currently reading

During the school year it feels impossible to read for fun. I am sure all you students can agree! However, a few weeks ago Sam and I were talking about trying to disconnect more, and since then I have been trying to cut back on my TV time and replacing it with for-fun reading time. What I have been reading is Wild by Cheryl Strayed. I am about halfway through the memoir right now, and I am absolutely loving it so far.

It is a memoir chronicling one woman’s decision to hike the Pacific Crest Trail alone during a time that she thought of as ‘bottom’ in her life. It’s not a typical hiking memoir, and details the emotional journey she goes through during the time. I am a huge fan of memoirs and people sharing their stories, and this one is one of the best that I have read so far.

Another reason why I am loving it so much is that I have this idea/dream that Samantha and I will hike the West Coast Trail next summer. We have zero back country camping experience, and the WCT is pretty intense. I don’t think we are going to be able to do it just based on my schedule and plans for this summer, but I am hoping to do it in the next few years. It’s a bit of a pipe dream, but something that I really want to do. Reading Wild has given me a pretty big longing to travel and hike, especially since the weather is turning here.

I strongly suggest watching the book trailer—it summarizes and explains the novel and highlights why you should read it!

-g

A number of years ago, I read Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma. A great deal of the book follows the lunatic farmer, Joel Salatin, on his sustainable farm in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia. This was my first introduction to the guy, and boy was I ever hooked on what he was doing. Earlier this year, I jumped at the opportunity to see Salatin speak at SAIT here in Calgary. It was everything that I had hoped it would be, and (to continue on the pipe dreams…) inspired me to one day give farming a try. Yeah, that. There is a lot in the media that romanticizes farming, which I think is what I'm after. In reality, I would likely last one day working on a farm before calling it quits due to the substantial amount of labor. I spent the summer doing some half-assed gardening instead and ultimately abandoned that dream, until I finally picked up a copy of one of Salatin's books: Folks, This Ain't Normal. Salatin talks a lot about the decline of society as the market economy took over, a topic that is becoming increasingly near and dear to me. He offers suggestions for improvement—some doable, some a bit far-fetched for us city dwellers. Salatin is careful not to romanticize the labor involved in farming, but highlights the relationship with the animals that comes with this sort of sustainable agriculture. He goes on to talk about the perils of the industrialized food system, touching on the usual topics, with a different perspective due to his profession. Joel Salatin is truly an inspiration for "holding his ground" and traditional ways of life as the world has modernized. I dare say that there is a lot to be learned from him.

- s

What are you reading?