Ask HN: I want to take a no-tech retreat for 6 months straight. Where?
I'm working on a sweet contract job that pays decently. After it's done in 8 months, I want to drop off the face of the earth completely. No contact with friends/family/anybody. Just my mind and I. I don't even want an emergency phone or anything, I just want to be completely cut off.
Cancel my phone. Sell my computers. Sell it all. Take half a year or a few months somewhere totally remote to clear my head. Bring a ton of books/kindle and go at it. Maybe do some writing myself.
I recall seeing a video on Reddit of a woman going on a large ship, I think an ice breaker it was. It looked fantastic and inspired me so much.
Has anyone on HN done this? Where would I begin researching ideas? If it helps, I'm in Canada. I'd love to go up North in the wilderness for awhile.
I need to get the fuck out of this concrete jungle.
----
edit: cold climate only. I hate the sun, I hate the tropics. I love the cold.
24 comments
[ 4.3 ms ] story [ 71.1 ms ] threadA far better choice would be to bike around Europe, goto Africa, drive the USA, something. See the world, experience life, live slow. Don't just go hide, that's easy and lame.
At least, that's what you think you want. Is it possible this is an over-reaction?
You say you want out of the concrete jungle. That seems more plausible.
You're in Canada, so I'm guessing GTA or Vancouver?
Before heading "up north" (if you haven't been, you have no idea, sorry - don't mean to patronize, but you don't - one doesn't just "go up north" without having visited with competent guides), why not head out of town for a bit? If you are GTA, why not Perth or Smith's Falls or Arnprior? (Yeah, these are more my neck of the woods, but you need to get far from your neck to get to the woods, know what I mean?)
Consider a change of pace, before considering a harsh and radical cut off. Maybe some place that still has running water and electricity and where the amenities of civilization are only 1-3 hours away by car.
Rent a farm north of Bancroft, near Algonquin. Someplace rural but with folks not so far away. Close enough but not too far, you know?
You want even more remote, but still sort of civilized? How about Fermont, QC? (Last spot before Labrador, road pretty much ends there.)
If you're not GTA, folks from your neck of the woods can suggest places comparable to the above....
(I moved to T.O. after university - small place out east - and I hated the jungle, it went on forever. Moved to Ottawa after a couple of years. Been here over 23. It's grown, but it's way less jungle than the GTA. I'm in the burbs, I can be on a farm in 5 minutes and not see anyone for miles....)
Heck, why not just go canoeing in Algonquin for a week? A buddy of mine unplugs that way for a week every year - keeps him sane, and it's a less radical prescription.
Algonquin canoeing, I can do that, but for a few months at the very least. I want a unique experience. I want to be so out of my comfort zone I question all life as I know it.
Actually the canoeing/water idea is incredible. It'd be great to travel by water for a few months on a boat.
IMHO it's more worthwhile to do something active (a hiking trip with friends for example) in nature than to just isolate yourself. Some of my best memories have been week long trips in nature with a handful of close pals. I remember going almost insane with modern life and seeing all the anger and hatred fade away after a few weeks of physical activity in a new setting.
That said I think your desire to abandon technology for a while and taste freedom is laudable. Good luck to you, sir. All I ask is that you do not abandon human contact but instead seek new people to meet.
Wherever you go, I encourage you to travel by land. People who get dropped off in the middle of nowhere can get in trouble fast. If you travel by land, you will see the transition from the concrete jungle to the far north unfold in front of your eyes. You can then decide how far you want/need to go, and how quickly. You could walk, hitchhike, bicycle, drive, take a bus, whatever.
I grew up in New Hampshire, but I find references to the Yukon in my early elementary school writing. The far north is just in some people's blood. I spent 18 months living on a bicycle in my twenties, and I wouldn't trade that time for anything. I live in Alaska now, and loved the journey here.
Good luck!
Please please elaborate. I'm extremely interested in hearing your experiences. Do you have a blog or any posts outlining your experiences in-depth?
How about Japan? In the winter it will be beautiful. Some might be scared of this but having to learn a new language puts you to some degree into social isolation until you start to learn how to interact with the local people (hey you asked for it!)
Other then that, India? Might be too hot for you but it is an amazing and underrated country.
And then there's places like Nepal (known for Everest basecamp), a place where you will be guaranteed an amazing experience.
North China....
The baltic states in europe, add norway, sweeden, iceland to the list if you want it cold? The list could be endless. I'd love to be in your situation :)
... and yes I've done a lot of backpacking in my time for 6 months each shot. I stayed semi-connected though where i could.
I did a homestay in a little village on Lake Baikal (maybe half an hour from Irkutsk, but I can't remember which one) and it was quite pleasant. It'd meet a lot of your needs, with no internet access, plenty of cold, and tons of outdoor stuff to do (and wolves, which might be considered a downside).
It was easy enough to arrange the homestay. I booked it in Beijing as part of a trans-siberian trip, from one of the local outfits who arrange such things for English speakers. I expect that if you did the same, you could probably arrange to be left in Irkutsk for a year and negotiate a long-term stay from there.
While we're in the area, Mongolia is also really cool and would remove power and cell coverage from your list of unpleasant western things. You could probably just outright buy a ger in Kharkhorin, and a horse to go with it, for a few thousand bucks. Drop it in any convenient patch of grass and set up shop for the duration.
Good luck!