Books &
Beverages By Samantha Klemens
There are two necessary ingredients for a recuperative winter vacation. The first is that new things are experienced with all of the senses. There is nothing more North Country than the smell of crisp mountain air as it seems to awaken the mind, the feel of ice cold granite that almost seems wet to the touch, though snow and rain have yet to fall, and the vast views through leafless trees that redefine our perception of space. The second most important part of a truly soul-revitalizing escape is just that, an escape. Too often do we discuss vacations in terms of how we filled every minute of our time away from home. The most important aspect of being outside of the daily grind is to give into unplanned, unoccupied time. More often than not this is the time spent literally curling up with a good book, best when a steaming cup of something hot is within arms reach. Here are some couplings to help you to achieve that all important you-time:
Camp Coffee (brewed with eggshells, of course) and Wild by Cheryl Strayed
Unlike many of today’s adventure memoirs, Strayed is not tragically attacked, trapped, or frozen but simply “lost” in the most human sense of the word. No doubt every reader will find a piece of themselves in Strayed’s story, whether they like what they find or not. Told with the perfect balance of style and suspense, if you are not reduced to bleary-eyed cretinism by the end, consider retiring your reading glasses.
Jasmine Tea while burning nag champa and Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
This book is perhaps the most tangible wild tale ever told. Its characters are grounded and even easy to identify with, but at the same time it challenges the readers' grasp of the line between fiction and non-fiction... Unbelievable epic tale you say? Shocked that you read so many pages so quickly? Do you already miss Prabaker? Now you have to listen to this book read by Humphrey Bower.
Green Tea in a metal cup and Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac
Take long contemplative sips, refer to your luggage as your going-to-the-city-bag, and realize that you can't fall off a mountain! This story screams youth, counterculture, and the footloose life of a theological wanderer. It is hard to go wrong when your cast of characters include, Gary Snyder, Allen Ginsberg, and Neal Cassidy seen through the eyes of Jack Kerouac.
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