The Real Reasons I Go Back
People who have read or heard some of my BWCA stories often question why I would return to such a difficult environment in the name of a vacation. It's a question that always puts me on the spot at the time, but this past trip I took the opportunity to reflect a bit on why I was there, as well as why I go there. The answers are many. Sounds: As I sat in my canoe with Sarah in the front on many occasions, the only thing I could hear was the tinnitus in my ears. No traffic, no airplanes, no blaring stereos or Harley Davidsons blasting up the street. There were no sirens, no ringtones, no televisions, no barking dogs, and no passing trains. The wind in the tall pines and birch trees whispered occasionally. This sound is naturally rhythmic and serves to bring ones blood pressure down, rather than elevating it like all the godforsaken man-made sounds of the city. The only intrusive sounds all week was the occasional conversation of campers across the lake from us, and one rogue je...