Where Am I?

I was out with a couple friends who are outdoorsy sorts and they were talking about where they deer hunt. It was amazing how precisely each knew where the other was. This was reinforced last week when talking to a fishing guide about where he deer hunts - I knew where he was talking about to within a few hundred feet even though it was hundreds of miles away in the Upper Peninsula.

This is a huge benefit of spending time in the outdoors. To be safe and effective, you need to know where you are. A skill that serves most folks well in many other situations. I'm not sure how, but most of my friends who're outdoors a lot tend to know innately where they are. Contrast this to a lot of indoor types so seem to have a hard time finding their way home. What's most amazing is that you can drop these outdoorsy sorts into unfamiliar settings and they pretty quickly acclimate and find their bearings.

Fascinating, to me. I'm sure it's got some caveman connection. But it's a cool and useful skill!

-Sean-