This is my fire. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
I made this fire in the Flinders Ranges several hours from home in the mid-north of South Australia. My wife and I had left society, and people in general, far behind and had headed north in search of...
For some, being so far away from others can feel a little strange. There's no one else to rely on and a certain degree of confidence and ability is required; One must be self-reliant. For us, that distance between us and others is what brings the solitude we often crave, and the recharge we need.
Fire is an important element of these trips...It provides warmth, a heat-source for cooking and a great deal of comfort; Campfire's are simply legit. If you've ever sat around a campfire in the middle of nowhere, watching the flames dance, listening to it crack and pop as it consumes the wood, tiny glowing embers flying away overhead...Well...You'll know what I mean. It's cathartic.
I'll admit, I've been feeling restless for a little while; I guess a few months or so now. I think it's a combination of a reasonably heavy work-load at the office and some pressures around my elderly father and Faith's mum who has just exited a fairly titanic battle with cancer. I just feel a little wound up I suppose.
Things are ok, I can't complain of course, but I need to...Well, I guess to zone out, stop thinking all the time and...Just poke a stick at a fire in some remote area away from society, people and the daily grind I suppose. It's not asking for too much is it?
I love the routine of life around a campsite; It feels basic and uncomplicated. Food, shelter and warmth are the three basic human needs and I find the activities around those three most primal needs to be intensely soothing and relaxing. Camping removes everything but those needs and the repetitive actions around them.
After a day of basic thoughts and activities there's little better than sitting around a fire, watching it burn down to glowing embers, whilst a billion stars emerge above. It is one my favourite things to do and I find it extremely relaxing...It brings me that personal recharge I mentioned above.
I have many ways in which I manage stress, complications and the fast-paced life Faith and I lead; Mostly all very effective. Poking sticks at campfires isn't always possible but I get after it at every opportunity. I get the feeling I need it now. It'll be a few weeks before I can do it though, so will have to hang out that little bit longer.
Tomorrow isn't promised - Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default
An original post written by a human
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