A Guide to Adventure

If you have ever had a fight with your significant other or the two of you are going through a rough patch - let's face it we all go through those - and you want to find a unique way to work together, and get your relationship back on track, getting into nature is the best way to go. Derek and I have been together for the past three years, we have worked together in many different ways, we have put our relationship to the test, and even when we fight, there are things that bring us together, and allow forgiveness. From installing carpet/tile together for a year, fixing multiple car issues together, and now surviving the elements together. The common thread between all of this is that teamwork is crucial to the success of those tasks. I won't go into flooring installations or how to change multiple car parts because neither one of those are any fun, but I will tell you how camping, hiking, and being in nature saved our relationship. Every aspect of camping from packi...

                                If you think of camping in a tent as uncomfortable, or boring then I know just what you need: A tree tent. Yes I said, Tree Tent. Instead of sleeping on the forest floor, being prey to bears and whatever the forest holds, try sleeping suspended in a tent ten to fifty feet in the air. The higher you go the more breathtaking the view, and the the more magical the experience will be. Tree tents have been increasingly popular over the past few years, but today the number of tree camping enthusiasts is astonishing. With a quick Google or Youtube search I found multiple tree tent companies, adventure planners, professional tree climbing classes, and a plethora of channels on YouTube dedicated to this very topic. Tree camping is definitely going to be something I experience in the future, first thing is learning how to safely, and comfortably climb tr...

All across the United States there is a rising trend of people quitting their nine-to-fives, moving into cozy tiny homes and vans, eliminating debt, and living freely. I am personally striving to be self-sufficient and would love to live/travel in a van. The days of the large house with a white picket fence, and the lifetime mortgage that goes along with it are becoming a thing of the past. More and more people, especially those from mid twenty-somethings to early thirties who do not want to follow in their parents footsteps; you know, working your life away for the hope of a 401 K payday after retirement. With student loan rates through the roof, and higher taxes every year, who wouldn't want to be part of something different? A different way of living that allows you complete freedom, and the choice to live, and visit anywhere your van can take you. When you arrive, you are home! By getting rid of all the excess, you have room for the important things, a cozy bed, a...

When I go on one of my weekly excursions, my second question after asking where we are going is always, "What are we going to eat?" Lately, we have gotten into a more routine menu, stuff that is lightweight, easy to prepare, and is fulfilling. One of my favorite things to eat is a Nature's Bakery Fig Bar. I know the first thing that probably comes to mind are those Fig Newtons your parents used to keep in the pantry. I think most of my friends hated them growing up. Well I have always liked the figs, but Fig Newtons were just not a good option for me. They are artificial, enriched, and full of other junk. Gross!! Well the answer to all of this stumbled on me while I was working in the cafe one day a few months ago. I was restocking the candy as usual, and focusing on my "organic corner" as I like to call it - organic gummy worms, and starburst are amazing btw - I saw something called a Fig Bar, it was peach-apricot so I wasn't too sure about it and didn...

During the Colonial Era of the United States, German immigrants made up one third of the American colonies, second to English immigrants. German was fluently spoken throughout most of the colonies. Germans quickly became one the predominate immigrant groups in the nineteenth century, and their influence on American culture would soon follow.  The obvious influences of sauerkraut, hot dogs, strudels, German chocolate cake, and the love of beer are found all throughout America, some of those influences are especially loved in the Southern United States. German immigrants also opened in the first kindergarten, and it is believed they invented the modern weekend we know today. Instead of celebrating the Sabbath Sunday day of rest, they brought recreation, music, and food for everyone to take part in! What is the correlation between the South and Germany you're asking yourself right now? Well, in the South we love our weekend rendezvous', which is normally equipped wit...

If you are getting ready to go camping for a weekend or going on an all day adventure, you should carefully plan what you will eat once you arrive. I get SO hungry on the trail, and by the time camp is set up, I could eat a three course dinner. Unfortunately being miles away from home, in the middle of a forest that is not really an option. Personally, I do not like eating peanut butter sandwiches, or ramen noodles all the time enough to only bring those in my pack. Most canned foods are way too heavy, and will only leave more trash to carry. Assuming you are following the rules and not leaving your trash behind :). You need something lightweight, freeze dried is usually the way to go. I never really thought a freeze dried meal would taste like a homemade, authentic, hearty dinner.  When I tried Mountain House brand of freeze dried Chicken Fried Rice with veggies, I was WOWED! It only called for two cups of boiling water, which was very easy since our campsite was next to th...