I was 11 years old when I went on my first trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. My uncle, two cousins, my mom and one of my older brothers made up our party. We entered on East Bearskin Lake, and I don’t remember much else besides the feeling.
The feeling of being “in the wild.”
No electronics, no modern-day comforts, and certainly no motors for our fleet of canoes. Everything was work. Paddle across the lake, carry all your gear across the portage, repeat.
Unload canoes, set up the tent, hang a rain tarp, filter water, cook dinner, do dishes, button up camp, lift the bear bag into a tree.
Do it all in reverse the next morning.
At face value, it doesn’t seem like much of a vacation. But by day three you find yourself in a groove and with little to no desire to return to the comforts and complexities we build our lives around.
It’s hard work but it’s simple.
Fun isn’t a paid, ticketed, canned activity. Fun happens naturally between all the work.
And while there’s so much to do, there’s simultaneously nothing to do.
Pick some berries. Go for a swim. Fish. Investigate that frog. Listen to that bird song. Peruse the map. Take a nap on a rock. Practice a knot. Read a book. Let your mind wander. It’s a camper’s choice.
And while I sometimes question why I choose a vacation that leaves me with a sunburn, sore back, bug bites, and little sleep, it’s somehow always the most restorative trip.
As you may have guessed, I just returned from this special place once again, on my fourth annual girl’s trip with all the same feelings.
We enter the wilds with arguably way too much food, laugh until our bellies hurt, solve problems, make decisions together and talk about our lives the past year and plans for the future.
I missed my little family dearly, but I missed this too.
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been there at this point.
I know I’ve skipped a few years but have made several trips in a single year, so it must be more than 20. Each entry point, route, crew, weather and experience are different, but they all make me feel the same way.
Wild.
And while my time there is anything but luxurious, it sure is a luxury to feel wild these days.
