3/23/2023 0 Comments Mydraw alaskaIronically, one of the biggest lessons he has learned spending years by himself is the importance of fellowship. "It's for believers and non-believers alike to consider eternal things." And there's a joy in that!"īrian has taken the lessons he's learned living off the grid and put them into devotional form, both with Scripture-based greeting cards containing his own photography, and in his new book, Crystal Vision. How can I become better at any given task at any time to become more efficient, more safe, and productive. But I think My life could best be described as the perfection of vital activity. Exercising your body, which isn't too hard to do. Keeping ahead of the seasonal changes and making sure you're stocked up. It's as simple as that," says Brian.īrian has learned that by living an intentional life, every chore can become a spiritual act of worship. "The greatest danger to me is me! If I'm not disciplined and I don't keep God first in my life. With all the dangers he's confronted in 20 years of living in the bush, Heaphy has discovered that nature isn't the biggest threat he faces. "I'd rather do something well once than have to go back and do it twice when I've got other things to do." "Learning to move with purpose, to form a careful plan with each strike of an ax," says Brian. Living out in such vast country, you realize how small you are. And a lot of what goes on in the world doesn't matter." It does add a sense of urgency and intensity and reveal to you what really is important, what really does matter. "Living here in a very austere environment, one of the most unforgiving environments on the planet due to the cold and the darkness and the rapid change of seasons, you begin to learn and to focus on economy of time," says Brian. There's always more to do than time to do it. But getting away from civilization doesn't equate to a stress-free life. There's always things working against you."Īnd survival is all about making the best use of the resources you have available. "And it does! Some people call it Murphy's law, I call it the law of opposition. "Where I live now, a little mistake at sixty degrees below zero in the dark can turn into a life-threatening scenario," says Brian. And that means you've got to be extra careful and very meticulous about everything you do. Because if you get hurt out here, it's a long way to the nearest hospital. The problem is, it comes with its own set of risks. "Preparation, self-discipline, learning to form realistic goals according to the time that you have available," says Brian.Ĭhores are a standard part of life out in the Alaskan Wilderness, but this is not a pastime or fitness, this is survival. And his military experience serves him well when he's on his own in the backcountry. Heaphy took a job as a river guide in Alaska and loved the wide-open spaces and the challenges of living off-grid. So, after resigning his commission, Heaphy went back to his childhood passion - the great outdoors. "I was very blessed to be able to grow up in a rural area, you know that was always my draw. "I felt very fortunate to still be alive at the end of those five years." "The deployments are six months long, and I did three back-to-back deployments," says Brian. After graduating from the Naval Academy and a successful career as a US Navy SEAL, Heaphy needed a change of pace. And for people like Brian Heaphy, that's one of the biggest reasons to live here. At fewer than two people per square mile, Alaska boasts the lowest population density in the country.
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