Living life with adventure, passion, and inspiration!
At its basic level, life is a journey.
A simple, yet complex hiking or walking trail composed of many steps – most are just ordinary steps. The steps can be good; some might be great; while others are difficult and trying. Nevertheless, combined these steps take us to places we never thought we’d end up in.
Hiking, canoe tripping as well as other outdoor adventure activities, can be seen as a metaphor for living. Both are journeys filled with scores of good and not-so-good steps. Highs and lows; successes and failures.
Over the years, we’ve come to realize that spending time in the outdoors pursuing whatever type of outdoor activity you choose opens up a wonderful and life-changing array of lessons on living and ourselves if, we are willing to stop, observe and listen.
“justabitfurther” as a blog, came into being to record our hiking, canoe tripping, and outdoor adventures as a window into living. We work at it by trying to discover and explore the beauty and wilderness that is found in Ontario and beyond(Nova Scotia) through these outdoor endeavours and using Lynn’s photography expertise to help capture these moments.
Over the past few years, much of “justabitfurther” has evolved into posts that in many respects reflect growth and changes within our own lives.
Often posts are nothing more than a short peek or snapshot into our lives at that exact moment in time. These posts are often far-ranging in scope; often a rant or semi-rant, but more often than not they are my take or thoughts on how nature and the outdoors intersect with our daily lives; our daily struggles, and ways we might be able to triumph over issues and things that are hindering us from leading the lives we were meant to lead.
In addition, I have written a fair bit on my own struggles with anxiety and mental wellness challenges that I have faced. I pen these from a place deep within my own soul to let you know that you are not alone in this. There are others, like myself who deal with “stuff” as well and often on a daily basis.
I encourage you to take a look at some of them.
As part of my own journey of self-awareness and self-discovery, I have pushed myself to expand my own comfort zone through sketching, watercolour, and acrylic painting. I have posted a few sketches and finished paintings over the past while. This whole “art exploration” and sharing is nerve-racking at best. A work in progress shall we say.
As much as our goal is to provide trip reports and photo essays of our adventures, more importantly, our desire is to inspire others regardless of their circumstances in life, to get outside and live.
We’re all at different stages along our path of life; sometimes the hardest part is simply taking that first step to get outside; taking that first step to climb over whatever personal stumbling blocks are in your path.
So……..be encouraged to take that first step. We did…..
2022 will be known as or is the year we changed the course direction our lives were headed in.
Not that it was horrendously bad or anything; it was just comfortable; too comfortable which ultimately can lead to a diagnosis resulting in a “slow and silent killer to the soul.”
We sold our house on the shores of south Georgian Bay in Ontario(and most of our large possessions) and bought a home on the shores of the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia on the east coast of Canada. It was a journey that started with a single and somewhat innocent phone call.
We’re a couple of one +50-year-old and a +60-year-old (although very young at heart) hikers; canoe trippers; adventurers ocean floor explorers and outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy a craft beer every once in a while(Glen); peach schnapps/vodka coolers(Lynn). We’ve hit the “empty nesters” stage, with our daughter finishing college and currently living in eastern Canada.
As time moves along, we hope you find our writing informative, funny, and maybe even inspirational.
Thanks for joining us on this journey.
Glen
justabitfurther 