I woke up before dawn and watched the sun rise over Squapan ridge this morning. We’ve had a bunch of hot and humid weather, but a cold front came through yesterday afternoon and the overnight temperature was in the low 40’s. This morning the sky is clear and there a hint of autumn in the air. It’s the middle of our second week of the Wilderness Bushcraft Semester, and we’ve been busy all day, every day working on projects, pressing plants, poling canoes, building shelters, cooking over the fire, and with a bunch of other things.

I enjoy all of the doing; the actions that living a simple, outdoor life with a few simple tools and minimal inputs requires.

But I also enjoy the being, maybe even more than the doing. Those moments where there is no action and I’m at peace with my surroundings and happy to just experience the place and time. This morning, watching the sun come over the horizon, my experience wasn’t defined by an action. I didn’t have goals for the experience and wasn’t focused on the outcome.

A life well-lived is a balance between being and doing.