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HodlHomestead
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Living Almost Off-Grid, Multi-Media Consultant, Director/Producer, Video Editor #bitcoin

This is the San Pedro river in Chile 🇨🇱

You guys ever done a multi-day river trip?Great way to escape the news/electronics for a weekend.

💎🏞

Fall in New England 💎🧡

Replying to Avatar walker

I was a unique case of homeschooling because I was homeschooled through 8th grade then went made the decision to go try high school because I was worried I might be stupid compared to other kids who I knew through sports, clubs, community, etc… My parents made it clear that it was my decision to make, so I made it.

Turns out I was not, in fact, stupid relative to the other kids… I was able to skip through math classes in high school and graduated valedictorian while being a three-sport athlete all four years. I discovered that public school is absurdly easy, because everything caters to the lowest common denominator. The focus was on time spent (in your desk, doing homework, etc) vs deliverables. Put another way, it was an “hourly” mentality instead of a “salary” mentality.

That said, I had some really great science and math teachers in high school that I am still very grateful for. They were also the type of teachers who thought administrative mandates were bullshit and just wanted to focus on teaching.

Things I liked most about being homeschooled:

- I finished all my work in 2-3 hours in the morning and spent the rest of the day outside — I was outside constantly.

- I was done when I was done. There was no “homework” because it was all at home.

- I could do my work from anywhere, or work ahead a few days bitcoin if needed. There were no arbitrary constraints.

- It taught me to work on deliverables.

- I read a shitload.

- I was never uncomfortable around “adults.” They were just bigger people to me. I showed everyone respect, but I was perfectly comfortable and happy hanging out with adults even as the only kid (plus my sister).

- I got to do a bunch of random shit because I my schoolwork itself took very little time.

On the subject of random shit, one of my favorite memories is when my mom set me up with a legit blacksmith to apprentice for a day. He’s the first person who taught me about Fibonacci. Seriously brilliant and badass dude. Made a huge impression on me and I will never forget it.

I also just played in the woods constantly. Started fires, built forts, used knives and axes and guns from a young age.

In terms of things I disliked, the only real thing was the worry that I was not going to be as smart as my peers at public school. Benchmarking was hard. It’s the whole reason I decided to go to high school, only to find out that a lot of people are complete morons, with zero initiative, drive, or grit.

I also spend a day a week at a Montessori school for a year or two. That was neat. Zero “schoolwork” was done. We just built shit and cooked shit and played outside.

My parents also helped found a small charter school (about 10 kids). We would get together once a week and had a couple tutors who came in. I had an awesome Mennonite algebra tutor named Edith. We got on swell.

Anyway, highly recommend homeschooling, and will be doing it with our kid(s). There are infinitely more online resources available now than there were when my parents did it.

Great post! Thanks for sharing.

Totally. Same reason I've laid off the gas with the sport as well. But river life is so good I can hardly complain.

7 years ago, a friend and I were in the Chilean Andes, we hiked up a steep hillside to check out some local biking trails. At the top, he casually said, "I think I'll fly down." I was confused until he pulled out an ultralight paraglider from his backpack.

I watched in amazement as he ran off the hillside and smoothly flew down to the valley floor. The next day, I sold my bike, bought my first glider, and adopted flying as a new sport for exploring the mountains.

My two close friends and I bought wings together and took classes at a local paragliding school. The first steps off the cliff into the breeze is a surreal weightless feeling.

https://v.nostr.build/3Z9cDjoubDdeWlYq.mp4

Our learning process wasn't without incidents and some very close calls prompted us to dedicate more effort to learning techniques, meteorology, and flying more often in easier conditions. I wanted to be safer through knowledge and experience. Risk to reward ratio became a major driver behind all flying missions.

https://v.nostr.build/JcXJXPZFozz3Y1k3.mp4

Mountains vary a ton in weather and conditions so paragliders come in various sizes to accommodate different styles of flying. We quickly learned it was good to have a quiver to enjoy different weather conditions.

A wing for mountain cruising and long distance

https://v.nostr.build/eqTTm4Py2RcQ2ua9.mp4

And a wing for high-speed descents and high speed wind.

https://v.nostr.build/U8uGb1lsgGKrd768.mp4

As experienced kayakers, we could visualize air flow like a river, helping us progress quickly. We soon began tackling big mountain hike and fly goals in our backyards.

https://v.nostr.build/dnAxK7aKjja9zJXN.mp4

https://v.nostr.build/L6gKIX4GcYWfS6ez.mp4

I started carrying a wing in my car trunk wherever I went, flying at official sites (where I could find them) and plenty of unofficial ones too. One of the coolest things about paragliding is hiking up a mountain and flying back down to your car.

https://v.nostr.build/h7pSxtdnIJXDBXpV.mp4

Going to the ocean? Bring the wing. Great way to explore the beach.

https://v.nostr.build/M937m3ZhN2SR3DQz.mp4

https://v.nostr.build/Txi1HatQcugo4tW5.mp4

(Thanks for the Commentary Eli 😂)

I even used my mini wing to tow myself to the top of some epic backcountry skiing.

https://v.nostr.build/ggYlVupUGM04VtZA.mp4

There is something beautiful about traveling with a small extra backpack that lets you fly around and see new locations from above. It's a call to hit the road and go exploring with any free time.

https://v.nostr.build/tLa9kXYLZEeAFv1l.mp4

If you're interested in paragliding, here are some tips to hopefully help you avoid mistakes I made:

•⁠ ⁠Take lessons

•⁠ ⁠Buy a wing matching your experience level

•⁠ ⁠Fly with better pilots who can advise you

•⁠ ⁠Always fly with a GPS beacon

•⁠ ⁠Always carry a parachute & first aid kit with tourniquet

•⁠ ⁠Fly in late afternoons for dampened, easier conditions

- Know that is is totally ok to pack your wing up and walk away from a flight aka take your ego out of it.

Paragliding is an incredible sport/hobby that offers unique perspectives and pairs well with hiking and skiing in large mountains or beach life. Keep present that safety and proper training are crucial to enjoying your time in the air. Happy flying!

https://v.nostr.build/zdzI55VfEiEkMQMu.mp4

#Nostr #photography #paragliding #mountains #outdoor #hiking #flying

There are two kinds of people in this world.

Sauna people and hot tub people.