Algonquin Park / Prelude To Denmark

Hey that rhymes! But more importantly...

I just spent 4 days in Algonquin Park, probably the most beautiful part of Canada (that I've seen, anyway). I went with four good friends from high school and it was wonderful and brought us even closer together in a non-gay way and, perhaps, even in a slightly gay way. Either way, that doesn't matter. We got to do a shitload of canoeing, portaging, exploring, and just hanging out talking and enjoying each other's company. Even in silence. Because in a beautiful place like Algonquin, you don't need to talk in order to enjoy the company of others.

If I were to pick a highlight: the first night, we arrive at our campsite and it starts pouring rain. So we rush to set up camp, I'm a little disoriented - I've had 3 hours of sleep, woke up at 4am to drive for 2 straight hours, and have been paddling & portaging for 6 hours. And this is my first time doing this without a camp/tour leader. But luckily, most of my friends have been doing this on an annual basis, so they knew what to do and we got things set up fairly quickly.

The ultra-highlight: my buddy Aaron was determined to make a fire to cook our steaks and potatoes. Absolutely determined. So, after trying a variety of things, he finally was able to construct a canopy of wood and brush from tree branches to cover the fire pit while setting up the fire and the grill below. I helped him (although I didn't do very much) and we were pretty much shoving our hands inside the fire to get the twigs and logs in the right place and, at least for me, to keep warm.

And so we had steaks, with lighting flashing around us in the pouring rain, ripping the meat from our hands with our teeth. We had reverted to our ancestors, the ones who lived in nature, before the inventions of houses and indoor heating and cutlery. It was fuckin' grand. The whole trip was.

That said, on the way back home, I stopped by at my cottage for 2 days and spent one day kayaking with my brother. We went to this jump-off rock we've gone to for years and years and just spent our time on the cliff meditating and looking over the magnificent land that is giving Algonquin a run for its money for the title of Most Beautiful Place I've Seen In Canada.

And then I came home and started packing

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On to part 2: Denmark.

This Saturday, I'll be leaving to study all aspects of filmmaking for about 8 months in Ebeltoft, Denmark, a small seaside town in the north part of the peninsular province Jutland (next to Arhus, the university town and second biggest city in Denmark). My blog will turn into mostly an account of my studies there and all the major highlights of what's going on (I imagine I will be very busy). And I will also recount any tales of my travels around Europe, because I really hope to get to see some other wonderful awesome places. 

One thing I found out that I love, and that I think affirmed my belief that this is the place for me, is that in Denmark in Danish is "Danmark". So this is the place for "Dan" to make his "mark". 

And so that's the plan. Fuck yeah and such!