In a discussion with a co-worker last week a simple question was posed to me: 'What would you do with a year off?' This question was, of course, prompted because he is taking a year off starting at the end of the month. Talk about a question that will knock you on your hinny! What a concept; he has figured out his bare minimum living expenses and has a CD maturing that can cover them for a year. What if you set that up so you could have a year off every 5 years? Or even every 10 years? Or even 6 months off every 5 years? As you can see, it has me pondering. And then I started thinking beyond the set up to the actual question. I quickly realized I needed to establish a major assumption: the bare minimum expense calculation must also include a small stipend for travel and project supplies. I'm not talking a trip to Europe or anything, but some airfare to a remote river or gas money for a road trip to a trail, etc.
The List (yes, I realize this is too much for one year; no harm in planning ahead):
-through hike a long trail like the AT or PCT
-move out of my apartment
-float long Alaskan rivers, especially in the north during the summer
-excessive rock climbing to compensate for this year off while my finger heals
-enhance my mountaineering skills on a few AK peaks
-long leisurely sea kayak down (or up) the AK coast
-sailing time
-plant garden as a prototype for business model
-refresh whitewater skills
-hike the Grand Canyon with Mom
-Boundary Waters canoe area explorations
-visit those last three states: Michigan, Tennessee, and Kentucky
-bike across the US
-road trip (or train) across Canada
-ski, ski, ski, snowboard
-trainings that are hard to pickup while working full time
-dog time, cat time, book time
-quilt and knit to my heart's content
-learn to ride a motorcycle (by driving it to South America)
-build my cabin/home improvements
-play my piano, sax, clarinet, and harmonica; learn the banjo and mandolin
-visit my family and friends
-harvest wild plants and make jam
4 comments:
Harvest wild plants and make jam? You sum that entire list up with that!?! Lol, have you quit shaving your armpits? I knew you were hippie, but now I REALLY know. HAHA, just kidding. If you could take time off like that to do all that cool stuff, why WOULDN'T you do it????????
I'll do the South America thing with you. I already know how to ride a motorcycle, though. Let's get some bikes and I'll teach you how to ride. I need a sidecar for K-bomb though.
I've always wanted a sidecar for my big black dog. And doggles.
Hey I want to go on the motorcycle trip! Is there room for me? I need to learn how to ride along the way though.
Post a Comment