The Gentle Art of Wandering

Wandering is about being mindful while outdoors. It is allowing yourself to see what is already here and then letting what you see guide you on where to go. It is being connected to all that is around you. And when connected, you will make amazing discoveries and have an adventure every time you step out the door. The Gentle Art of Wandering shows how you can wander anywhere. The book provides examples from the backcountry, cities, suburbs, hiking trails, and your own neighborhood to show you the process of wandering and how you too can develop the mindset of wandering. Once you develop the mindset of wandering you will see all that is around you and recognize it as a gift to appreciate and protect. Or as Benton MacKaye, the originator of the Appalachian Trail, said when asked about the purpose of the Trail, "to walk, to see, to see what you see." What would I look for in a walking companion? Someone with a sense of curiosity about the world, a love of nature and people. Someone who is creative enough to see and appreciate the extraordinary things around us everywhere. Within these pages you will find that walking companion in David Ryan. You will look at the world in a different way and be on your way to new adventures wherever you go. - Larry Luxenberg, author Walking the Appalachian Trail Adventure, exploration, discovery, and even peace are everywhere around us if only we open our minds to them. So follow David Ryan as he leads by example into the rich world that wandering can reveal. This is the best kind of guidebook, for it seeks to empower us with what Marcel Proust said: The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes. - Robert Julyan, author Place Names of New Mexico and Mountains of New Mexico