The Edge Of My Physical Comfort
I’m a city guy. My sweet spot is living just outside a big city but close enough to any action I want to be a part of. This gives me easy access to conveniences, opportunities, and fun without having to live in the thick of it. There are obviously pros and cons to this but for me, it’s mostly pros. I may also have been using this as an excuse.
One of the downsides for me is that I have little to no experience building anything. This is not necessarily a characteristic of city life as I have many acquaintances who are great builders. I can’t and have no confidence that I can do so. I’ve been looking into #vanlife and the possibility of building one out myself seems near insurmountable. I can probably handle the electricity and the plumbing with some difficulty but the wood and the mounting and the drilling are so far out of my comfort zone as to stop me in my tracks.
Another factor for me is my inexperience with obtaining food. I never hunted before and don’t find the idea appealing. I’m not set on being a vegetarian though so if push comes to shove, I will get some meat somehow. I tried fishing a few years ago. We went out on a boat and I got motion sickness for most of the trip. I did do some fishing but it wasn’t fun. Some of it made me feel like a murderer, not an uncaring one, as I felt sorry for the fish that were still alive while on my line. I could let them suffocate, take them out directly, or toss their mutilated bodies back into the water; none of which was very appealing. Gardening, especially with the idea of actually living off the land, eludes me as well. I feel like the amount of work vs the yield makes the process not worth it.
Hunting and fishing aside, I also have an issue with living rough for extended periods. I can go a few days without a shower but not so long without electricity so as to run a refrigerator, charge my phone or use my CPAP machine. This all probably seems like a first-world set of problems but I am a city boy and after all, one of a certain age. I like comfort and I don’t like bugs. I am however interested in exploring what my real limits are, not just in what I am capable of but what I can and am willing to endure for long periods. I’m far from ready to give up the opportunity to have a new adventure and get to better know who I really am.
