Why you need to go camping and get fucked up on ‘Shrooms this weekend

Life is short. You get caught up in the day-to-day tasks and every time you blink it seems like it's six months or a year later from the last time you took stock of your life. It's easy to talk the talk about appreciating life, taking things slow, etc… but walking the walk is a whole 'nother story. Unless you're fully committed to living off the grid out in the woods, it's hard to get away from the constant drone of society, bills, responsibilities and all the stuff that keeps you from living a truly free life. And of course that's not always a bad thing – don't get me wrong – accomplishing goals, interesting work, concerts and other benifits of a modern society are all super positive things that contribute to a fulfilled life – but at the same time can sometimes keep you from experiencing a truly balanced existence.

And that's where camping high out of your mind on mushrooms come in.

Everyone has their own opinions when it comes to psychedelic drug consumption – and that's great. But 'shrooms – ie. Magic Mushrooms or Psilocybin to be precise – are about as mild a psychedelic you can find while still enjoying a bit of mind expansion. If you've never done shrooms before I would say you should start with a smaller dose (maybe a gram) in the company of good friends and an open mind. Although "bad trips" are possible, as long as you work your way up to bigger and bigger doses you should be just fine, in fact many people report the ability to turn on and off their "trip" depending on what they focus their attention on. What you can expect is, of course, a mild feeling of euphoria, lots and lots of laughs and (if you spend a bit of time with just your thoughts) the opportunity for some really deep reflections into your life, your friends and all the world around you.

Sounds like the perfect combination of summer vibes to me!

And that's where the second part of the equation comes in – camping with your friends! Everyone loves camping (well, almost everyone) and the reasons are obvious. Disconnecting with society … getting away from the noise of the city … experiencing a bit of good old fashioned nature … these are all not only fun things to do but also very important to maintain a balanced perception on one's life. Combine that with the effects I mentioned above and what you have is the perfect combination of enlightened thinking in an enlightened environment.

Think there's no better sound than that of a rushing river? Well, combine that with a bit of 'shooms and get ready to have your mind blown as the water washed away all your fears, worries and stresses in life.

Think you know what it means to have a good laugh? Get back to me after spending two hours with tears streaming down your cheeks.

Think you really appreciate your friends? After a night of shrooms you will truly know who is most important to you in your life. 

Think this all sounds a little bit too much like some hippy bullshit? Stop being such a stick in the mud and get out there and start living life to it's fullest. You can't knock what you don't know and until you get out there you won't.

It's easy to roll your eyes at all the new-agey shit floating around these days … powers that be … eastern philosophies, so hot right now … yoga, stand-up paddleboarding and the like … but you have to admit there must be something to it all, look how goddamn happy those hippies are. Ha! There's a fine line in there somewhere between getting a bit too "out there" and picking and choosing which elements of it all you will use to improve your own life.

Checklist:

1. Some good mushrooms – ask around, they're everywhere in the summertime

2. Good friends – make sure you are with good, like-minded people

3. Get out there – you want to be as secluded as possible so as not to be bothered by anyone

4. The spot – Get at nature-ey as you can. The more trees, rivers, lakes and mountains you can be around the better

5. A comfy chair/blanket/foam pad – this one is key for me

6. An open mind – self explanatory

Now don't get me wrong here. I'm not preaching a life of constantly getting fucked up and living off in some dream world. Quite the opposite. What I'm suggesting is that if every once in awhile you take the opportunity to expand your mind and reflect on life a little bit, it will improve all aspects of your life in general as you will make more conscious decisions and be more likely to appreciate the positive things in your life.

And most importantly, enjoy responsibly. Whether talking about alcohol, drugs or anything really, have fun but play safe.