Adventure & Peril: A Finger to Foursquare Through Nature
It's simple, really... Rural, middle-of-nowhere areas of the world are far
better for life than any urban area ever could be.
I tell people, "I'm going to the middle of nowhere for a week", they can't
fathom a city-boy/computer nerd would do such a thing... willingly. No
Internet for a week? Must be hell... Actually, it's the world, and it's
amazing. Is there a "Track a family of deer for two days" badge on
Foursquare? No. Does there need to be? No. Why? Because it's a tangible
accomplishment that can be recorded for real, enjoyed, and remembered... Did
I become the mayor of Cuyamaca Peak? Nope. Do I need to be? Nope. Did I
conquer it? Not this time... next time. Stonewall Peak? Failed this time
too, the weather was not permitting, but the accomplishments, being
tangible, the life experiences being meaningful - that's what you unlock,
those are the real badges you receive, that's the mayorship.
Being followed on a social network doesn't hold a damn thing to having your
trail followed by a bob-cat. Maybe it was the fact that the entire mountain-site was empty, minus the
camp hosts, but the utter lack of people for a week was pretty much the best
way to start a year. Let's hope that sticks for the next 11.5 months.
Nothing against you people, but at the same time... There's nothing better
than remembering what really adds value to life, and what really applies who
you are to what you do. More often than not, it'll take a hell of a lot more
than a super-swarm badge to define you, step away from this shit and go live
somewhere, challenge yourself to do something amazing, and give yourself a
real accomplishment outside of "more followers" and a mayorship at some
company you don't own.
