Thirty years ago Hitchhiking in the USA I was picked up by a chap in a big old truck heading South toward Richmond Virginia. We became great friends and traveled Europe and the USA together, we lead a 5 week environmental program with students camping and working building the Appalachian Trail, I owe him much of my life philosophy, particularly the stuff about what we should do for work and how we should act as citizens of the world.
Ken has since gone on to become a world leader in outdoor education particularly in getting underprivileged city kids to experience the natural world through the Urban Ecology Center in Milwaukee.
This is me and Ken c’88 on a hitchhiking tour of Europe. We spent the night at the centre at the top of Jungfraujoch and skipped most of the way down.
Today I booked tickets to go visit him, to see his center, and then to do a road trip up to see another friend and inspiration Jarrod Stone Dahl and all do a backwoods canoe camping trip together. Sometimes you have to make time to hook up with the people in life you really admire. I really can not wait.
The canoe trip bit will be in the birch bark canoe I built with Jarrod last year. What could be better than a long canoe trip in proper wilderness in a birch bark canoe you helped build?
If you get waylaid in Chicago, Illinois, I’d be happy to find you accommodation and recommend a fine bar, er pub. I look forward to a seeing couple snaps of your trip! Happy trails!
🙂 do what you love, that is true happiness and fulfillment. Enjoy and thank you for being who you are.
In answer to that last question – Not much! Have a great time.