I had a small basement office with a chair, a desk and a typewriter. Fort Lewis College had asked me to organize their Hawaiian Botany course for the next February, but I needed to work with an organization. Or, perhaps, I could start my own. What would I call it? The name must celebrate local cultures and customs, plus, include an overseas element and a hint of adventure.
Please note: this was before computer, cell phone, internet and FAX - all those inventions that would make office work and communications much easier. I didn't have a copy machine or office supplies. I had enough money to print 500 letterhead and envelopes.
I sat down on my chair, behind my desk with a typewriter at my side. Folkways International Trekking was conceived.
Some folks who heard about the Hawaiian Forestry asked me to repeat it. I had begun working on a trip to New Zealand at the Forestry Center and a couple wanted to join.
My parents subscribed to a magazine called Sunset, which had articles covering restaurants, hotels, places to visit and special interests in the western states. In the back of the publication, readers would find a small section titled, "Things To Do." I wrote a letter to the editor and described my upcoming New Zealand Town & Country. Seventy people responded to the trip description and requested further details for the November departure.
One New Zealand Town & Country, a Ft. Lewis College Hawaiian Botany in January, a Hawaiian Forests & Gardens the following April, two PCC Community Education hiking and backpacking classes as well as a couple wilderness outings and Mt. Hood climbs for a Portland drug and alcohol halfway house. Folkways International Trekking was launched.
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Walking is among the most life-affirming of human activities. It is the way we organize space and orient ourselves to the world at large. It is the living proof that repetition - placing one foot in front of the other - can in fact allow a person to make meaningful progress. It's no coincidence that parents celebrate their child's first steps - the first, and perhaps the greatest, signs of independence.
Hiking with Nietzsche: On Becoming Who You Are (page 26) John J. Kaag
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| Pond Reflection - Three Sisters Wilderness (2014) |
Walking is among the most life-affirming of human activities. It is the way we organize space and orient ourselves to the world at large. It is the living proof that repetition - placing one foot in front of the other - can in fact allow a person to make meaningful progress. It's no coincidence that parents celebrate their child's first steps - the first, and perhaps the greatest, signs of independence.
Hiking with Nietzsche: On Becoming Who You Are (page 26) John J. Kaag
