Bush Philosophy Style Outdoor Trips
I like going on cruisy-paced*
overnite outdoor trips.
Waking
up outdoors in nice places. Journeying. Not always knowing where
I am going to be tomorrow, sometimes not even knowing where I am
right now.
Hearing, feeling & seeing the rhythms of nature
around me. Going slowly & deliberately. Trips in a spirit of
silence as a counter balance to my busy everyday life. Allowing
ample time at camp without the urge to leave early, nor
usually arriving too late.
Thinking about deeper things in life. Meditating &
contemplating while sitting on rocks, beaches, tree trunks, etc.
Reading good poetry & books. Savouring silence.
Snoozing & sleeping with the rhythm of the seasons
– more in winter, less in summer.
Outdoor trips in this spirit have their own pace &
flavour. They also have a great restorative effect on my soul -
which I am, ... um ... , 'addicted' to.
I've been looking for a name to describe this style of
trip for a while. One of the earlier candidates was 'Campfire
Philosophy', but in the context of Minimum Impact outdoor
activities this could be a little misleading.
'Bush Philosophy' is more abstract. But, going back to
the roots of the word 'philosophy' = 'pursuit/love of wisdom',
and taking this in an Australian 'bush' context, it feels right.
Some of the things that come to mind regarding
Australian 'bushies' are qualities like down-to-earth, larrikin,
sticking with the essentials, bush poetry, cutting out pretense,
a strong sense of equality.
I suppose 'bush philosophy' is one of the better
things that can grow out of contemplation, thinking and heart-to-heart
conversation in a bush context.
Any other offers ... ?
Added September 2008:
Came across a very good slide show at http://changethis.com/ ...
... highly recommend ... fits in with the theme of bush philosophy ...
* cruisy-paced - What the ... does that word mean? ... I got it from the
yachting world ... here are some definitions looked up January 2008:
Cruising (maritime) http://en.wikipedia.org
Cruising
by boat is a lifestyle that involves living for extended time on a boat
while traveling from place to place for pleasure. Cruising generally
refers to trips of a few days or more, and can extend to
round-the-world voyages.
Prior
to the Nineteenth Century origin of the concept of voyaging as a
lifestyle, boats were almost exclusively used for work. In 1857, the
philosopher Henry David Thoreau, with his book Canoeing in Wilderness
chronicling his canoe voyaging in the wilderness of Maine, was the
first to convey the enjoyment of spiritual and lifestyle aspects of
cruising. The concept of cruising for pleasure was popularized in the
Nineteenth Century, by several widely read authors and books: John
MacGregor, 1866, A Thousand Miles in a Rob Roy Canoe; Robert Lewis
Stevenson, 1877, An Inland Voyage and Nathaniel H. Bishop, 1879, Four
Months in a Sneakbox.
One of the first
people to carry out a long-distance voyage for pleasure, and who
inspired many others to follow in his path, was Joshua Slocum, who
circumnavigated the world between 1895 and 1898. Despite widespread
opinion that such a voyage was impossible and despite being a retired
sea captain, Slocum rebuilt a derelict 37-foot sloop Spray and sailed
her single-handed around the world. His book Sailing Alone Around the
World is still considered a classic adventure, and inspired many others
to take to the seas.
Cruise (flight) http://en.wikipedia.org
Cruise
is the level portion of aircraft travel where flight is most fuel
efficient. It occurs between ascent and descent phases and is usually
the majority of a journey. Technically, cruising consists of heading
(direction of flight) changes only at a constant airspeed and altitude.
...
Cruising http://zoozoo2.com/skiology.html
Making a long run at less than breakneck speed
Cruising (driving) http://en.wikipedia.org
Cruising is a social activity among youths that primarily consists of
driving a car around looking for friends. For teenagers, cruising is
often an expression of the new-found freedom that a driver's license
bestows.
What distinguishes cruising from regular driving is that the object is
not to go anywhere in particular, but to be seen by one's peers.
Usually there is a popular route (called a strip) along which most
cruisers will drive. As such, "cruise nights" can end up with cars full
of young people driving slowly, bumper-to-bumper, through town.
Cruising is a social activity among youths in many North
American towns that primarily consists of driving a car around looking
for friends. For teenagers, cruising is often an expression of the
new-found freedom that a driver's license bestows.
In Canada, the term "cruising" denotes driving slowly in a vehicle while smoking marijuana.
To cruise http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
- drive around aimlessly but ostentatiously and at leisure; "She cruised the neighborhood in her new convertible"
- travel at a moderate speed; "Please keep your seat belt fastened while the plane is reaching cruising altitude"
- look for a sexual partner in a public place; "The men were cruising the park"
- sail or travel about for pleasure, relaxation, or sightseeing; "We were cruising in the Caribbean"
- an ocean trip taken for pleasure
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