How hashtags changed everything
It’s all happening.
Dear Reader,
When I was in my twenties and going to graduate school in a small mountain town out west, I paid for my tuition by working in restaurants. The food service industry is replete with an eclectic bunch of individuals from near and far. Amidst the wide array of folks I could choose from, and believe me, I could fill a book. I'm going to talk about a guy I knew who was a cook. He lived out in the woods in his van.
The town where I lived was full of eccentric folks, like the guy named Sage who rode around all day on his bike that looked more like an art installation rick shaw than a bike. Then there was the Rainbow Gathering that often passed through town. I had no idea what this was, until one day while I was hiking with my dog we followed the sound of drums and came upon a huge festival sized group of folks dancing in a clearing in the middle of the woods.
Honestly, for this town, a guy living in his van in the middle of the woods wasn't really a big deal. He didn't have this choice thrust upon him due to financial strain or other circumstances. It was just where he wanted to live, and he loved it. Of course my coworkers and I thought he was a little odd, but he was a nice guy who just wanted a simple life, and we all accepted him for it. His experience wasn't curated with photos or video montages where he showed you his day to day life. The life that he chose, while it might have been simple, was by no means easy, and he certainly didn't glorify it as such. It was basically camping every day where you had to move your campsite every two weeks. It didn't get too hot in the mountains, but I can't even remember what he did throughout the winter. What I do know, is that I knew this person in real life. And, when he was living like this there were no smart phones yet. At the time people were using dial-up and AOL. We're talking LITERALLY unplugged.
Nowadays when we see someone who lives and travels in their van on social media, it tends to be romanticized. I'm not saying that some people don't talk about the realities involved in this sort of lifestyle, but mostly it's highly curated. As a nomad by nature, the thought of this life is wildly appealing, at least for of a couple of months at a time. But, I do understand that the lifestyle that I am being sold on social media only contains a small dose of reality. Are there magical moments? Of course there are. But, certainly not in the way they're portrayed. Does everyone realize this though? Honestly, I don't think so.
I can't deny the fact that even though I know I'm being shown the rose-colored glasses version of this lifestyle, it's still intriguing. Every year when the weather gets warm, I long to hit the open road and travel all summer living forever in awe of majestic mountains and spectacular sunsets. Hopefully it will be a dream that is a reality someday. For now, I will spend as much time in nature as possible, where the smell of warm pine needles basking in the sun takes me back to my days living out west in a mountain town with snow capped peaks and 7,000' elevation. A place that my heart will always call home.
Here's where you'll find me next. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions or comments.
I hope you have a great week.
xo,
Christa
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