I recently spoke to a 2019 staff member who indicated he might not return this summer. What was interesting, though, was his reason. “… I am departing for the Appalachian Trail on February 9th. I do not know when or if I will finish, but if that is before camp ends, I would love to come work.” I picked up the phone and gave him a call. He and his buddy were going to start in Georgia to walk the entire trail, which ends somewhere in Maine. “You don’t have an end date?” I said. He didn’t. This particular young man is an excellent staff member and the sort of person I want leading boys at Hayo-Went-Ha. I wished him well on his journey. The luxury of time, I thought.
Given the time constraints of modern life, we often don’t get the opportunity to get in lockstep with the world around us. Going camping on a long weekend is lovely, but it isn’t the same as spending two weeks in Killarney, Isle Royale, or the North Channel. In remote places like those WITH time to enjoy them, the human to nature relationship has the time necessary to change. Our bodies and minds adjust to the circadian rhythms of nature herself. Our appreciation of nature significantly deepens when time isn’t the primary constraint.
Maybe you are one of those people who can transition effortlessly from one environment to the other without the need for an acclimation period—achieving tranquility and oneness with nature in the blink of an eye—zero to homeostasis in 1.5 seconds. (I’m thinking of HWH alumni Dave Foley). I suspect for many of us, though, there is a transition period. A non-trivial amount of time needed to decompress from one world to the next. Then possibly another period where we transition from feeling okay to feeling in-tune. It’s one of the benefits of embarking on a long trip.
I envy that staff member. He and his friend have a rare opportunity before them. They get to hike one of the coolest trails in our country, but more than that, they have enough time to get in sync—the time to learn to match the music of their natural environment, note for note. I hope he can complete his ambitious journey, even if it means he won’t be on staff this summer. Good luck, fellas.
Tim McKendrick