Dirt

I had no intention of growing up in this way. I spent most of my adulthood avoiding dirt. I enjoy a clean house. I do not hunt, nor do I fish. I’m not a fan of insects of any species, and no one in the history of the world has called me “outdoorsy”. I joined the Navy instead of the Army because I had no intention of sleeping in a hole at any point in my life. I avoided camping until I was 40. Again, the whole sleeping outside thing really turned me off. I focused my attention during my studies as an undergraduate anthropologist towards a medical and cultural lens instead of archaeology. Again, the dirt. I was fine being excluded from the shovel bum squad if that meant I did not have to spend my career sitting in the dirt.

I have nothing against dirt. It just never called to me like it did others. I am that person that appreciates snow from inside a lodge, not on skis. I discovered something in my 40’s. I have absolutely no idea what life is about, nor am I a subject matter expert in fun. Rather I am quite the opposite. I am far too analytical to be amusing when I am in one of my moods. I can be amusing, my husband says I’m a living muppet when I’m happy and getting into shenanigans. I am a recent transplant to the midwest after living in Florida for over twenty years (minus deployments and duty stations). I figure since I am uncomfortable in pretty much all areas, why not embrace adventures I formerly refused? I spent this last weekend doing a Mud Girl run with my oldest daughter Charlotte. We decided to shlep ourselves to Springfield Ohio and recruited my cousin to adventure with us.

I have to confess the mud was not as abhorrent as I assumed it would be. My broken veteran body and titanium femur and I hobbled pretty well around the obstacles. The whole adventure made me reconsider my vendetta against dirt. It almost made me wonder if I would have made a bangarang archaeologist had I not be so resistant to dirt. I had no idea I enjoyed mud runs until this weekend. I wonder what else I like?

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Fair Winds and Following Seas,

your favorite adventuring anthropologist.

Nichole Carminati