages. It slips by effortlessly when we know the patterns and can make easy assumptions.
That’s why breaking a routine is so essential! Days blend together and we’re not sure where the last weeks (months?) (years?) have wondered off to, because remember how we live for the weekends?
I heard – from an entirely different source in form of a podcast – but this man (of course) made a new years goal to spend 50 nights outside in 2024. Whether he made his goal or not is besides the point. I admire the effort, because camping, without much planning, catapults you out of the monotony of time spent in front of the tv, at the dinner table, at the couch, cleaning the kitchen, brushing your teeth (Ok, maybe keep this one even for camps?)… but the point is clear! The podcast man stated he REMEMBERS those nights he spent outside. Even if you were to camp in the same spot each night for 10 nights- i bet you’re still going to have distinct memories compared to a regular bed. Why is this? just the fact we are pushing ourselves out of the ‘easy’?
Personally, I struggle with camping. Its not that I don’t enjoy it, but I always seem to forget something essential. Maybe a toothbrush, maybe a lighter, maybe that extra cozy down jacket that would boost your midnight snores. In the end, most of this stuff isn’t all that essential. A one night camp reveals our fleeting concerns of what to pack, what to wear, how to get there, what to eat, while important, don’t drive our complete experience. and don’t we remember the crazy weather, gear substitutions, and makeshift meals the most?
This is a long-winded way to say I am working adjusting my schedules to make more memories with my weeknights because I really don’t have many leave days left, and I can’t wait for a long weekend to get started living.