Free(dom)

They say nothing in life is free although I tend to think some things are. I get it though, in today's world everything comes with a cost, not always financial, but a cost nonetheless and rarely does one come across something that is truly free...I guess one's thoughts and attitudes are one such thing though right?

I like free things...although my general attitude is to apply effort and exchange that for the things I get or have whether that's working for fiat and exchanging it for goods and services, working to improve myself, or to make something happen in my life which I value...one such thing is being in the outdoors, remote and wilderness places...it's where I find freedom. You can see some of those places in the collage above, all places I've been to and camped at.

Much of my wilderness area experiences involve kayaking, hunting, hiking, survival training and practice and, of course, camping and most have been done in National Parks, on Crown land and private properties and some I've had to pay for. There's costs involved with maintaining conservation and National Parks and private properties have expenses too, but one of the really great things about Australia is that there are many places, thousands and thousands of them, where a person can camp for free. What? Free freedom? Yep, that's right!

I've dropped my 4x4 into low range four wheel drive and hit beaches, narrow, rough and muddy tracks, dry rocky creek-beds, driven through scrub with trees scraping the sides of the vehicle, climbed up treacherous winding tracks and into the mountains, on wheel-ruts upon grass covered foothills, through rivers and creeks and so much more...just to get to that free spot...free from financial cost, and those places I find freedom.

Freedom of thought and attitude is one of the great true freedoms in my opinion and it can be done anywhere, a person needs only to look inside oneself and it's there; but there's something unique and special doing so in the places I take myself, those above in the images, and whether it's free from financial cost to be there or not, the value I find there is immense.

What are your thoughts on being in the wilderness, finding natural places far from other people, and do they help you to find a different kind of freedom within yourself? Do you feel more connected with yourself and the planet when there like I do...Do you feel in your element, like I do? Feel free to comment below, maybe a picture also, of one of the natural places you most love to go?