The Last Campfire

I was riding around the UK for a week, hunting for hidden gems. In Scottish Highlands, I found a strange place on the map called “Wag o’ Forse” – just a couple of photos of rocks. That was enough. I headed straight in.

Seriously, why did people stop enjoying nature? Camping, listening to birds singing, or just walking in a forest.

When was the last time you got lost? Wandered so far you couldn’t find a way back. Not since the invention of GPS I suppose. Sure life has gotten so much better, we have all the advanced technology around us, which tells you what to do, turn by turn, step by step. But does it make you less of a human?

Let me share my recent story.

A short manifesto against soft pants and soulless coffee.

How comfortable is your life? Is it fluffy enough? You probably woke up today on a mattress loaded with springs, soft pads, unicorn hair, and mother's kisses. AI controlled blinds let the sunlight softly touch your skin. Wale sounds from the speaker have faded away. Then you pressed a button on a coffee maker. Oh wait, you could even programme your coffee machine to start automatically! Saved you an entire button press! Now you are planning how to invest your newly obtained wealth of 2 seconds of your life.

Then you slip into stretchy pants and glide into an office where the temperature’s tuned to divine precision.

That's the life, isn't it? Factory-assembled happiness in 10,000 easy payments. But does it make you happy?

I keep complaining about the lack of adventures, of people locked up in their small worlds. But the problem is much broader. We live in the society that actively eliminates any adventure by layers of restrictions and safety rules. If something might theoretically hurt you if you do stupid shit – it will become illegal for you to do that. Think about that: you’re legally forbidden from doing anything that might hurt you. Somebody decides for you, how you live your life. And you accept it without question.

It might feel like we are protected, like we are cared after. But what if I tell you, that this narrative is bullsh… wrong?

What bothers you the most nowadays? It might be some foreign country’s president halfway across the world making another absurd statement (let’s not point fingers). Perhaps you don’t have enough money to live the life you dream about — which is, frankly, all the money (at least). Or, maybe, if you admit it to yourself — it is the lack of validation and respect you get from people.

But does it all matter?

This isn’t a story for likes or travel envy. It’s just where I ended up after chasing meaning long enough — and refusing to accept less.

If you’ve seen the other posts, you might have guessed I’m not exactly happy with the way things are. Sterile world, comfort forced upon us, culture of working hard only to spend it all on mindless consumption, hoping it would make you happy.

But I think I found a solution!

Let’s imagine you would like to do something good to like-minded people. And those people are quiet, reserved personalities, loving wild nature, long walks, and a touch of adventure. How do you even find them?

You won’t meet them in a club, not on a busy London street (or at least it will not be appropriate to start doing good to them in the middle of an underground platform). What tiny act would you leave behind, if you knew someone like you would find it?

I had an idea.

In a bit of a philosophical mood today. So let’s talk about something cheerful and light — like the meaning of life.

I know, old topic. But not many discuss why we even search for meaning — do we need it after all? What is it in our existence that keeps us awake at night, asking “why all of this”?

Yesterday morning started as a normal late Autumn British Sunday: grey skies, low mood, and zero motivation. My first impulse was to just stay home and lay low for the day. “As if anything good good ever came from it”, I said to myself, and kicked my butt out the house.

Looked at the map and spotted a random place not too far: fields, seaside, not much happening — perfect place to explore.

And you know what — that was the best day of this year! I felt young again! Which made me wonder: why so, and how do I get more of?