ABOUT | Nature Time Calendar

MY STORY:
HOW THIS CALENDAR CAME ABOUT

Over 1,000 days on the road. More than 1,000 sunsets…and moonrises. Waking up with the sun and settling down with her as well.

For over two and a half years, I’ve been adapting to the natural patterns of the world around me, and have never felt more connected, more grounded…
and more confused.

Although I treasured camping vacations and road trips and getting out into nature as a kid, I mostly grew up amidst the hustle and bustle of city life.

So even though I’ve been trying to “get back to” the rhythms of nature, I know so little about those rhythms that I don’t know what to expect, what’s important, what to focus on.

There are plenty of books about nature and wilderness skills—I have several—but they’re usually sorted by topic, not by time, and focus on only one topic at a time. I wanted something that would put lots different topics together in a format that would tell me what to look for now or soon.

A calendar seemed like the perfect way to organize that information. I’ve always relied on calendars to tell me what’s coming up that’s important in my life. But now instead of holidays and birthdays, I wanted to know what fruit to expect at roadside stands, when the moon would be full and blocking my view of the stars, when to look out for migrating birds or wildflowers in bloom or other great photography opportunities.

Despite a great deal of searching, I couldn’t find a calendar that would do what I wanted. A calendar that could help me feel the world around me, not just show pretty pictures of it.

I started out making this just for myself, to use in my next year on the road, but as I talked about it with others, it seemed like there might be wider interest. I hope you find it a useful companion in your next year. I’d love to get your feedback on what works for you, what doesn’t, and what you’d like to see next year.

By the way, you can follow my (personal and geographical) Grand Journey at my blog, 90000MilesToMe.com.