Dissatisfaction with modern American domestic life

Started by Max Rockatansky, July 25, 2022, 10:02:28 PM

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webny99



bing101

I am mixed about this because I was born in the USA but everybody around me came from a different country and when I hear their stories they are exciting. Those are stories about their home countries respectively like Mexico, China, Vietnam, South Korea, Taiwan and Philippines. I always hear that their traditions/Domestic life are exciting. In my case I had to learn to be about about them and I tend to be on the odd side or end up seeing my culture as dull on my end.

SectorZ

Quote from: bing101 on July 27, 2022, 12:09:29 PM
I am mixed about this because I was born in the USA but everybody around me came from a different country and when I hear their stories they are exciting. Those are stories about their home countries respectively like Mexico, China, Vietnam, South Korea, Taiwan and Philippines. I always hear that their traditions/Domestic life are exciting. In my case I had to learn to be about about them and I tend to be on the odd side or end up seeing my culture as dull on my end.

I wouldn't get too down about it. People view their history thru rose-colored glasses, so the fact that all those families immigrated here speaks for itself.

I guess I had it different, working in my teens with many fellow teens that fled Cambodia and their childhood sucked for obvious reasons. Their culture was obliterated in their motherland, but thankfully they were able to rebuild it abroad.

NWI_Irish96

I've gotten soft in my older age, both figuratively and literally. A rustic weekend now and then might be nice but I really need my comfortable bed, climate control, and wi-fi.
Indiana: counties 100%, highways 100%
Illinois: counties 100%, highways 61%
Michigan: counties 100%, highways 56%
Wisconsin: counties 86%, highways 23%

webny99

I'm perfectly fine with being away from home for one or two nights, but anything more than that gets a little bit interesting unless you have a "base" to operate from. That's partly due to my earlier point about not having a very big or fancy wardrobe... which makes it easier to pack lightly but also means what I do have doesn't last as long before it needs washing.

JayhawkCO

Quote from: NWI_Irish96 on July 27, 2022, 03:50:51 PM
I've gotten soft in my older age, both figuratively and literally. A rustic weekend now and then might be nice but I really need my comfortable bed, climate control, and wi-fi.

I'm the opposite. Can't wait to get out of town and go camping somewhere, which I did last week and am doing again this weekend. I'll be climbing another 14er too.

This is me on top of Handies Peak last Thursday.


Scott5114

Quote from: SectorZ on July 27, 2022, 03:47:35 PM
Quote from: bing101 on July 27, 2022, 12:09:29 PM
I am mixed about this because I was born in the USA but everybody around me came from a different country and when I hear their stories they are exciting. Those are stories about their home countries respectively like Mexico, China, Vietnam, South Korea, Taiwan and Philippines. I always hear that their traditions/Domestic life are exciting. In my case I had to learn to be about about them and I tend to be on the odd side or end up seeing my culture as dull on my end.

I wouldn't get too down about it. People view their history thru rose-colored glasses, so the fact that all those families immigrated here speaks for itself.

Meanwhile, I would love to immigrate out of the United States but I don't qualify to legally do so in any of the countries I would be interested in.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: JayhawkCO on July 27, 2022, 04:09:55 PM
Quote from: NWI_Irish96 on July 27, 2022, 03:50:51 PM
I've gotten soft in my older age, both figuratively and literally. A rustic weekend now and then might be nice but I really need my comfortable bed, climate control, and wi-fi.

I'm the opposite. Can't wait to get out of town and go camping somewhere, which I did last week and am doing again this weekend. I'll be climbing another 14er too.

This is me on top of Handies Peak last Thursday.

I feel bad or off I don't go regularly do things like hike, drive or explore stuff.  I find things like sleeping in or sitting on the couch to be oddly stressful.  My wife fortunately is pretty understanding about me going out the door at 4:30 AM on a random weekday to go hike to some long derelict ghost town on a long unmaintained road.

SectorZ

Quote from: Scott5114 on July 27, 2022, 04:28:40 PM
Quote from: SectorZ on July 27, 2022, 03:47:35 PM
Quote from: bing101 on July 27, 2022, 12:09:29 PM
I am mixed about this because I was born in the USA but everybody around me came from a different country and when I hear their stories they are exciting. Those are stories about their home countries respectively like Mexico, China, Vietnam, South Korea, Taiwan and Philippines. I always hear that their traditions/Domestic life are exciting. In my case I had to learn to be about about them and I tend to be on the odd side or end up seeing my culture as dull on my end.

I wouldn't get too down about it. People view their history thru rose-colored glasses, so the fact that all those families immigrated here speaks for itself.

Meanwhile, I would love to immigrate out of the United States but I don't qualify to legally do so in any of the countries I would be interested in.

They even have a word for that, emigration.

I take it based on some of your posts that a certain desert area southeast of Europe is out of the question?

Scott5114

Quote from: SectorZ on July 27, 2022, 05:35:35 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on July 27, 2022, 04:28:40 PM
Quote from: SectorZ on July 27, 2022, 03:47:35 PM
Quote from: bing101 on July 27, 2022, 12:09:29 PM
I am mixed about this because I was born in the USA but everybody around me came from a different country and when I hear their stories they are exciting. Those are stories about their home countries respectively like Mexico, China, Vietnam, South Korea, Taiwan and Philippines. I always hear that their traditions/Domestic life are exciting. In my case I had to learn to be about about them and I tend to be on the odd side or end up seeing my culture as dull on my end.

I wouldn't get too down about it. People view their history thru rose-colored glasses, so the fact that all those families immigrated here speaks for itself.

Meanwhile, I would love to immigrate out of the United States but I don't qualify to legally do so in any of the countries I would be interested in.

They even have a word for that, emigration.

I take it based on some of your posts that a certain desert area southeast of Europe is out of the question?

Heh. Yeah, I wouldn't last too long there. I'd probably mouth off to some sheik and get the Khashoggi treatment.

I'd really like to live in one of the Nordic countries, or perhaps western Europe. But that's probably never going to happen, so instead I'm looking at just moving to a different state.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

SectorZ

Quote from: Scott5114 on July 27, 2022, 06:15:07 PM
Quote from: SectorZ on July 27, 2022, 05:35:35 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on July 27, 2022, 04:28:40 PM
Quote from: SectorZ on July 27, 2022, 03:47:35 PM
Quote from: bing101 on July 27, 2022, 12:09:29 PM
I am mixed about this because I was born in the USA but everybody around me came from a different country and when I hear their stories they are exciting. Those are stories about their home countries respectively like Mexico, China, Vietnam, South Korea, Taiwan and Philippines. I always hear that their traditions/Domestic life are exciting. In my case I had to learn to be about about them and I tend to be on the odd side or end up seeing my culture as dull on my end.

I wouldn't get too down about it. People view their history thru rose-colored glasses, so the fact that all those families immigrated here speaks for itself.

Meanwhile, I would love to immigrate out of the United States but I don't qualify to legally do so in any of the countries I would be interested in.

They even have a word for that, emigration.

I take it based on some of your posts that a certain desert area southeast of Europe is out of the question?

Heh. Yeah, I wouldn't last too long there. I'd probably mouth off to some sheik and get the Khashoggi treatment.

I'd really like to live in one of the Nordic countries, or perhaps western Europe. But that's probably never going to happen, so instead I'm looking at just moving to a different state.

New England would definitely suit you if you could stand the winters, which I presume you could if you're interested in Scandinavia.

Scott5114

Quote from: SectorZ on July 27, 2022, 06:19:54 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on July 27, 2022, 06:15:07 PM
Quote from: SectorZ on July 27, 2022, 05:35:35 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on July 27, 2022, 04:28:40 PM
Quote from: SectorZ on July 27, 2022, 03:47:35 PM
Quote from: bing101 on July 27, 2022, 12:09:29 PM
I am mixed about this because I was born in the USA but everybody around me came from a different country and when I hear their stories they are exciting. Those are stories about their home countries respectively like Mexico, China, Vietnam, South Korea, Taiwan and Philippines. I always hear that their traditions/Domestic life are exciting. In my case I had to learn to be about about them and I tend to be on the odd side or end up seeing my culture as dull on my end.

I wouldn't get too down about it. People view their history thru rose-colored glasses, so the fact that all those families immigrated here speaks for itself.

Meanwhile, I would love to immigrate out of the United States but I don't qualify to legally do so in any of the countries I would be interested in.

They even have a word for that, emigration.

I take it based on some of your posts that a certain desert area southeast of Europe is out of the question?

Heh. Yeah, I wouldn't last too long there. I'd probably mouth off to some sheik and get the Khashoggi treatment.

I'd really like to live in one of the Nordic countries, or perhaps western Europe. But that's probably never going to happen, so instead I'm looking at just moving to a different state.

New England would definitely suit you if you could stand the winters, which I presume you could if you're interested in Scandinavia.

Oh, I definitely could. My wife, however, a native of the San Diego area, probably couldn't. She already complains when it gets down in the 40s here in the winter. The horror.

Of course, part of the appeal of Scandinavia is the strong social safety net (i.e. social democracy) they have there, which as far as I know New England can't hold a candle to, try as they might. Some things, like the health insurance system, are just too entrenched here to offer any reasonable hope that they will change to my liking at any point, so the only choices are stay and bitch about it or leave.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

Road Hog

Quote from: JayhawkCO on July 27, 2022, 04:09:55 PM
Quote from: NWI_Irish96 on July 27, 2022, 03:50:51 PM
I've gotten soft in my older age, both figuratively and literally. A rustic weekend now and then might be nice but I really need my comfortable bed, climate control, and wi-fi.

I'm the opposite. Can't wait to get out of town and go camping somewhere, which I did last week and am doing again this weekend. I'll be climbing another 14er too.

This is me on top of Handies Peak last Thursday.


The lack of snowpack on your peak causes me great heartache.

JayhawkCO

#38
Quote from: Road Hog on July 27, 2022, 09:09:47 PM
The lack of snowpack on your peak causes me great heartache.

It's late July. This isn't abnormal. There were still a couple of snowfields in the couloirs, but after June, you rarely run into too much snow even at 14,000 feet (actually normally very little at 14,000 since it gets wind scraped during the winter and gets exposed to the sun unlike couloirs on the north faces.)

formulanone

Quote from: SectorZ on July 27, 2022, 03:47:35 PM
I guess I had it different, working in my teens with many fellow teens that fled Cambodia and their childhood sucked for obvious reasons. Their culture was obliterated in their motherland, but thankfully they were able to rebuild it abroad.

It's situations like this (along with the ongoing invasion of Ukraine) that remind one not to get too down about current middle-class life in America.

J N Winkler

Quote from: Scott5114 on July 27, 2022, 06:32:40 PMOf course, part of the appeal of Scandinavia is the strong social safety net (i.e. social democracy) they have there, which as far as I know New England can't hold a candle to, try as they might. Some things, like the health insurance system, are just too entrenched here to offer any reasonable hope that they will change to my liking at any point, so the only choices are stay and bitch about it or leave.

I don't know if this is an option you have already explored, but some EU countries allow indefinite expatriatism, meaning that if you have a male-line ancestor from one of them, you can recover citizenship and use that to apply for a passport, which then allows you to live and work anywhere in the EU.  I know of people who have done this for Italy and Luxembourg.

While I have great respect and affection for European social democracy, no country is perfect.  In the US, health care is probably the single most conspicuous policy field where the tablecloth fails to cover the table, but European countries have bare patches of their own, often relating to provision of transport infrastructure, managing the general price level, or keeping unemployment low.  To give an example at the consumer level, not having to pay (or carry private insurance) to see the doctor or go to the hospital can be offset to some degree by having to pay purchase tax of almost 100% for a new car.  It takes a fair amount of research and thought to navigate these tradeoffs.
"It is necessary to spend a hundred lire now to save a thousand lire later."--Piero Puricelli, explaining the need for a first-class road system to Benito Mussolini

hotdogPi

New Zealand is also as far left as some of the other countries mentioned here.
Clinched, minus I-93 (I'm missing a few miles and my file is incorrect)

Traveled, plus US 13, 44, and 50, and several state routes

I will be in Burlington VT for the eclipse.

Scott5114

Quote from: J N Winkler on July 27, 2022, 09:51:53 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on July 27, 2022, 06:32:40 PMOf course, part of the appeal of Scandinavia is the strong social safety net (i.e. social democracy) they have there, which as far as I know New England can't hold a candle to, try as they might. Some things, like the health insurance system, are just too entrenched here to offer any reasonable hope that they will change to my liking at any point, so the only choices are stay and bitch about it or leave.

I don't know if this is an option you have already explored, but some EU countries allow indefinite expatriatism, meaning that if you have a male-line ancestor from one of them, you can recover citizenship and use that to apply for a passport, which then allows you to live and work anywhere in the EU.  I know of people who have done this for Italy and Luxembourg.

While I have great respect and affection for European social democracy, no country is perfect.  In the US, health care is probably the single most conspicuous policy field where the tablecloth fails to cover the table, but European countries have bare patches of their own, often relating to provision of transport infrastructure, managing the general price level, or keeping unemployment low.  To give an example at the consumer level, not having to pay (or carry private insurance) to see the doctor or go to the hospital can be offset to some degree by having to pay purchase tax of almost 100% for a new car.  It takes a fair amount of research and thought to navigate these tradeoffs.

I'm not really certain how viable that would be in my case; I'm told I have German ancestry on my father's side (thus my bizarre surname) and Norwegian ancestry on my mother's, but I'm not really sure if sufficient documentation exists to pass muster to get a passport. But further investigation might be warranted. I'm lucky to have a job with an employer in the United States that can theoretically be done from anywhere, so the possibility exists of taking advantage of one of the "digital nomad" visa programs that were implemented in the aftermath of the covid pandemic.

In addition to the appeal of European social democracy, I feel like my personal values are falling more and more out of step with those of the United States as a whole, and certainly Oklahoma in particular. I'm hoping that relocating to a different part of the country could be enough to remedy this, but I can't shake the feeling that the gulf between where I am and where the country is will continue to grow unless we reach some sort of turning point that changes its trajectory.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

NWI_Irish96

Quote from: J N Winkler on July 27, 2022, 09:51:53 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on July 27, 2022, 06:32:40 PMOf course, part of the appeal of Scandinavia is the strong social safety net (i.e. social democracy) they have there, which as far as I know New England can't hold a candle to, try as they might. Some things, like the health insurance system, are just too entrenched here to offer any reasonable hope that they will change to my liking at any point, so the only choices are stay and bitch about it or leave.

I don't know if this is an option you have already explored, but some EU countries allow indefinite expatriatism, meaning that if you have a male-line ancestor from one of them, you can recover citizenship and use that to apply for a passport, which then allows you to live and work anywhere in the EU.  I know of people who have done this for Italy and Luxembourg.

While I have great respect and affection for European social democracy, no country is perfect.  In the US, health care is probably the single most conspicuous policy field where the tablecloth fails to cover the table, but European countries have bare patches of their own, often relating to provision of transport infrastructure, managing the general price level, or keeping unemployment low.  To give an example at the consumer level, not having to pay (or carry private insurance) to see the doctor or go to the hospital can be offset to some degree by having to pay purchase tax of almost 100% for a new car.  It takes a fair amount of research and thought to navigate these tradeoffs.

Hmm. I can trace my male lineage back to France (circa 1700), so that means I could get French citizenship?

I'd have to get a new job though. My US government job can be done remotely but it has to be from within the US. I also don't speak any language other than English so that could be problematic if I don't move to the British Isles.
Indiana: counties 100%, highways 100%
Illinois: counties 100%, highways 61%
Michigan: counties 100%, highways 56%
Wisconsin: counties 86%, highways 23%

MikieTimT

Quote from: formulanone on July 27, 2022, 09:37:07 PM
Quote from: SectorZ on July 27, 2022, 03:47:35 PM
I guess I had it different, working in my teens with many fellow teens that fled Cambodia and their childhood sucked for obvious reasons. Their culture was obliterated in their motherland, but thankfully they were able to rebuild it abroad.

It's situations like this (along with the ongoing invasion of Ukraine) that remind one not to get too down about current middle-class life in America.

We certainly complain about first world problems.  It's about time to schedule a trip to the 2nd or 3rd world for some perspective.  I know my kids and I know nothing of the types of issues my wife grew up with being born into a concentration camp in Laos due to her father being a Colonel in the Royal Lao Army during the Communism sweep through SE Asia back 50+ years ago.  It gives a whole new meaning to what one can live without, when you are pushed into a camp, provided absolutely nothing, and expected to be re-educated and survive on your own efforts.  Or not.  No skin off their backs.  Then, they managed to get the family back together as the males were in a separate camp from the females, and escape under threat of being shot in the dead of night across the Mekong River into Thailand.  2 years of Thai refugee camp were an upgrade as rice and a shelter were provided, not to mention luxuries like a toilet.  She certainly doesn't take nearly as much for granted as me and my kids do, although a 2 bedroom 1 bath trailer house weren't exactly a luxurious upbringing on my part.

seicer

Quote from: index on July 27, 2022, 12:00:43 PM
Part of me wants your standard American life. A decent place to live, a car that doesn't suck, a decent paying job, with someone to spend your days with. The other part of me wants to say " to hell with it" , turn a school bus into an RV, and spend the rest of my life traveling around the country and doing odd jobs for a living.

I hate sameness. I've moved three times going on four in the past year, maybe even five depending on how things go with this contract I'm currently in, as I try to find what's right for me and adapt to the punches that have been thrown at me so far. I'd probably never succeed with the latter option but it's appealing. Wherever I do find myself, it's going to have to be interesting.

I feel that. Usually, I'd hop jobs every 5 years or so so I could command a better salary/benefits, but I really don't feel like leaving my current employer since they allowed me to go full-time remote at the beginning of the pandemic. It's gotten easier with many more vehicle choices available now than before - want to go budget? Convert a bus or buy a used van. Want to go upscale? Get a converted Mercedes-Benz van. Need internet? There is T-Mobile Home Internet or Starlink. Need a shower? Hook up a tank and pressurize your water. Need electricity? Throw up some solar panels, an inverter, and some batteries.

triplemultiplex

I find that roughing it in the woods for a weekend or whatever to be restorative.  Nothing helps one appreciate their comfy bed more than a having a restless night of interrupted sleep on a cot or air mattress while every little mouse fart and toad hop activates the primitive part of the brain that assesses threats in the night.  But getting up because the sun has risen and going to bed because the firewood is getting low does feel better on some basic level.

It's even more invigorating when there is mildly inclimate weather.  My last camping trip, I road out some light overnight thunderstorms.  Nothing severe with like big winds and stuff; just a fireworks show of lightning and some heavy rain.  Laying in my tent with nothing but a thin fabric between me and the rain, it makes me think about how much it probably sucked for our ancestors.  Or I guess for many of our fellow humans today.  I thought about what it would have taken to actually live off what this woods provided.  It would be hard. Yeah I caught a bunch of fish that day and could have easily fed myself, but I had modern fishing tackle and some night crawlers I bought at a store.  Without that gear, those worms would've been MY meal in that situation. :P

The other thing I find about camping like that is how much less sitting I do.  A typical day for me is probably way too much sitting, staring at a screen.  Out there, something always needs to be done.  Cut firewood, set up the tent, prepare my bedroll, traipsing through the woods to fish a creek; lots of moving around.  It feels like I earned the right to sit there around the fire in the evening sucking down beers compared to some evening at home where I'm just watching some bullshit on TV.

But at the same time, I never sleep well out there, especially the first night.  For a while at like 3 AM when you find yourself needing to get up to take a leak (from all those campfire beers) it's a whole process.  Where's the flashlight?  Where are my shoes? Where's the tent zipper? Okay what's the minimal distance I need to go to water a tree?  Then reverse it all and try to fall back asleep.  In those moments, I miss my bed.  But by the time the sun is up, that is all forgotten.

After a weekend camping, I am invariably scratched and nicked by various twigs and thorns. Probably have a few bug bites; maybe some sunburn cuz I missed a spot with the sunscreen.  I smell like old smoke, Deep Woods Off, and B-O and can't wait for a hot shower.  It's clear to me it would be tough to live like that so I return home I think with a better appreciation of the amenities I take for granted.

And a side note, having camping gear means you're pretty much always prepared for a power outage or some other short term emergency that takes away one of those conveniences.  When I lost power for two days in June, it was only an inconvenience, not a crisis.  I would have been fine for twice that long no problem.
"That's just like... your opinion, man."

index

Quote from: JayhawkCO on July 27, 2022, 04:09:55 PM
Quote from: NWI_Irish96 on July 27, 2022, 03:50:51 PM
I've gotten soft in my older age, both figuratively and literally. A rustic weekend now and then might be nice but I really need my comfortable bed, climate control, and wi-fi.

I'm the opposite. Can't wait to get out of town and go camping somewhere, which I did last week and am doing again this weekend. I'll be climbing another 14er too.

This is me on top of Handies Peak last Thursday.

[snipped]
I've recently got more into the outdoors than I have before and I have to say, I really enjoy it. My most recent trip to the OBX really inspired me. I've been camping, fishing, and canoeing among other things as of late and I hope I can get to the point where I can comfortably accommodate a lifestyle like that. Next time my partner and I go, we want to try to camp on the beach on Ocracoke Island.

This summer has definitely made me want to get a good off-road car like an Outback or something so I can take it to the beach or strap a boat to the top of it, plus hold a bunch of gear in the trunk and maybe carry some bikes. Right now I've got a shitty commuter car that's really holding me back. Maybe even a truck, I've chopped my own firewood and dumping it into the back of a 2015 Mirage isn't fun to clean up.
I love my 2010 Ford Explorer.



Counties traveled

JayhawkCO

Quote from: index on July 29, 2022, 01:11:29 AM
Quote from: JayhawkCO on July 27, 2022, 04:09:55 PM
Quote from: NWI_Irish96 on July 27, 2022, 03:50:51 PM
I've gotten soft in my older age, both figuratively and literally. A rustic weekend now and then might be nice but I really need my comfortable bed, climate control, and wi-fi.

I'm the opposite. Can't wait to get out of town and go camping somewhere, which I did last week and am doing again this weekend. I'll be climbing another 14er too.

This is me on top of Handies Peak last Thursday.

[snipped]
I've recently got more into the outdoors than I have before and I have to say, I really enjoy it. My most recent trip to the OBX really inspired me. I've been camping, fishing, and canoeing among other things as of late and I hope I can get to the point where I can comfortably accommodate a lifestyle like that. Next time my partner and I go, we want to try to camp on the beach on Ocracoke Island.

This summer has definitely made me want to get a good off-road car like an Outback or something so I can take it to the beach or strap a boat to the top of it, plus hold a bunch of gear in the trunk and maybe carry some bikes. Right now I've got a shitty commuter car that's really holding me back. Maybe even a truck, I've chopped my own firewood and dumping it into the back of a 2015 Mirage isn't fun to clean up.

As you alluded to, I think a lot of the people who don't enjoy the outdoors just don't have the right gear, either because of the cost or just lack of experience. It's been a lot of money to get our outdoors set up the way we want it, but it makes it so much easier when you have gear that you've used a bunch and it works well for what you intend to do. When I moved back to Colorado, I drove a late model Kia, but I realized quickly to do the things I wanted to do, I would need something more robust so I traded it in for a 12 year old Xterra.

Once you've been in the outdoors, whether just hiking, camping, or going all the way to backpacking, you just feel more comfortable out there and the silence of the outdoors (mountains in my case), go from being moderately scary to being your medicine.

index

Quote from: JayhawkCO on July 29, 2022, 09:29:34 AM
Quote from: index on July 29, 2022, 01:11:29 AM
Quote from: JayhawkCO on July 27, 2022, 04:09:55 PM
Quote from: NWI_Irish96 on July 27, 2022, 03:50:51 PM
I've gotten soft in my older age, both figuratively and literally. A rustic weekend now and then might be nice but I really need my comfortable bed, climate control, and wi-fi.

I'm the opposite. Can't wait to get out of town and go camping somewhere, which I did last week and am doing again this weekend. I'll be climbing another 14er too.

This is me on top of Handies Peak last Thursday.

[snipped]
I've recently got more into the outdoors than I have before and I have to say, I really enjoy it. My most recent trip to the OBX really inspired me. I've been camping, fishing, and canoeing among other things as of late and I hope I can get to the point where I can comfortably accommodate a lifestyle like that. Next time my partner and I go, we want to try to camp on the beach on Ocracoke Island.

This summer has definitely made me want to get a good off-road car like an Outback or something so I can take it to the beach or strap a boat to the top of it, plus hold a bunch of gear in the trunk and maybe carry some bikes. Right now I've got a shitty commuter car that's really holding me back. Maybe even a truck, I've chopped my own firewood and dumping it into the back of a 2015 Mirage isn't fun to clean up.

As you alluded to, I think a lot of the people who don't enjoy the outdoors just don't have the right gear, either because of the cost or just lack of experience. It's been a lot of money to get our outdoors set up the way we want it, but it makes it so much easier when you have gear that you've used a bunch and it works well for what you intend to do. When I moved back to Colorado, I drove a late model Kia, but I realized quickly to do the things I wanted to do, I would need something more robust so I traded it in for a 12 year old Xterra.

Once you've been in the outdoors, whether just hiking, camping, or going all the way to backpacking, you just feel more comfortable out there and the silence of the outdoors (mountains in my case), go from being moderately scary to being your medicine.
The noises of the outdoors can definitely be frightening sometimes, lol. I remember going to a state park in the dead of night for my first time and I was totally creeped out. We were by a lake and there was this chorus of really weird sounding, high-pitched frogs or something, and every now and then they'd just instantly cut off and go dead silent. Calm before the storm type stuff. Felt like the build-up to a murder scene in a horror film. The kind of movie where the park ranger finds a dead body in the woods.
I love my 2010 Ford Explorer.



Counties traveled



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