“Too much freedom, and yet somehow not enough”

9/23/23

Missoula, MT

(I realized I forgot to post this in the correct order, so please keep in mind the continuity with the other posts.)

Today was largely spent making decisions, without really coming to any conclusions. The rest of the day was spent looking longingly at mountains pass by outside the window. Sure, we have the freedom to go anywhere we want, and do anything we want to do. But there are still a number of limitations. To name a few…

• My internal driver can’t stay in one place for too long or it starts screaming at me

• Visiting friends requires working around various schedules

• The seasons change quickly in the north, and I hate being cold

• The colder it is, the more warm air condenses on the roof of the van, due to next to no insulation at the moment

• Affordable insulation, food, and other materials, are difficult to come by in the smallest of small towns in Montana

Because of all of that, it can make one feel that they don’t really have the freedom they think they do. I suppose these are the tradeoffs for the flexibility. And the ability to see new places. After all, that and visiting friends is all that we’re really doing.

Before we left Missoula once and for all, Will’s mom requested payment for our stay in the form of pear picking in her backyard. Which resulted in more than an hour of Will and I coming up with every pear pun imaginable.

Pear 1: “Hey are you still hanging on there?”

Pear 2: “Yep, but just pearly”

What happened to the pear who fell from the tree?

He was pear-alyzed.

To over-plan an adventure largely leads to disappointment, but if you keep your eyes open, life will present you with all the adventure you’ll ever need.