Difficult Things & The Van Broke Down Part III

Howdy from Denver,

Welcome to the 1 new subscriber from this past week!

I'm having more van trouble. It's so dang frustrating - more on it at the end of the newsletter.

We're gonna kick things off with something more fun.

My backcountry trip two weeks ago got me thinking:

How bizarre is it that, because life has become so comfortable, we spend our free time doing uncomfortable things?

Difficult things are all the recreational rage.

Marathons. Jiu-jitsu. Crossfit. Backpacking. Spartan Races. Orange Theory. Cycling. Rock climbing.

The market for physically demanding activities has grown dramatically over the last 20 years.

Why is it that people's hobbies increasingly revolve around pushing their bodies to new limits?

My hypothesis for this phenomenon is two-fold:

1. The workforce transformation from manual labor to knowledge work has Americans yearning for physical challenges.

2. The rise of digital media has increased young people's appetite for real, tangible, shared experiences.

Hypothesis #1 - workforce transformation.

Here are a few quick-hit facts on changes in our lifestyles over the course of a century:

• Farm Labor: (1920: 14% of workforce) vs. (2020: <1% of workforce) - source

• Life expectancy: (1920: 35 years old) vs. (2020: 70 years old) - source

• Days off: (1920: 1 day/week) vs. (2020: 2 days/week) - source

Fun fact: the weekend wasn't adopted nationwide until 1938 with the passage of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

In the 1920s, people worked more physically demanding jobs, lived shorter lives, and had less time off compared to today.

As a result, people's leisure time back then was spent resting, not climbing mountains for fun.

The world looks a whole lot different today.

In the 2020s, people work less physically demanding jobs, live longer lives, and have more time off compared to 100 years ago.

Folks today are engaged mentally at work, but they remain in need of a physical challenge.

The result? Today, we pay for experiences that make us grind/drain us of our energy.

Imagine explaining that to someone in the 1920s.

Blue & Light Blue = knowledge work. Black & Yellow = manual work. Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

My 2nd hypothesis: fewer in-person experiences.

The 2010s saw the rise of mobile apps and cloud computing.

This resulted in new forms of entertainment, particularly social media and streaming services.

Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Netflix, Hulu, & Disney+ were all made possible.

Mix in the pandemic's shift towards remote/hybrid work, and what do you get?

We're simultaneously more connected + lonelier than ever.

Here are a few quick-hit facts on a survey conducted by Cigna on loneliness:

• Loneliest age group: those born between mid-90s and early 2000s

• Lack of depth: 2/5 respondents say they are "isolated from others"

• Physical activity: respondents who say they exercise "just the right amount" report lower levels of loneliness

Physical challenges provide people with community to combat loneliness.

Bottom line: we pay for these experiences to improve our physical, mental, and social health.

Folks born in the mid-90s to early 2000s are struggling to establish their social circles as young adults. They don't prefer full-time remote work, and they're turning to shared, in-person, physical challenges as a result (source).

The van went down part III.

She's in the shop right now.

Luckily, like the other 2 breakdowns, I have friends to help me get me back on my feet.

Here are my thoughts on each of the breakdowns:

• 1st breakdown - to be expected. I knew I'd have mechanical trouble at some point. Things went fine with the exception of AAA's customer service, but that was out of my control. (See writeup in 6/16 newsletter here).

• 2nd breakdown - took it in stride. I was bummed we hadn't figured it out the first time, but I knew exactly what to do/how to handle it. (See writeup in 6/30 newsletter here).

• 3rd breakdown - frustrated as heck. My confidence in the vehicle's ability to go to remote places is decreasing - one of the core reasons why I built the van. I also had van projects planned for my time in Denver that are now on hold.

Good news: it's not 3 separate issues that have caused each of the breakdowns. It's the same thing, the fuel pump.

Bad news: it is absolutely whack that, after two tries, we still couldn't solve what is clearly the same issue.

Hopeful news: it's in the hands of a mechanic who fully understands my desire to resolve this issue once and for all.

Despite initially being upset about it, I'm optimistic that we'll get Caroline to a good place and that I'll be able to explore the Pacific Northwest in August.

An all too familiar scene. I had just given her a bath 2 hours earlier, so at least she's looking good on the flatbed - lol

Photos of The Week

Locations this past week: Denver, CO

A whole week in just 1 location with good friends is bringing the stability I need.

Got to catch up with old buds (L to R): Kelsey, Greg, Ali.

Went blading around Wash Park with Kelsey who let me try out her shades. It's hard to feel slow in shades this fast.

Wash Park's 2 mile loop allows you to send it on blades because it's closed off from vehicles.

Went to my buddy Sam's art gallery. Check out his work on his IG here and find out more about the show here.

Did some bouldering with Sam. You know this isn't a picture of me because of how challenging this route is lol.

Got to go for a walk and catch up with my fellow newsletter writer, Aidan. Check out his publication, Discover More Health, here.

Thanks for reading

What's your hypothesis on why we do difficult things in our free time?

Hit the reply button and let me know!

Josh

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