Finding magic in the sea, the forest, and our imaginations
Exploring is something you do to find out more about a place or an idea. To be good at it, you need determination, bravery, toughness, and curiosity. I see myself as an explorer, but I wish I had more time for adventures.
I like exploring because it allows you to discover new, remote places. And it’s a challenge, which is something I like. It really tests your mental and physical strengths. It also means you’re in nature, where it’s peaceful and there are unlimited resources to build and create—if you can find new uses for everyday things. Plants aren’t just plants, they become potential bedding, fort-building supplies, and food. For example, when you see ferns or moss, you think of how they might make a comfortable bed (still nothing comparable to a real mattress).
Drawing inspiration from books and TV
I first got the idea of doing survival trips from a book my dad read to me when I was five years old called My Side of the Mountain. It’s about a boy who lives alone in the wilderness for a whole year. I was also inspired by the book Hatchet and the show Alone.
I have done three survival trips so far: an overnight one when I was nine, a two-night one when I was 11, and then this past April, I did a four-night/four-day trip to Forbes Island, off the west coast of Vancouver Island. (It was supposed to be five days, but the first day was too stormy, with huge waves, so it wasn’t safe to take the Zodiac over to the island.)
When my dad and I got to the island, the first thing we did was make a shelter using a ridgepole and a tarp for the roof. We used driftwood for supports, and split cedar logs and ferns for the bed because the beach was really rocky and steep. We stayed warm, but it wasn’t very comfortable.
We spent our days looking for food, fishing, sleeping, and telling stories. We played golf with a ball that had washed up on the beach, using pieces of driftwood for clubs. Dad spent some time teaching me how the tide tables work, and how to predict the tides without going to the internet. I also wrote in my journal and found sunny spots to nap. We did a walk around the island at the end of each day.
Dreams of future adventures
Someday, when I’m older, I want to go on an adventure for dozens of nights, with items so limited that you could count them using only ten fingers. This would be in a remote area in the north by a massive lake where nobody has been for years. I would choose a lake because it supplies two of the immediate things you need to survive—water and food.
On Forbes Island, we didn’t find enough to eat. Early spring isn’t the best time for foraging, but, worried about an early fire ban, we chose April so we could still have fires. And, unlike on other trips, we were unsuccessful in catching fish. I didn’t want to use my boat to fish from, because it felt like cheating, which limited us. We ate seaweed, mussels, and that’s about it, other than the rations of instant ramen and trail mix that we brought. At the end of the trip, we headed to the nearest restaurant and feasted.
For my next trip, I would like it to be by the ocean again, but not on an island, and with only seven items plus safety gear. I’ll need my dad to come, but for that to happen, I’ll have to relax my rules so that he can sleep—so he’ll be allowed to bring a Therm-a-Rest.
