I’ve been to the backcountry of my mind—but not this year. This year I drove to the trail head and spent 5 months doing dough-nuts in the parking lot.
The Internet is to blame. New hermit rule—no Internet in the hermitage.
The thing with the Internet is you are never alone and without solitude you always just hang out on in the front country of your mind.
The decision to turn off the Internet has been assisted by my laptop dying—and this one is not under warranty. Since my laptop is also my entertainment system, it means no music, no videos, no spider solitaire.
There are some logistical problems with living a life without a computer. Like loading my GPS for hikes, getting maps, and ordering stuff. But I’m happy and excited to be returning to a life of peace and solitude.
I’m writing this from the public library in town which gives me 2-30 minute sessions a day–no loitering on this Internet.
Hi, Crow. I’ve never communicated with you before but I’ve followed your blog for a while and my husband, Dylan Kuhn (the Cyberhobo http://www.cyberhobo.net) always keeps enjoys seeing what you’re up to and thinking about. Anyway, that’s my preamble to this: I really like your dough-nut metaphor; and I am fascinated with your decision. I have been struggling with my internet relationship a lot lately… Ironically, I will have to watch the net to see how far into your mental backcountry that you get… Best regards to you.
That’s always the trick isn’t it? To bring the inner life to the work before us – whether it has a silicon intermediate or not. It does seem harder with a computer for a certainty.
For what it’s worth, your words project a lot of peace and stability – I appreciate them! Have a peaceful journey.
Well, I’m back at the library again. Things are going great at the cabin. I’m back to reading good books, looking in the dictionary, and have been, so far, successful at doing my 2 hours of vipassana meditative everyday.
I committed to keeping the Internet out of my hermitage but will probably get anther laptop. It’s hard to get by without a computer to load a GPS, research hikes, learn stuff, and order things.
I look forward to your posts. You gotta do what you gotta do though.
You have earned my undying respect.
From tony
You know…sometimes I wish I could get away from the internet, the noise, the city and everything for a few months. I mainly work online so I can’t, but thats why I love long hikes whenever I can. I like to feel the rhythm of the earth. Safe Travels!
Nowadays it’s been tough to go away from Internet. As every-one want to be connected to each-other. I also tried to keep myself away from it but not more then a week.
Crow are you still alive???!?!?!?! Have not heard of you for al long time.
please let me know
I often day dream and fall asleep at night thinking / Dreaming about doing the same. You are doing it and I will keep dreaming it.
‘Donuts’, eh? Good metaphor. Gotta admit that I’m still hovering just above ‘rock bottom’ so no 12-stepping for me…yet – besides my incredibly smart phone makes the internet even more convenient than my laptop.
Using the library would seem to have some benefits like getting out of the Hermitage (or ‘man-cave’ as it is known here) and not having to deal with the dogs and determined bicyclists one often encounters on the park trails.
Wow! Two and a half years later. Amazing!!
From tony
THANK YOU for this blog. Very useful information for an aspiring hermit / hiker.