Best of January: Camping and Traveling
5 Best Posts of 5 Social Media Sites
1. PN Wonderland
2. Macronamic
3. Go Pro Travels
4. Hunter.Harlow
5. Idargo_Travel_App
Google +
1. Love and Road
2. Naturesta
3. Mark Lafontan
4. Paul Richardson
5. Prava
Bloglovin'
1. Big World Small Pockets
2. Appalachian Trials
3. A Broken Backpack
4. A Globe Well Traveled
5. Penelope & Parker's Travels
1. Grilliput Portable Camping Grill
2. 7 Ways to Travel for Free
3. 41 Camping Hacks That are Borderline Genius
4. Why you need to carry a pencil sharpener
5. 12 Strange and Creative Camping Tents
1. How to get your #coffee in #Oslo these days
2. 10 Tips for Vegetarian Travellers in Central America
3. 10 Things Not to do When Traveling as a Couple
4. How to Beat Jet Lag: 3 Travel Essentials to Sleep Better
5. Three Days in the Tetons: A Glimpse into the Unreal
What is your favorite social media post of January?
Share your bests in the comments section!
Thanks to the readers!!
If you need me, I'm Two Tents Down!
Click the social media icons in the top left corner to find me elsewhere, or search "twotentsdown" on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, or Facebook.
13 Camping Tips from an Imperfect Camper
My perfectly imperfect first camping trip
Traveling across England
I looked out of the train window and saw the gorgeous English countryside whizzing passed me. I could not believe it. I was in England! I had only been there for a few days, and I was already heading North to Cumbria County for a camping trip in the famous Lake District.
It was early in the morning, gray and misty, when we departed from the Accrington train station. During our one-hour layover in the town of Preston, we loaded up on some popular English snacks I had never eaten before: BBQ Beef Hula Hoops and orange Lucozade. Both snacks were a great combination of fantastically delicious and wildly unhealthy. After our layover, we took another train from Preston to a tiny, backpacking town called Ambleside. There we aimlessly wandered around in a fancy grocery store, unable to purchase even one expensive item.
After we finished drooling, we got our heads together. We actually needed to find a campground to camp in. I was quickly sidetracked while searching for the information center. I spotted a group of backpacking hippies, sporting dreadlocks and Bob Marley t-shirts, and carrying hiking packs protected by waterproof covers.
Their hiking gear preparedness reminded me of our lack thereof. Traveling in leather jackets and borrowed rain boots (a.k.a. wellies, as the English call them), we were carrying a leather side satchel and a canvas backpack. Each were filled with a pair of one-piece footy pajamas, a bottle of water, and a change of clothes. Also split between our bags was a variety of fruit (soaked, mashed, and inedible by the time we got to it) and a very cheap (perhaps the cheapest) bottle of white rum. If that wasn't enough, we were lugging around a massive two-person sleeping bag and a borrowed tent worth £20 (which might as well have weighed 20 pounds, it was so heavy).
Their hiking gear preparedness reminded me of our lack thereof. Traveling in leather jackets and borrowed rain boots (a.k.a. wellies, as the English call them), we were carrying a leather side satchel and a canvas backpack. Each were filled with a pair of one-piece footy pajamas, a bottle of water, and a change of clothes. Also split between our bags was a variety of fruit (soaked, mashed, and inedible by the time we got to it) and a very cheap (perhaps the cheapest) bottle of white rum. If that wasn't enough, we were lugging around a massive two-person sleeping bag and a borrowed tent worth £20 (which might as well have weighed 20 pounds, it was so heavy).
The unheeded warning, and the damage that ensued
I took is trip in the summer of 2012. I was 24-years-old, six months away from college graduation, and I was in love! My head was high up in the clouds. Our friends and family warned us against camping that weekend, due to severe weather alerts, but we didn't even hear them. We had just reunited after three months of living with half a country and an ocean between us. In our desperate minds, being together and in danger was better than being safe and apart.
What followed these warnings were dangerous storms, powerful gusts of wind, and some serious flooding. This crazy weather plagued much of England in June of 2012. The clouds dumped a month's worth of rain on Cumbria County in a 24-hour period, during the weekend we camped. And there we were on foot in the Lake District, with almost nothing waterproof, a cheap and heavy tent, and little to no knowledge of what the heck we were doing.
But we weren't without ideas. We pitched our cheap tent on a hill, as opposed to the soggy flat land below it. We thought we were so smart! Unfortunately, we hadn't practiced putting up the tent beforehand, so we spent the next miserable half hour erecting this cheap and ridiculously-designed tent while the wind smacked us with thousands of tiny rain pellets. I felt like we were the targets and the wind was a bb gun with unlimited ammo, and a sick desire to torture us!
Despite our difficulties, we got that tent in an upright position, atop that little hill, next to a tree. We climbed in and hung on for dear life. Due to the torrential rain, a powerful river surged through our campsite that first night. A river that wasn't there before, and wouldn't likely be there ever again.
 |
Here we are at the end of the weekend at the Great North Swim wearing borrowed sweatshirts, waterlogged wellies,
and clothes that had been soaked and partially dried two or three times over.
|
That weekend, we were in a campground called Great Langdale. Thick fog covered the Langdale Pike mountain range on our first day there. By day two, the fog had lifted and the mountains were freely exposed to the sun (and my curious eyes). We hiked towards Windermere Lake through the mountains, in our wellies and the only clothing that was dry: our footy pajamas. We were exhausted, and looked ridiculous, but a natural Emerald City of greens surrounded us, and we were inspired to push on!
I still say it was one of the best weekends of my life. We survived on adrenaline and cheap white rum. It was nothing short of an adventure; one I was definitely not prepared for and will never forget.
I still say it was one of the best weekends of my life. We survived on adrenaline and cheap white rum. It was nothing short of an adventure; one I was definitely not prepared for and will never forget.
Since then, I've made some MAJOR alterations to my camping techniques. These alterations are the result of research, more experience, and a whole lot of trial and error.
Without further ado, here is my list of 13 Camping tips:
1. Book your campsite way ahead of time.
You might be able to get away with booking a campsite in a private campground, the day before you leave for your trip, but national and state parks are particularly busy, and might require booking up to six months in advance.There is plenty of information regarding national and state parks online at recreation.gov or over the phone at 1-877-444-6777.
2. Bring extra tent stakes.
You never know when one of them will get bent out of shape when you're pounding them into the ground.3. Practice putting up your tent ahead of time.
The quickest and easiest frustration on a camping trip can come when you're putting up the dang tent. If you don't know how, it just becomes an extra annoyance when you've just gotten to your campsite and you've got all your unpacking and setting up to do.
My best advice is to pick a nice day and then spend half an hour getting to know your tent out in your backyard or at your local park.
4. Bring a little lantern.
Having a lantern makes a world of a difference in your campsite. It's nice to have your campsite lit up while you're hanging out, or making dinner.Here is my Ultimate Survival Technologies Brila Mini Lantern:
I bought this lantern at the REI in Fresno, California on my last camping trip, when I decided that it would really improve my camping experience. Luckily, it was around $15, so it didn't break my wallet.I like it because it's small enough to fit in my pack or my pocket, and it has a hook on the top (so I can hang it in my tent, or on a tree branch) and a powerful magnet on the bottom.
The only downfall is that the lantern runs on AA batteries, which means I will need to keep buying them.
5. Bring an extra tarp.
I say extra tarp because you should already have a tarp for underneath your tent, if there is even the slightest chance of rain. I haven't had any water leakage in my tents when I've use a tarp, but I have definitely had water leak into my tent when I didn't use one. Many times it's not necessary, but it's good to be safe.
Camping Fail: It started raining on day two of my camping trip in Sequoia National Park. After hiking all day, we didn't have an awning or a tarp to hang out under. In sheer desperation, we constructed an overhang for our picnic table out of whatever scraps of plastic we could find, and some rope and duct tape. The plus was that we had an overhang to use, but the minus was that everything underneath was already soaking wet.
How to use the tarp:
- You can tie your extra tarp to trees, your car, or even a broken tree branch shoved into the ground (as I recently witnessed a neighboring camper do).
- Stretched out, your tarp can be an overhang for a picnic table or some camping chairs.
The extra tarp is also useful for:
- sanity, when it's been raining for 3 days straight, and anyplace is a better hangout than your the tent you've been banished to since the start of the rain
- playing a game of cards in your campsite, during a downpour
- drying out wood, clothing, blankets, or sleeping bags
- impressing fellow campers who aren't as prepared as you are
- storing extra gear
Active.com has a great article called 15 Ways to Use a Tarp at the Campsite. Check this out for tips and ideas on tarp use while camping.
6. Get organized!
This is a no-brainer. I always make a list before I go on any trip, but especially before I go camping.
The list works for the physical items you're planning to bring, but also for the things you have to do before you leave like putting gas in your car, asking your neighbors to feed your pets, or asking your work for time off.
Scoutlists is a website filled with all sorts of packing lists broken down by climate, season, and potential activities of your upcoming camping trip.
7. Think ahead about devices and chargers.
Let's be realistic. Most people bring their devices everywhere they go; even camping!- Pack chargers, back up batteries, and extra memory cards.
- Empty the pictures out of your phone so you have plenty of space for new ones.
With that said, plan to have no signal or anywhere to charge your devices. That way, there's no shock or disappointment when you realize you're out in nature where you'll be left to your own devices.
Major camping fail: On my most recent camping trip, I brought the wrong charger for my digital camera. After the camera was dead, that was it for great quality photos in Yosemite National Park. And I could have avoided the whole mess if I had been more careful while packing.
8. Think about what kind of a camper you are and pack accordingly.
Some people can camp with very little, and some just can't. That's okay, but make sure you realize what kind of a camper you are before you're out there camping with more or less than you are comfortable with.
9. Tell someone where you are going.
If you have an itinerary, print off an extra copy for a family member or a friend. If you don't have an itinerary, give someone a basic idea of where you'll be, just in case anything goes wrong.This tip is especially beneficial for people who plan to hike while camping. Here is an article that includes phone apps designed for safety: 10 Must-Have Smartphone apps for Hikers.
There are also handheld GPS devices available for hiking, and other outdoor activities. Here is an article that compares and reviews several of these devices: The Best Handheld GPS Review.
10. When camping in bear country, hang your food or store it in a bear canister.
These (sometimes even human proof) devices are designed to keep bears out of your food and away from you and your campsite. Anything with a scent is fair game for a bear This includes toiletries like soap and shampoo This stuff isn't safe in your car either, unless you're okay with a few broken windows, dents, and bear paws all over your stuff
Bears that eat human food can become aggressive and in some cases required to be put down. Using a bear canister is for the safety of you as well as the bears Click on this link for more information from the National Park Service about bear safety and food storage in human-and-bear-shared nature areas.
Check out my blog post on safe camping in bear country for more info!
11. When camping ANYWHERE, store food carefully.
There are plenty of other animals that would love to eat your tasty human food.Camping fail: Years ago, while camping, our group left the campsite to visit a neighboring site. We returned to find a family of raccoons tearing the campsite apart, because we had been foolish enough to leave our food unattended.
12. Semi-plan your meals ahead of time.
What's not only annoying, but potentially dangerous, is going on a camping trip and realizing that you don't have enough food and that you're going to have to ration the little food you do have.
Estimate how much food you'll need per day and work off of that estimate:
- Scenario 1: Dehydrated meals for EVERY meal!
- Scenario 2: Oatmeal each morning, snacks during the day, and a big meal cooked over the fire each night
- Scenario 3: Three big meals, all cooked on the grill
- Scenario 4: Glamp it up with bacon and eggs or a tasty tofu scramble! With this scenario, you won't want to forget your sides and condiments like olive oil or butter, ketchup, bread, cheese, milk, etc.
You get the point. Without a tentative plan, you might end up being the little piggy who had none!
13. Show some R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
To other campers, to the wildlife, and to the environment. Simple.
Do you have any helpful camping tips?
Share your ideas in the comment section!
If you need anything, come on by! I'm Two Tents Down!
Email me with questions, comments, or concerns at twotentsdown
19 Books That Took me on Adventures in 2015
I've been an avid reader since I was young. The time I spent reading subsided in high school and college, when I was usually too busy doing homework and working various restaurant jobs to read books for pleasure. After graduating from college in 2012, I moved to England and reintroduced myself to a passion I'd been too far away from for too long. This 2015 year has been filled with time spent reading.
1. "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggars
What a fantastically-written, true story about a Syrian man and his experience before, during, and after Hurricane Katrina. I was inspired by the kindness this man showed to others, and appalled by the lack of kindness shown to him. This is a sad, but eye-opening tale of a horrific natural disaster in New Orleans, through the eyes of one man.
Note: I feel compelled to share an article I just read, about Abdulrahman Zeitoun. The book is still amazing, but this article is leading me to believe the story might have some holes in it. I'll let you be the judge.
2. "Harry Potter and the Scorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling
Clearly, you've heard of this book which is the first in the "Harry Potter" series. I first read "The Scorcerer's Stone" when I was a kid. My grandmother gave it to me for Christmas, based on a great tip from my mom.
I immediately started reading it, only to return to Lutheran grade school where my teachers wouldn't allow me to read it, due to the obscene amount of brainwashing dark magic (Sense my sarcasm?) contained in the book. The graphic and violent Stephen King books I frequently toted around were okay, of course.
Anyway, I did what many kids would do when they are told not to do something. I read "Harry Potter" anyway. Mostly at home, though.
3. "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" by J.K. Rowling
Returning to this book series was one of the best things I did in the year 2015. I alleviated any post-travel boredom by losing myself in tales of flying on broomsticks, making friends with house elves, and eating fabulous meals in the Great Hall.
4. "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling
One of the most impressive elements of the "Harry Potter" series, is the way you can grow up with the books. Not only do the characters mature in both age and magic, but the language becomes more adult, and the subject matter becomes more serious. Never did I recognize these things more than when I binge read the series as an adult in 2015.
5. "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" by J.K. Rowling
Many years after first reading "Goblet", I opened the book and found little bits of grated Parmesan
Cheese in between the pages. My mind returned to a moment in my childhood house, where I was sprawled out on the living room floor, devouring popcorn topped with Parmesan cheese while reading the exact same copy of "Harry Potter and The Goblet of fire".
6. "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" by J.K. Rowling
This is the book where things start to get really dark and serious, and when the reader might realize that some of these magical world issues are not all that different from "muggle" world issues.
7. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
8. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
9. "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon" by Stephen King
Stephen King has been captivating my imagination with his stories since I was young. His writing makes me feel like I'm in each book next to each character. To this day, I have a great amount of respect for King. Unfortunately, I don't read many of his books with the same enthusiasm I once had as a young adult.
"The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon", however, never fails to capture my whole attention (of course, any book about the Appalachian Trail has an excuse to draw me in). Although, the little girl in the story seemed unrealistically intelligent for her age, at times, I absolutely love the psychological adventure she goes on in the woods, somewhere along the Appalachian Trail. Her will to survive, and her critical thinking skills, are almost adult-like, yet her school-girl Tom Gordon crush and her need for her family remind the reader that she is still a 9-year-old child.
10. "Wild" by Cheryl Strayed
The only reason this book is number ten on the list, is that I've put the books in the order in which I read them throughout the year. But, quality would put this book near the top. Now that we've got that covered, let's get to my review.
As soon as I saw the preview for "Wild", the movie, I had to see it. As soon as I saw the movie, I had to read the book. I waited weeks for a copy of this book to be delivered to my library, and when I finally picked it up off of the shelf, I tore into it with a hunger I hadn't had for a book since... Well, since I read the Harry Potter books, a few months earlier. So it wasn't that long, but it was still quite a fierce hunger.
That hunger was fed and eased in such a satisfying way, by the quality of Strayed's storytelling. I was absolutely enthralled by her portrayal of her childhood, her deep loss and the poor decision-making that followed, and her detail-by-detail experiences along the Parcific Crest Trail.
If you are looking for a great adventure book, I highly, highly recommend this one.
I'm not meaning any harm by the title of this section, but there are certain books I connect with more than others.
1. "Divergent" by Veronica Roth
I started reading this book after seeing the movie in theaters. I didn't really know too much about it, other than the fact that I was entertained by the first movie. My wife read the whole trilogy first, as I was reading the "Harry Potter" books. Her response to the "Divergent" books wasn't great, but I decided to read them anyway.
Fortunately, the story has some great ideas in it. Unfortunately, the implementation of those ideas was not enjoyable to me. I finished the trilogy only to get to the end, which isn't really how I plan to read books in the year 2016.
2. "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth
3. "Allegient" by Veronica Roth
4. "A Thousand Splendid Sons" by Khaled Hosseini
This was a very great, but very hard, book to read. It was heartbreaking. The story is about two womens, and how their lives become intertwined in a very unexpected way, during the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan.
5. "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
I read this book based on the excitement I had after seeing a preview for the movie, and also based on a friend's recommendation. I love Bryson's humor and his obvious passion for the Earth, the plants and animals that occupy it, and the way people treat it.
However, I struggled through his lengthy rants about specific species of plants and animals along the Appalachian Trail, the historical lessons on the creators of the Trail, the towns and parks along the way, and the Appalachian Trail itself. I liked learning about those things, but I would have preferred those sections to be shorter, and to have been able to read more of his stories about actually hiking along the Trail.
6. "The Mouse and the Motorcycle" by Beverly Cleary
It was a pleasure to read this book for the second or third time in my life. It was as lighthearted, imaginative, and adventurous as I needed it to be at the time, when I had just finished a few books with very heavy topics.
I am not ashamed to admit that I still periodically read Children's books. There's no denying the wildness of the adventures you find in many of them, and that's why I love them.
I'm pretty sure we read "The Mouse and the Motorcycle" as a class when I was in grade school or middle school. I can remember my plump, white-haired teacher in a conservative flower-patterned dress, standing behind a podium at the front of the classroom. She would call on students to read, paragraph-by-paragraph. When it came to reading, my hand was always flying high in the air, in hopes of being chosen next.
As the school's literature teacher, she also read the "Narnia" series to my class when I was younger. Many of these books I was required to read, fed and enhanced my imagination and my desire for adventures.
7. "When Love Hurts" by Shaquanda Dalton
I am happy to share the title of the first book of Shaquanda Dalton's "Jaylen and Jessica" series with you. Dalton is not only my coworker and friend, she is a great writer who inspired me to get serious about my own writing.
I was immediately reeled in by this love story. It's well-balanced with love, friendship, drama, romance, passion, and jealousy. Jessica is smart and determined, and struggles to find a path that satisfies both her heart and her mind.
8. "Choke" by Chuck Palahniuk
I was very disappointed by this book, especially because of how much I loved Palahniuk's "Fight Club". Although I know it's part of Palahniuk's style, I thought "Choke" was unnecessarily vulgar. Also, by the end of the book I still had unanswered questions, which really bugged me.
My wife read an article earlier this year about how to be happy and content in your life. She of course shared it with me, knowing that I enjoy happiness and contentedness too... Who doesn't? One of the tips in the article was to stop reading a book when you aren't enjoying it.
This is my list of the books I had to let go, despite emotional connections to both of them:
1. "The Shining" by Stephen King
I have no issues with this story, the writer, or the movie, but I just don't think it was the right time for me to read this book. My heart wasn't in it, so I had to let it go.
2. "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe" by Fannie Flagg
The story in this book is my go to story, whenever I am feeling bummed out. "Fried Green Tomatoes", based on the book, has been my favorite movie for as long as I can remember. Throughout my life, I've had it on both VHS and DVD. I felt that I owed it to the creator of the story to finally read the book.
Well, as much as I love the story, after seeing the movie so many times, I couldn't wrap my mind around the differences between the movie and the book. I couldn't see my beloved characters in different lights. I couldn't learn about new characters, or read the weekly gossip column. Worst of all, I couldn't have the relationships I love so much, mean something different in the book.
With much hesitation and disappointment, I let the book go. The story, however, will always remain with me.
1. "Blame" by Michelle Huneven
I'm closing out 2015, after reading this incredible book about a woman who is imprisoned by both the state of California, and the guilt of having killed a mother and a daughter in a drunk driving accident. This book had me after the first or second chapter. It's not just a book about a crime, it's a book about a woman's life and what she does with it.
What books took you on adventures in 2015?
Share your favorites in the comment section. I'd love some recommendations!
Thanks to all my readers, for taking the time to read my 2015 book list! I'm looking forward to another fabulous year of reading (and of course, writing) in 2016.
Happy New Year to all!!
Email me at twotentsdown@yahoo.com or follow me on social media by clicking on one of my social media buttons in the top left corner of this page.
Books Devoured
1. "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggars
What a fantastically-written, true story about a Syrian man and his experience before, during, and after Hurricane Katrina. I was inspired by the kindness this man showed to others, and appalled by the lack of kindness shown to him. This is a sad, but eye-opening tale of a horrific natural disaster in New Orleans, through the eyes of one man.
Note: I feel compelled to share an article I just read, about Abdulrahman Zeitoun. The book is still amazing, but this article is leading me to believe the story might have some holes in it. I'll let you be the judge.
2. "Harry Potter and the Scorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling
Clearly, you've heard of this book which is the first in the "Harry Potter" series. I first read "The Scorcerer's Stone" when I was a kid. My grandmother gave it to me for Christmas, based on a great tip from my mom.
I immediately started reading it, only to return to Lutheran grade school where my teachers wouldn't allow me to read it, due to the obscene amount of brainwashing dark magic (Sense my sarcasm?) contained in the book. The graphic and violent Stephen King books I frequently toted around were okay, of course.
Anyway, I did what many kids would do when they are told not to do something. I read "Harry Potter" anyway. Mostly at home, though.
3. "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" by J.K. Rowling
Returning to this book series was one of the best things I did in the year 2015. I alleviated any post-travel boredom by losing myself in tales of flying on broomsticks, making friends with house elves, and eating fabulous meals in the Great Hall.
4. "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling
One of the most impressive elements of the "Harry Potter" series, is the way you can grow up with the books. Not only do the characters mature in both age and magic, but the language becomes more adult, and the subject matter becomes more serious. Never did I recognize these things more than when I binge read the series as an adult in 2015.
5. "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" by J.K. Rowling Many years after first reading "Goblet", I opened the book and found little bits of grated Parmesan
Cheese in between the pages. My mind returned to a moment in my childhood house, where I was sprawled out on the living room floor, devouring popcorn topped with Parmesan cheese while reading the exact same copy of "Harry Potter and The Goblet of fire".
6. "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" by J.K. Rowling
This is the book where things start to get really dark and serious, and when the reader might realize that some of these magical world issues are not all that different from "muggle" world issues.
7. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
8. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
9. "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon" by Stephen King
Stephen King has been captivating my imagination with his stories since I was young. His writing makes me feel like I'm in each book next to each character. To this day, I have a great amount of respect for King. Unfortunately, I don't read many of his books with the same enthusiasm I once had as a young adult.
"The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon", however, never fails to capture my whole attention (of course, any book about the Appalachian Trail has an excuse to draw me in). Although, the little girl in the story seemed unrealistically intelligent for her age, at times, I absolutely love the psychological adventure she goes on in the woods, somewhere along the Appalachian Trail. Her will to survive, and her critical thinking skills, are almost adult-like, yet her school-girl Tom Gordon crush and her need for her family remind the reader that she is still a 9-year-old child.
10. "Wild" by Cheryl Strayed
The only reason this book is number ten on the list, is that I've put the books in the order in which I read them throughout the year. But, quality would put this book near the top. Now that we've got that covered, let's get to my review.
As soon as I saw the preview for "Wild", the movie, I had to see it. As soon as I saw the movie, I had to read the book. I waited weeks for a copy of this book to be delivered to my library, and when I finally picked it up off of the shelf, I tore into it with a hunger I hadn't had for a book since... Well, since I read the Harry Potter books, a few months earlier. So it wasn't that long, but it was still quite a fierce hunger.
That hunger was fed and eased in such a satisfying way, by the quality of Strayed's storytelling. I was absolutely enthralled by her portrayal of her childhood, her deep loss and the poor decision-making that followed, and her detail-by-detail experiences along the Parcific Crest Trail.
If you are looking for a great adventure book, I highly, highly recommend this one.
Books Read (as opposed to devoured)
I'm not meaning any harm by the title of this section, but there are certain books I connect with more than others.
1. "Divergent" by Veronica Roth
I started reading this book after seeing the movie in theaters. I didn't really know too much about it, other than the fact that I was entertained by the first movie. My wife read the whole trilogy first, as I was reading the "Harry Potter" books. Her response to the "Divergent" books wasn't great, but I decided to read them anyway.
Fortunately, the story has some great ideas in it. Unfortunately, the implementation of those ideas was not enjoyable to me. I finished the trilogy only to get to the end, which isn't really how I plan to read books in the year 2016.
2. "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth
3. "Allegient" by Veronica Roth
4. "A Thousand Splendid Sons" by Khaled Hosseini
This was a very great, but very hard, book to read. It was heartbreaking. The story is about two womens, and how their lives become intertwined in a very unexpected way, during the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan.
5. "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
I read this book based on the excitement I had after seeing a preview for the movie, and also based on a friend's recommendation. I love Bryson's humor and his obvious passion for the Earth, the plants and animals that occupy it, and the way people treat it.
However, I struggled through his lengthy rants about specific species of plants and animals along the Appalachian Trail, the historical lessons on the creators of the Trail, the towns and parks along the way, and the Appalachian Trail itself. I liked learning about those things, but I would have preferred those sections to be shorter, and to have been able to read more of his stories about actually hiking along the Trail.
6. "The Mouse and the Motorcycle" by Beverly Cleary
It was a pleasure to read this book for the second or third time in my life. It was as lighthearted, imaginative, and adventurous as I needed it to be at the time, when I had just finished a few books with very heavy topics.
I am not ashamed to admit that I still periodically read Children's books. There's no denying the wildness of the adventures you find in many of them, and that's why I love them.I'm pretty sure we read "The Mouse and the Motorcycle" as a class when I was in grade school or middle school. I can remember my plump, white-haired teacher in a conservative flower-patterned dress, standing behind a podium at the front of the classroom. She would call on students to read, paragraph-by-paragraph. When it came to reading, my hand was always flying high in the air, in hopes of being chosen next.
As the school's literature teacher, she also read the "Narnia" series to my class when I was younger. Many of these books I was required to read, fed and enhanced my imagination and my desire for adventures.
7. "When Love Hurts" by Shaquanda Dalton
I am happy to share the title of the first book of Shaquanda Dalton's "Jaylen and Jessica" series with you. Dalton is not only my coworker and friend, she is a great writer who inspired me to get serious about my own writing.
I was immediately reeled in by this love story. It's well-balanced with love, friendship, drama, romance, passion, and jealousy. Jessica is smart and determined, and struggles to find a path that satisfies both her heart and her mind.
8. "Choke" by Chuck Palahniuk
I was very disappointed by this book, especially because of how much I loved Palahniuk's "Fight Club". Although I know it's part of Palahniuk's style, I thought "Choke" was unnecessarily vulgar. Also, by the end of the book I still had unanswered questions, which really bugged me.
Books Attempted
My wife read an article earlier this year about how to be happy and content in your life. She of course shared it with me, knowing that I enjoy happiness and contentedness too... Who doesn't? One of the tips in the article was to stop reading a book when you aren't enjoying it.
This is my list of the books I had to let go, despite emotional connections to both of them:
1. "The Shining" by Stephen King
I have no issues with this story, the writer, or the movie, but I just don't think it was the right time for me to read this book. My heart wasn't in it, so I had to let it go.
2. "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe" by Fannie Flagg
The story in this book is my go to story, whenever I am feeling bummed out. "Fried Green Tomatoes", based on the book, has been my favorite movie for as long as I can remember. Throughout my life, I've had it on both VHS and DVD. I felt that I owed it to the creator of the story to finally read the book.
Well, as much as I love the story, after seeing the movie so many times, I couldn't wrap my mind around the differences between the movie and the book. I couldn't see my beloved characters in different lights. I couldn't learn about new characters, or read the weekly gossip column. Worst of all, I couldn't have the relationships I love so much, mean something different in the book.
With much hesitation and disappointment, I let the book go. The story, however, will always remain with me.
Ending on a great note
1. "Blame" by Michelle Huneven
I'm closing out 2015, after reading this incredible book about a woman who is imprisoned by both the state of California, and the guilt of having killed a mother and a daughter in a drunk driving accident. This book had me after the first or second chapter. It's not just a book about a crime, it's a book about a woman's life and what she does with it.
What books took you on adventures in 2015?
Share your favorites in the comment section. I'd love some recommendations!
Happy New Year to all!!
You always know where to find me! I'm Two Tents Down!
Email me at twotentsdown@yahoo.com or follow me on social media by clicking on one of my social media buttons in the top left corner of this page.
Traveling on my Mind
My thoughts on the "in-between" period after one travel adventure, and before another
I've been thinking a lot about traveling, lately. Creating a blog and 47 (I exaggerate) social media accounts about camping and traveling will have that effect.Sometimes I can't believe I'm back home. After all the time I spent away from home, after all the belongings I hate to part with, and after all that I've experienced, I can't believe that I'm back home, in the same place I was before. I'm residing in the same house, working the same type of job, doing the same things in my free time, and living in the same city I lived in for the seven years before I left to travel.
These things didn't change. My house didn't change. Milwaukee didn't change. But, I changed. After coming back home, I realized that I'm different. I don't quite fit the life I was living before I left.
I don't think I'm the only person to realize this. I have fewer people in my life now. Upon my return, I realized that many of my friends moved on while I was away. That's one of the downfalls of travel. Friends' lives keep moving and building in one place, while your life grows in a different way.
My point is here, somewhere.
I've been back home for 16 months now. In that time, I:
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| Newbie number two |
- Reconnected with family and friends
- Made my travel partner my permanent partner in life (Yay! We got married!).
- Traveled to Virginia Beach for my cousin's wedding (Congrats, Cuz!).
- Attended two other beautiful Wisconsin weddings.
- Played three seasons of softball.
- Joined a soccer team, for the first time!
- Convinced an old job to hire me back, then convinced a new job to hire me on.
- Got a promotion!
- Lived at my mom's in the suburbs, then moved back to Milwaukee.
- Said goodbye to two very special family members, and then said hello to three very special, new family members (Newbies, you know your names!).
- Went on many hikes and bike rides.
- Went camping a few times, and bought an obscene amount of camping gear (Thanks REI, for relentlessly tempting me!).
- Explored two incredible national parks.
- Visited two states I had never been to before.
- Became Professor Trelawney for one glorious night!
- Devoured 17 books (and counting).
- Started this blog.
- Made a solid plan to hike the Appalachian Trail in 2017.
Even after reminiscing on all the adventures of the last 16 months, I can't help but feel like the monotony of daily life is stifling my wanderlust needs. I got a taste of traveling. I got a taste of a wildness that I had never felt before. Now I'm home, and writing about those experiences.
Though my travels were far from perfect (and even farther from easy), I know that I need to get back out there again, soon. And once my home life is in order, I'll be planning and saving for future exploration.
To put it simply, more adventures are calling!
Dear Readers,
Do you feel the pangs of unfulfilled travel? Have you grown tired of the day-to-day grind? What do you do to ease the wanderlust, while you're doing the home life thing, and waiting for the next big trip?
Feel free to leave a comment, send me an email (twotentsdown@yahoo.com), or contact me through social media (twotentsdown on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram).
