Zen and the art of yurting
Our first yurt experience — Dancing Moose Yurt in Colorado State Forest State Park — recently left Neil, Zane and I feeling not only rested, but also a bit more enlightened.
First things first: who knew the word “yurt” could also be used as a verb? Not me, until I saw it graffitied in various forms on the wooden bunk beds in our home away from home as follows: Ben and Christine yurted here – Xmas 2011; and Yurting is great, but I miss my bed - Oliver.
Now that we have a grasp on the various forms of the word, I’m happy to report that a couple days and nights yurting gave us a new perspective on some additional things. For brevity and clarity I’m dividing them into “overrated” and “underrated” categories:
Overrated
Indoor plumbing – a large, clean, perfectly utilitarian outhouse behind the yurt did the trick
Electricity – a battery-powered lantern sufficed to read by for the 30 minutes of low light after the sun finally went down at 9pm
Internet access –brainstorming and debating answers to our questions felt interesting and fun
Personal space – for only 2 days and nights, sleeping in the same room was mostly a treat and changing clothes was do-able in the previously mentioned, very nice outhouse
Underrated
Solitude
The laughter elicited by a game of Bananagrams with my clever, slap-happy teenager
The crackle and warmth of a wood stove heating up a frosty morning
Reading aloud as a form of entertainment
A view of meadows, trees and snow-covered peaks
Mist swirling on wooden fence posts and settling on the forest floor as the day began
The realization of my own insignificance from a 10,000+ foot view of miles in all directions
The music of frogs croaking, chipmunks chattering, birds chirping and water bubbling over rocks
Witnessing a fat, healthy, coyote testing his limits in a face-off with a giant elk
Napping on a rainy afternoon
The magical way ordinary food tastes better with the added challenge of accessing, planning and preparing it
The out-of-control-ness of nature: black clouds suddenly racing in on a raging wind, followed by thunder followed by lightning followed by raindrops followed by sleet followed by glistening, sparkling sunshine
Fields of vibrant wildflowers
The fresh, wet-plant smell post-mountain rain
Yurting. Truly. Simple enough to be a radical departure from regular life, but comfy enough to stay warm, escape the elements and get real sleep – despite Oliver’s testament to the contrary.
Are there elements of your daily life that you consider over- or underrated when you really stop to think about it or experience a departure from the norm? Share your thoughts below.
