I’ve always had this vague sense that something is wrong. I don’t know why. I had a good childhood and nice parents and all that. It’s just a feeling that lurks around. When you’re a kid and you think those sorts of things, it’s easy to assume that you’re the problem. The longer I live though, the more I’m convinced that isn’t the case. There’s this great old BB King song, “There Must Be a Better World Somewhere.” He was on to something, I’m sure of it.

 

Laying down on a sofa and reading a book is a great way to find a better world. I just love books, so I’ve written a few. They’re different genres, but they’re all attempts to help people escape that nagging sense that something’s off, in the various ways it arises. They’ve sold something over 10,000 copies now–independently, without a publisher. I’m no Jon Krakauer, but that’s a pretty good start. 

 

When I was young, it seemed like being really religious would be the best way to make the world a better place. That strategy makes you feel disillusioned and sometimes kind of crazy. I Hope I Was Wrong About Eternal Damnation is a story about leaving religion, or more precisely, how you can lose faith and feel okay about it. That’s an uncomfortable topic to be honest about, but honesty helps.

 

As an adult, striving and bosses and the neverending irritation of the internet can make you feel trapped by things that–on reflection–don’t even matter. When we were 35, my wife and I quit all of that and spent six months living outside, joining thousands of other dirtbag pilgrims hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada. That’s a lot of walking, but it’s also a ruthlessly efficient way to reorient your life around good times and healthy patterns of behavior. The Dirtbag’s Guide to Life is a lighthearted (and by that I mean deadly serious) reimagination of Henry Thoreau’s experiment at Walden. Go to the woods, then share what you learn about how life can be cheaper, simpler, and more enjoyable.

 

Most people need a change from time to time, but don’t have the luxury of disrupting their life for six months like the PCT requires. Three or four weeks is enough, if you do it right. The Camino for the Rest of Us is a guidebook for an ancient pilgrimage path in Spain. I wrote it after walking two of the Camino de Santiago routes on a couple of separate breaks between jobs, because it’s the most straightforward and efficient intervention I’ve found if you want to be at peace with your place in the world.

 

Finally, a few years ago we went to New Zealand for a friend’s wedding. We stayed in Wanaka for a week and between day hikes it dawned on me that I’d forgotten goals I’d set in my twenties. Without even noticing, I'd let life at home get completely overwhelming. There’s a quote that gets at what had happened: “fish don’t know that they’re in water.” In other words, it’s hard to really understand the problems with your environment when you’re floating in it. When you leave, you see your issues more clearly. What Happens if You Keep Going? Is a collection of travel stories focused on what you learn about yourself and your home when you go somewhere else, and how those lessons can shift your life in ways you don’t intend. It’s about what happens when you find a better world somewhere, literally.
 

If you are looking for resources or collaborators, or have questions I can help with, contact me. I’m always interested in like-minded people and interesting possibilities. You can fill out the form above or just email me at Tim@TimMathisWrites.com. 

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