October 5, 2015 – Finland, Minnesota

I can’t believe people do this.

I’m being chauffeured up the most ridiculous “road” I’ve ever encountered – an old logging road that hasn’t been maintained in years. My driver is a friend of my new hosts; he lives in a tepee on their property. What an interesting dude. I have a lot of questions for him, but I can’t get over how treacherous this road is. After fifteen minutes or so, we arrive at the residence known as “The Long Haul.”

How appropriate.

It’s then that I meet the family – Steven and Amelia, and their kids, Galvin and Genavive. Their home is a modified cabin, consisting of a loft area, kitchen/dining area, front room, and a porch. A very small and efficient space for four. I made it right in time for dinner: bear lentil soup. What will this month have in store for me?

I’m introduced to my living quarters immediately following dinner. For someone who now considers himself a minimalist, it’s almost perfect – a structure built on a trailer that contains two bunk beds, some storage areas, and a tiny kitchen area equipped with a wood stove. There’s a light, and there are outlets for my electronics. Solar power provides the electricity. No running water. This will do just fine. Steven demonstrates how to operate the stove and wishes me goodnight. I reciprocate.

I start a fire and get into bed, wondering how my time here will measure up to my last host.

“A person needs at intervals to separate himself from family and companions and go to new places. He must go without familiars in order to be open to influences, to change.” – Katharine Butler Hathaway