Today is the day before Thanksgiving. Friday is the day after, known in the retail world as Black Friday. Where will you be on that day? Just as significantly, Lake Effect essayist Cari Taylor Carlson knows where she won’t be: In my opinion, REI, a purveyor of outdoor equipment and clothing, got it right when they announced they would close all one-hundred-forty-three stores and pay twelve thousand employees to take Black Friday off. They call it # OPTOUTSIDE . I say, instead of shopping, go find a micro adventure. A micro adventure is, simply put, a mini outdoor vacations that can refocus your brain while you indulge in an unfiltered sensory experience. They don’t take much time, more or less an hour, or perhaps a morning hacked from a busy day. I keep a numerical record, where I traveled, what I saw, smelled, heard, touched, and occasionally tasted. I include a photo and a few words about the adventure. I have rules for mine. They must be within an hour of my downtown home. They must
↧