Answering the Question: Coming and Going
I'm back! Why I'd like to go to Hell for the trip of a lifetime.
I told you I’d be back.
How’ve we all been? Hope you’ve been able to keep up your journaling practice, and if you haven’t that you’ve been filling your spirit cup by doing whatever it is that brings you peace and joy.
In the few weeks since I’ve been in touch, I’ve thrown prompts your way asking you to reflect on the things you’ve done for yourself this year, the things you wish your community knew about you, and the places you want to travel (which I’ll be responding to in a moment). On my end of things, I’ve been radio silent because I was on a trip to Alaska with my mom and my sister, and knew I wouldn’t be able to keep to my regular publishing schedule.
Some pictures from the trip as a thank you for your patience.
While cruise life isn’t for me, it’s really one of the only ways to efficiently see Alaska, especially given some of the limitations of our group. Would I do it again? No, but I’m glad I did it once. We had a fantastic time, and Alaska is so different than I expected. As you can see in the first and third photos above, there’s so much lush greenery. I hadn’t really understood that most of Alaska’s coast is temperate rainforests, I thought it was all tundra and taiga. Learning how wrong I was, well, that was truly eye-opening. If you ever get the chance, definitely go.
And on the subject of travel.
Describe a place you would love to visit one day, and why.
Answering the Question: Send Me to Hell
Last summer, I was fortunate enough to go to Petra, Jordan. The ruins at Petra had long been the #1 thing on my travel bucket list. With that goal accomplished, it freed up a slot to set a new travel goal for myself, and it’s one only a few people know about my interest in.
I’d like to go visit the Gates of Hell.
Well, you may know it as the Door to Hell.
Or the Darvaza Gas Crater.
Yea, that place.
I wish I could tell you how exactly this little oddity in the Karakum Desert of Turkmenistan ended up on my travel radar, but I can’t recall. However, since learning about it I’ve told anyone who would listen that it’s something I absolutely have to see with my own eyes. Heck, I talked about it so much to one friend she went and told her boss about it, and the boss booked a trip there for her honeymoon! Still jealous she got there before me…
The long and the short of how the crater came to be, from CNN:
The crater was formed in the early 1970s, when the ground collapsed during a Soviet gas drilling expedition. Scientists reportedly lit the massive hole on fire to prevent the spread of natural gas, and it's been burning ever since.
So it’s really just…an engineering mistake. But I find it fascinating. Why? That was the goal to figure out this week. A few ideas came to mind:
Isolation. For all comparable purposes, the Doorway to Hell is in the middle of nowhere. While not inaccessible, it (and Turkmenistan for that matter) aren’t exactly easy to get to, and I can’t imagine the crater is an area around which there is great WiFi and/or cell service. In fact, I imagine visiting there would be quite like my stay in Wadi Rum: quiet, sleeping under the stars, and inward. Living a connected, urban lifestyle, a place to disconnect, slow down, and exist simply and quietly holds an appeal for me.
Exclusivity. Regular travelers are always trying to visit places before the hit the mainstream, making us no different from the guy you want on that awful date with who told you he liked your favorite band before they had that hit record (he likes their early, indie stuff). We seek to experience a place both before it has restructured itself around tourism, and before it has been invaded by the masses (see: Summer 2022 in Greece, Summer 2023 on the Amalfi Coast). Think I’m safe in saying that the Darvaza has yet to takeover anyone’s TikTok FYP as of yet.
Weird and Atypical. Come on, isn’t it weird that this exists AND that I’m so interested in seeing it? Why am I SO passionate about getting to this crater? Honestly, I think I like it because it’s just so strange. Why is this a thing? Why do people go to see it? What is that experience like? That curiosity drives me to want to know more about it.
Going to have to hustle if I want to get over there though. There have been rumblings that Turkmenistan will make moves to put the fire out, though no steps have been taken yet.
A Birthday Wish
Before I head out, I wanted to remind you that today, July 21, is my birthday!
Not that I need you to recognize or celebrate me today, but I do hope you’ll take a moment to celebrate the work of A Call to Men, the organization I’m supporting with my birthday fundraiser, #MoneyMiles.
I know I’ve mentioned this effort in the newsletter a few times now, but as this is the final push, I have to include it one last time. I’ll keep it brief though:
I’m asking folks to donate money via Venmo or directly to A Call to Men (and send me proof of donation). For every $20 donated, I (and participants) will move 1 mile. As of this writing, we’ve got over $1,250 pledged (over 60 miles).
You can also pledge to move with me HERE! All you need to do is MOVE…1 mile, 3 miles, 10 miles…whatever distance you want, however you want to. Just do it today and post it to social with #MoneyMiles and tagging me.
I’ll be going live on Instagram from my Peloton at 9:30AM PT to discuss this fundraiser, masculinity, and share some of my favorite writings on the topic. Might even have guests drop by!
Thanks for all your support!
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See you Sunday!