Loafing Blog for Week 7

Participants on Discovery Channel's Naked and Afraid XL challenge
attempt to survive together in harsh natural environments worldwide for 40 days.
Photo credit: Discovery Channel 

Historically, I have not had a hard time adjusting to leisure, having grown up in a surf culture that encouraged cutting class, smoking a joint, and surfing in sun-soaked waters for hours with your friends. Therefore, I was mildly amused in class when, upon receiving the noble assignment to loaf without guilt, I witnessed more than one of my classmates have a mild anxiety response to the assignment. 

I was privileged to date someone in my 20s who taught me that "leisure is an art form", and while my load of responsibilities is much greater now,  I still love a good loaf. This week, I've been lying in the arms of my significant other with a great celebration of dopamine and serotonin within while watching the series Naked and Afraid XL produced by the Discovery Channel. 

In the series, we watch nine people get transported into inhospitable wildness environments, remove their clothes, and fend for themselves as survivalists for forty days. The joys of the show are many: Watching people struggle with primal tasks like making and keeping a fire, building shelter, and evading insect populations which seek to destroy them. It's beautiful too, with wild oceans and lush jungles and savannahs. The soft pillow of my lover's chest feels nothing like a hard ground, the iced tea I'm drinking doesn't contain amoebas or parasites, and I smell like soap and patchouli. The paradox between myself and the show participants rings with delight. 

So, while my favorite combination for the ultimate loafing experience remains a surfboard, good friends, and a joint, this weekend has provided some excellent substitutes.