Sleeping in a Tent: A Lifelong Love Affair
In a recent Washington Post article, senior NOLS instructor Marco Johnson shares his thoughts on the value of something simple: sleeping in a tent. It’s an experience that sparks appreciation for a simpler way of living, as well as a stronger connection to nature and other people.
“Those who have dedicated their professional lives to the wilderness and to instilling a love of the outdoors in others swear by the tent…
Marco Johnson has been an instructor with the National Outdoor Leadership School, known as NOLS, since 1985. ‘Getting away from the things we focus on in town, be it our job or the responsibilities of family or schoolwork or bills or even knowing what’s going on in the rest of world,’ he says, lets us focus ‘in a much more connected way’ with the people and world around us.
Sleeping in a tent helps his students consider their priorities, he says: ‘They come back from having lived in a tent, realizing, “Oh, I can live a lot more simply than I thought I could.”‘
