If there is one thing in common with all hollywood stars, such as Jerry Seinfeld, Will Smith, Kanye West, and Rihanna, it's that they can't even dream of homes with views as nice as these. The most exciting prospect of these homes is that THEY ARE ALL FREE. Thus, there is no need to fantasize, these fantasy homes can be yours to enjoy... for real.
1. Coconut campout on the Mexican Pacific
2. Little House in the Andes
With mountain air fresher than the Prince of Belair himself, and about 10,000 acres of wild lands all to myself, this was one special night near Huaraz, Peru.
3. Skyhigh ocean view in beautiful British Columbia
Everyone loves an ocean view. Here is a little known summit hideaway that is always vacant for the night —as long as your willing to rockclimb up the vertical wall on the West Lion near Vancouver, BC.
4. House of the Condors
If you are camping at 5300m elv. in Peru, you might be lucky to have a condor fly by (the world's largest flight bird!). While staying here, we were buzzed by one, saw a huge avalanche, and we watched the sunset into the Pacific Ocean 5300m below us and to the west. Good night!
5. In the company of sacred trees
According to locals, this forest along the western shore of Washington State has spiritual cleansing powers, which is why indigenous people hold annual fall revivals here. The forest glowed in a reverential afterglow for a hours in this evening. At Bush Pioneer County Park.
6. California Bay Laurel Drive
7. Cedar canopy retreat
8. At home in the wilderness of Clayoquot Sound, BC
Sleep a night, become inspired for life. Clayoquot Sound, located on the west coast of Vancouver Island, BC, inspired one of the most influential protests of Canada's environmental history. Over 30,000 people blockaded old-growth logging here, which eventually led to major changes in the way forests are logged across much of North America. Solstice Lake, BC.
9. Peace and quiet in the Atacama is guaranteed
If you want to get some peace and quiet, pick a spot just about anywhere in the Atacama desert of Northern Argentina and it's unlikely that anyone will come find you, ever. This is the most arid desert in the world and I had it entirely to myself for two weeks. Just make sure to bring lots of water....
10. Room for the whole family
Rather than fantasize over the rich and famous, set course on a real journey
It's engrained within human psychology that we are intrigued by the rich and famous. One possible explanation for this is that we are motivated to make our own lives seem more complete. While most people have solid foundations of completeness, for example, related to our vocations, friends and family, or cultural identities that make us feel grounded, there is always a little something more that could be fulfilled, such that on average we may feel 75% complete. Even Adam Smith, the great philosopher and economist, wrote of a partial void within all of us that we seek to fill. According to his theory, this void was why the regular men and women of his day fantasized over the royal family ("All hail the King!" they would say). The 25% that were seeking to fill is not a bad thing. In fact, it is what drives us to make our lives better, to find inspiration, and to make the world a better place for our offspring. However, this drive to complete ourselves is important to recognize because it influences what we seek in our day-to-day lives, who we admire, and how appreciative we are of our current circumstances.
Admiring the rich and the famous is clearly a major past time in human culture with many social benefits, but it can be harmful to idealize wealth and fame and set that as our top priority —or mark of success. First, it's impractical that we can all be so rich, for the world is incapable to support the affluence of the rich and famous for all of Earth 7 billion population. Second, considerable research has shown that people who pursue benevolent or altruistic means to reward themselves, such as through volunteering in their own community have higher sense of satisfaction in life, than those who focus only on amassing wealth. I suggest that we all think carefully about how we fill ourselves up and that we be mindful to choose options that will lead us towards healthy lifestyles that can be sustained; examples of sustainable ways to fill this void might include seeking out real world experiences, developing passions in the outdoors, or practice in the arts, and by making meaningful contributions to your community or to the environment.
I decided to write this post one night after finding myself click baited into a online story about which hollywood stars have the biggest house (just try to resist clicking it!). All the houses looked the same to me, and none had what I would consider to be a great view. I remembered then that not everyone has been fortunate to discover contentment from things such as the simple reward and astonishing beauty of sleeping on top of a mountain with all the troubles of life far below. I will always prefer the best camp spot over the fanciest hotel. This is a major way I fill myself up, and I've posted about similar philosophies to engage people in what, to me, are more meaningful and rewarding lifestyles (for example, here and here). A common theme in all my blogs is that I want everyone to dream big and fulfill those dreams with real-world explorations that are good for themselves and for the planet.
