My dad used to say that his idea of “roughing it” was not getting fresh towels every day while staying at the Marriott. My idea of roughing it is camping in a tent and sleeping on the ground. Everybody has their own line between what’s “comfortable” and what is too close to summer camp. But my husband loves camping, nature, and the great outdoors. So, we compromised and together with our friends, rented a yurt.
A yurt is a circular structure that is assembled much like a tent. It’s made with poles and sturdy fabric. The yurt we stayed in was a Mongolian Yurt.
It’s located in the sweet little town of Kearney, Ontario, just north of Huntsville. It’s one of 4 yurts and sits behind a restaurant in a wide-open field. None of it is held together by nails, it’s all horse hair and tension. The insulation is Mongolian sheep wool. It keeps warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
There is no electricity, no fridge, candles for light, and an outhouse out back. In the middle of the yurt is a wood burning stove. Upon arrival, the owner told us she had made us a fire in the stove as it was going to get down to -18 that night. Whenever I see a wood-burning stove, I think of my friend Danielle. She and her husband have a wood-burning stove in their house, always have. I remember years ago when they were watching my kids for a week, my son, who was four at the time, couldn’t sleep. Danielle told me she held him in a chair by the wood burning stove, rocked him and told him stories. She said they were both mesmerized by the flame. He fell asleep in her arms to the crackling sound.
When we pulled into the parking lot, the owner met us with 2 wagons to bring our luggage back to the yurt. On our walk to the yurt, our luggage and supplies kept falling off the wagon because we are dumb city folks who can’t handle a 5-minute walk over bumpy ground. We laughed the whole walk.
There is a turquoise scarf hanging on a hook by the front door which is for good luck. You should touch it when coming in and going out (unfortunately, my friend Henry did not touch it on his way to use the outhouse in the middle of the night and face-planted. Always touch the scarf).
We got settled in, put on comfortable clothes, set out some snacks, and played cards. We reminisced about all the fun trips we’ve been on together. We talked about our triumphs and hardships with raising kids. We commiserated about our respective jobs. We talked about a man that we all knew who had just been diagnosed with a brain tumor. He is our age and has a wife and a couple of kids. We talked about what his life might look like now. We talked about how quickly things can change and how you never know what’s going to happen. We talked about not waiting until retirement to live.
My mom, who died at the age of 55, traveled a lot but was waiting for retirement for the “Big Things”. A trip to Egypt. More times with her grandkids. Visits with her siblings. Then she got sick. She always figured she’d get better, return to work, and then one day retire to do all the things she wanted. Of course, that day never came. I wonder if she felt like she got cheated.
I think this is why I’m so restless now. I always feel like time is so limited and there are so many places to see. I feel like I don’t know if I’ll get the chance to do things later. So I feel this need to do all the things now. My idea of a good time is researching my next trip. When I can’t sleep in the middle of the night, I think and plan. Ride a gondola in Venice. Swim with the pigs in the Bahamas. Hike the West Highland Way in Scotland…or maybe just sit around a fire with people I love, mesmerized by the flames
Around that crackling fire, we promised each other to live life to the fullest. We vowed to laugh wholeheartedly, to travel extensively, and to eat all the good food. And always, when given the chance, touch the scarf.
Here’s a wholehearted agreement with your ideas as we travel around New Zealand. Life is short - enjoy the good things when you can. 👍