
Why I switched To Outdoor Cooking
In the month of December 2020, I made the switch to outdoor cooking. I admit that I was influenced by a number of health experts and evolutionary psychologists who found that outdoor cooking potentially led to greater self-esteem.
I got in touch with myself, on a supernatural level
Every meal that I had, I chose to prepare and cook it outside – regardless of the weather. Whilst cooking became a chore – it was something that I was looking forward to during my day.
To get it started, I just went and found myself a decent grill under $300.
You see, the time I spent outside gave me a lot to think about. I asked myself a lot of questions that I didn’t have an instantaneous answer to.
They say the biggest questions are often the simplest and I found myself second-guessing my own decisions with a simplistic “why?”
These sorts of questions did give me some anxiety but I felt somewhat accomplished when I was able to answer them – honestly.
It’s really hard to say that if other people copied my experience if they would share the same outlook. And, to be honest – I have not recommended this experience to anyone that I know.
Out of habit, whenever I do something or before I do something – I go through a process called the three y’s:
- “Why am I going to work today?”
- “I need to cover these expenses”
- “What expenses can I reduce, so that I can save more and retire sooner”.
Outdoor cooking became ritualistic
Yep, you guessed it – my respect and appreciation for food increased. Not only did I take my time to enjoy my food, but I also spent more time thinking about the food itself – really savoring those flavors that I created with fire!
I really started to respect myself thinking, I created this fire, I cooked this food and I fed myself without any of these conveniences that others take for granted.
Admittedly, it’s a bit arrogant but we all need our own source of confidence in our lives, otherwise – what’s the point?
At work, people started noticing different things about me and asking if I was doing anything different. I’d simply say, that I am trying some new recipe’s at home.
Cooking for me, became a process – my very own ritual and only I knew the rites to it.
I become the priest of my own hunger and satiation and it is incredible.
Cooking in 2021 and beyond!
I am going to continue cooking in my small barbecue throughout the rest of the year – just to know that I did something during my years that was caveman-ish.
Something of my very own that was not exercise, dieting or some other common fad.
This was something extremely unique that I had to myself, that I kept a secret – this something was mine.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this.
After camping for so many years I know this feeling to well.
Sometimes, the calling gets too strong and you have to drop everything just to get outdoors and escape.
A wild man will always be a wild man.