Planning an expedition is a ton of work. Sometimes it just feels like work too. For me, there is always about an hour of giddy daydreaming and excitement before I can actually get anything done. Right now, I am working on sorting out equipment, travel arrangements, and other prep work. During these phases of the planning, I make tons of decisions. Choices like the equipment are necessary and what to bring to make the expedition possible, but the more obscure choices, in my opinion, are what make a trip successful.
I think of the obscure decisions as what makes this successful? Or, what are the benefits of this expedition?
These questions focus more on personal values and goals than anything else. I put a value on things like character, experiences, and intentionality. These values seemed to be much more valued when Abraham Lincoln was in office. There certainly were different views on ideal character, but the quiet thinker was respected. Nowadays, charisma and charm seem to bulldoze to the front of the stage. Maybe I’m just an old soul.
I do think it is in part a result of the times. I can make a trillion decisions without leaving my bedroom. Sleep more or start doing stuff? Listen to the new or watch Netflix? Shop online or play games? Read or finally get out of bed? We all have so many decisions to make, there is no time to think about why one option might be better than another.
I know getting out of bed and immediately doing something active, my whole day is better, even if it is just walking the dog. That didn’t stop me from spending over an hour in bed on my tablet listening to podcasts, sending emails, and watching Marvel fan theories on YouTube. This is turning into a bit too much of a tangent so back to the expedition planning… for a little.
Logistics need to be set up. I clearly cannot kayak around anything if I do not have a boat to paddle. The rest of the work is more about training my mind to make the right choice quickly. Kayak coaching and experience help for the skill-related decisions, but in this context, “right” means the option which fits my goals and morals while keeping me happy. I use happiness as a gauge for almost everything. If I am getting smashed on rocks by huge waves, chances are I am not happy. If I paddle an extra 25 miles because I was having a blast, awesome! Even if I skip a paddling day because I find a seemingly unlimited supply of pizza and ice cream, and I eat so much torso rotation might make me pop, my happiness will determent if it was worth it. Previous experience shows I usually regret that last one… So, future happiness is also an important consideration, but a bit harder to quantify.
Expeditions force me to think about how my decisions influence my circumstances, so there is a level of intentionality that accompanies my expeditions. I’m not sure if I learned to be intentional from expeditions, or if expeditions taught me to be more intentional. However, I do know the egg came before the chicken because dinosaurs laid eggs then evolved generation by generation into birds, and every generation came from eggs.
At the end of the day, if trip planning can teach me to make decisions, I’ll call it a win. The next step will be to apply the same lessons to life. I think engineering a life with intentional choices with happiness and character as the metric for success could probably lead to a generally better world. Imagine if we lived in a world where a smile and a crisp high-five was enough to buy a meal.