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Chapter 3: A New Way

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I am a solitary person. Maybe I was born this way, or maybe I just became it; I am not sure. But even when I was little, it wasn’t to other people that I ran when I longed for comfort or connection. Instead, I would retreat to the forest around my childhood home. It was here, surrounded by a hundred shades of green, that I felt seen and heard and known. It was here that I was home.  Perhaps it was my extreme sensitivity that drove me to become so solitary. I have always been highly affected by everything: food, environments, media, other people’s emotional state, collective energy, the list goes on. As a child, I assumed that everyone was this way and that I was just not good at dealing with it. So, as I grew into my teen years, I learned to repress what I felt and found tactics to numb myself. But this had many consequences, one being that I walked through life with an eternal sense of loneliness. It felt as though no one knew the real me. How could they? I was hiding, after all. ...
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Chapter 2: Headed for Home

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It's early morning, and I'm heading east again. I'm enjoying the scenery that represents quintessential Ontario to me: road cut through rock, edged by forest, traversing large sloping hills, with breathtaking views of island-dotted lakes sporadically dominating the scene. I'm cruising along, singing (as usual), when I crest a hill and spot him instantly. He is standing upon a distant rocky outcrop, his dark body perfectly outlined against the gray stone background. He stands still as a statue, looking in my direction. Even from afar, I can see that he is massive. I tap my brakes several times to let the single car behind me know I have spotted something and start gently reducing my speed. As soon as he perceives me slowing, he begins descending the hill. I grope for my phone, point it in his direction and hit record.  By the time I get to him, he is roadside. I gasp as he steps out onto the asphalt. His true size, fully perceivable only now, is gargantuan. Palpable ener...
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Chapter 1: On the Road Again

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In October 2023, I wrote a Facebook post:  "Two years ago, I sold my home and all my material possessions, except for my 2013 Mazda 3 hatchback and what I could fit in her. My life was uncertain; I didn't know what I was doing or where I was going. I became obsessed with the idea of adventuring, but given my financial circumstances, I didn't feel I could attain it. I told myself it would have to wait until I could afford all I thought I needed to live the lifestyle I envisioned. I pushed the impractical idea out of my mind but never out of my heart. Shortly afterwards, I moved to an urban area in Alberta. I always struggle in cities. A few weeks in one, I inevitably feel like I am suffocating, and I long for the solitude and beauty of nature. Ironically, I could see the mountains from where I was living. I was an hour away from some of the most spectacular landscapes in the world, only to feel helpless to explore them  alone in my little car. Fear has played a massive role...
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