Stark Differences Between Nature and Home Life! | by Mickel Pratt | September 2024

I recently went on a portaging trip with a small group of men, and what I experienced was eye opening!

Our journey began in Algonquin national park where we paddled across 4 lakes, and hiked with our packs and canoe through about 3 kilometers of wild forest. This tested me mentally and physically as a man. I battled the pain of carrying the canoe which was about 65 pounds while carrying my ruck pack which weighed about 70 pounds. The burn was felt in my legs and shoulders with every step through the deep rooted forest of Algonquin. The mental side was keeping myself motivated while carrying the extra weight of the canoe. Staying connected with my breath was a key strategy I implemented while hiking. This keeps me grounded, more aware of my energy output, and clear headed so I can make the quick foot adjustments needed when a rock gives out from under me, or a bridge gets wobbly.

When we reached our destination we were able to secure a campsite on an island right in the middle of Linda Lake. This was pretty sweet because we had access to all parts of the lake, had better protection from predatory wildlife, and we had a sense of comradery amongst the men. Almost as if we were explorers who just found a new territory and staked their claim!

For me, this trip was about allowing more play into my life without the use of my phone or other electronics, and that's exactly what we did. We played games using mother nature as game pieces, we went swimming and built some great fires for cooking our food and building more comradery with one another. One of the men had some luck with the fishing and caught us some fresh fish to eat by the campfire! Surprisingly we did have phone reception so we played music and shared new songs with each other. Now I was slightly disappointed that we had cell reception because I was looking forward to more natural sounds vs spotify music, and I made sure to keep my phone turned off 95% of the time during that excursion. That really helped relax into nature and allow peace to find me when I took time for myself. We bonded in the sacred space of nature and really had a good time!

Here is what I found to be interesting when I got home. I wanted to go to my phone more right away, and be on electronics. I noticed this within the first few seconds of scrolling on my phone for no reason other than to pass the time. Being out in nature for three days really gave me a good reflection as to how I spend my time when I am home. When most, or all of my tasks are done, usually I will hop on electronics for a few hours consistently. Now there is nothing wrong with using electronics, what I am driving home is how often electronics take up space in my life where I could be having real experiences vs. virtual reality experiences. How often do you find yourself on electronics doing really nothing productive when you could be out in a park, or spending time with loved ones, or even picking up a new hobby? It is important that as adults we invite play back into our lives in the form of REAL LIFE EXPERIENCES! There are so many more joys that come from life when we look for real experiences to share with others or by ourselves.

I learned just how dependent I became on electronics to fill my time, or numb out instead of taking care of myself. With this lesson I will start being more aware of how I am spending my time and will be checking in with myself before getting on electronics. Is there something I can do outside that will fill my cup before I choose to spend time on electronics? Is there something I can do with my partner to spend more quality time before I choose electronics to fill my time? I invite you into this practice as well, for the next week, take notice of how often you are on electronics just to pass the time or fill a void, and see where you can maybe make small pivots to be more present in your moment. It is very common to want to beat up on yourself at times when coming face to face with how often we use electronics. Be gentle on yourself, you are living life the best you can and that's what matters. When we can be more present in our moments in life, we will experience more pleasure, pain, joy, happiness, sadness, etc. It is in those moments when we can feel alive and truly free.

Much love,

Mickel Pratt