Rediscovering Magic and Mysticism (Outward Bound)
DESIGN BITE
Out in the wilderness, the frontcountry slipped away. It ceased to exist. Quickly, my mind adjusted to the simplicity of the backcountry and forgot the complexity of the frontcountry.
After 18 days in the wilderness on our canoeing expedition, we returned to Homeplace, the Outward Bound basecamp near Ely, MN. One of my instructors took out her iPhone to play “I want It That Way” by the Backstreet Boys, a favorite of ours to belt while paddling. Midway through the song, a low battery notice popped up on the screen. She tapped the screen to dismiss the notice. For a moment, I was utterly mystified. Woah, I thought, all she did was touch that glass and the image on the screen did something! My surprise surprised me.
Over my 22 day technology hiatus, I adjusted to a primitive perception of physical cause and effect. In the backcountry, if you touch something, there is always mechanical movement in response. Dip your finger in the water and undulating swells radiate from that point of contact. Tap the button on your headlamp and you hear a click and see a beam of light. But, in the front country, a music-playing, photo-taking, message-sending, facebook-checking, game-playing backlit slab of glass has become commonplace.
I am reminded that we so easily take advantage of and so rarely stop to admire the true magic that is modern technology. It makes me wonder, is good design something that seamlessly works its way into our lives? Is it the defiance of nature? The shadowing of work and complexity? The delivery of simplicity and ease?
I don’t know the answer but I know that good design mystifies me. And, as Albert Einstein said, “The most beautiful and most profound emotion we can experience is the sensation of mysticism. It is the source of all art and science.”
UPDATE (September 13 - October 4)
I realize family and friends are interested in what I have been up to so here is a countdown to summarize my Outward Bound canoeing expedition:
173 miles travelled - We started at Mudro Lake and finished at Lake Superior, traveling entirely by canoe and by foot.
75 lbs. canoes carried - We started off with three canoes but dropped to two canoes after evacuating a student who sprained her wrist.
70 sled dogs met - We spent time in the dog yard playing with the 70 sled dogs that mush in the winter season.
66 bags of concrete mixed - We helped pour sidewalks for house as a part of our Habitat for Humanity service project.
57 portages portaged - We carried our canoes and packs over portage trails that connected lakes and by passed rapids. Some were steep and rocky and some were wet and muddy. Either way portages are hard work!
40 ft high ropes course completed - We learned about perceived risk vs. actual risk and tested our ability to push past perceived risk on the ropes course.
24 hours on solo - We spent time alone in untouched wilderness (general travelers were not allowed in the area) to think and reflect about ourselves, our personal missions, and our expedition.
22 days in Minnesota - Minnesota is now more to me than an accent and ice hockey. It is 10,000 beautiful lakes, wonderful people, countless quaking aspens, brilliant sunrises and apparently the birthplace of Bob Dylan and Prince!
18 days on expedition - We spent 18 days total in the wilderness.
13 days of travel - We spent about 13 days traveling due to wind bound days and solo time.
9 hours on the 8.5 mile Grand Portage - We ended our expedition with the Grand Portage, a National Monument that is part of the historic fur trade route of the French-Canadian Voyageurs.
6 badass ladies - We started as a team of six women, two instructors and four students, but finished as a team of five because one student sprained her wrist.
3 wipeouts with a canoe - I fell many times while portaging canoes but nothing compared to the satisfaction of getting back up and kicking a portage’s ass.
2 showers - We did not shower during our 18 days in the wilderness but once we were back at Homeplace we enjoyed showers on two occasions and a sauna!
1 moose - She swam to an island and back right in front of our canoes and then after sizing us up, she disappeared into the woods.
0 texts - It was more of a relief than I expected to have a break from the constant stimulation of modern technology.
My goal for this trip was to gain confidence in myself in difficult situations. From completing 12 hour days of paddling and portaging to carrying two packs at one time to facing tough portages and climbs, I did exactly that. I am now confident going into the next stage of my gap year: international travel.
