Leaving the keys behind

Kait and I have certainly embarked on a very interesting journey.  Many folks have said that the first step of any journey is the hardest, and I have to say that this is very true of our particular venture.  In this case, the first step was quitting our jobs, packing up our house, and pulling out the roots and far-reaching tendrils of living a modern, “civilized” life.  It is a process that is both liberating and absolutely terrifying – letting go of the familiar, and free-falling on good faith into the unknown.

This is the only key that we left Louisville with. We left it behind when we hit the trail.

In a strange way, leaving the keys behind is very symbolic of the sudden shift our lives have taken.  No longer do we have the need to carry keys for home, work, car… we have none of these things in our daily lives, and so we left the keys behind.  After years of doing the pocket check – “Do I have my wallet? Phone? Keys?” – we no longer have a need for one of those integral pieces of contemporary artifact.  Such a small object holds great meaning for us – it is our lifeline to our stability, our routine.  Lose your keys and you have no car, no house, no sanctuary.

Out here, there is no guarantee of stability, no guarantee of sanctuary for the body and mind.  When things get tough, there is no warm fire or comfortable bed to curl up in.  All we have now are the zippers on our tent, the packs on our backs, and wide open space in all directions.  Let us hope that the zippers don’t give out.

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