Somewhere between 4th and 6th grade, I came to a realization – I am not good at all at skipping stones on water. On the occasion that I found myself at a river or lake, I would choose what I thought was the smoothest and best stone, give it some ‘wrist action’, and wait for the sublime results, only to be shocked back into reality by a singular ‘THWUNK’ as the stone hit and was immediately submerged into the water.
You wouldn’t think this would bother me, and usually it doesn’t. But then I go camping, and my ineptitude is once again front and center. I want nothing more than to show others my perfect skills – to find the perfect stone (after barely appearing to look for it) and give an all-too-casual side-armed toss to the tune of 4, 5, 6 effortless and beautiful skips across the water – a toss that any onlooker within 25 feet would be remiss not to comment on.
Telling a story is a lot like skipping a stone. To be truly special at least three aspects need to go well: 1) picking the best story (stone) from all the possible stories to tell, 2) surveying the audience (the lake or river) to see what story will resonate, and 3) telling the story (throwing the stone) in a way that maximizes its impact.
It’s been awhile since you last heard from us – 7 months in fact! On countless occasions over the last several months we’ve thought that this stone or that stone would be good to throw, but didn’t have the inertia, the excitement, the je ne sais quoi, to do it. There are an infinite amount of rocks in this world, and so many people to throw them. Sometimes it’s easier to think that we don’t have a unique viewpoint worth sharing.
This blog, then, is our attempt to pick out the best rocks and cast them on the water. I only hope that one or two of them hit your soul in the right place. Thanks in advance to all of you who stick with us through our journeys. I hope to hear from all of you, and to learn from your journey as we proceed on ours.
Two guardians stand watch in Idaho – November ’16
So, you may be wondering why I’m posting now, after 7 months away? Well, consider this Joy Adventuring Part 2. Starting on June 18th, we’ll be traveling through Germany, Spain, and France for the next three months. We can’t wait to share all of the exciting adventures, the untold Nate-stories, the history, the cuisine, the cultural differences and similarities, and so much more.
Thank you for joining us on this journey!!!
Onward!