26 October 2009

Dear Family and Friends,

I am lucky.

When I was a Boy Scout, age 11 – 16, we boys from Troop 70 went on several overnight camping trips each year. Normally, we left our neighborhood in The Bronx after school on Friday, and along with the older Explorers and adults, we took a bus to Alpine, an extensive campground in New Jersey. We pitched our tents and lit our campfires and spent the weekend in the woods, under the sun and the stars.

We returned home on Sunday afternoon, a bit dirty, a bit muddy, a bit damp and a bit disheveled, but a bit wiser about nature, and confident of our ability to live without electricity or plumbing.

Here’s why I am lucky:

On one such Friday afternoon, it was raining. As good Boy Scouts we were prepared with ponchos and proper shoes. Nevertheless, a few of the mothers refused to allow their sons to go camping in bad weather. Not my mother. Not my father. (He was the Scoutmaster.) Their attitude was, "Rain or shine, snow or ice, if plans are made, Go!"

To this day, I follow my mother’s and my father’s example. Regardless of the season, regardless of the weather, I just Go!

So I went. Here’s the link to my "miserable" and "lucky" adventure in the mountains of southern Turkey .

Jan

http://travelwithjan.com/neareastturkey2009antalya