before I begin

a letter to adventure and the plight of a restless person

Sierra Spraker | January 11, 2022

To those who follow along,

I grew up with a healthy dose of the great outdoors. It has put me in a fortunate position of being aware of the beauty and wonder that can be found outside of our cozy routines. My exposure to this has delivered the inspiration to see as many national parks as I can in the new year.

I typically don’t set “New Year’s Resolutions”, as I believe it’s just a catalyst for disappointment and occasional self-deprecation. That being said, this year I have set the hypothetically attainable goal of visiting one national park a month. Now, since I consider myself a reasonable person, I understand this might not be accomplishable every month. But I’m going to try. My favorite author, Ernest Hemingway wrote a brilliant book called The Old Man and the Sea. He wrote “my big fish must be somewhere”, and perhaps this is my big fish.

It’s a lofty aspiration I have set, but since there are so many other cornerstone moments happening this year, what’s one more to add.

I’ve set no expectations other than to pave the way for myself so I might accomplish this task. I’m not looking for groundbreaking experiences, but rather to reconnect with what is natural and good. I acknowledge my privileged position of even being able to believe this is a possibility. So forward I go, with my intent to see twelve national parks in the year 2022.