When Zeki Basan was 16, he lived in a tent for almost a year on the island of Skye in Scotland. It can seem unusual for someone to live like that, especially if you are a teenager, but it wasn't for him. He was on a course at the School of Adventure Studies, and thought it was good to learn how to live away from the city while he was studying. The fact that some of his best memories were of growing up in the mountains in the Highlands with his mother and sister probably helped him make this decision. They used to live far away from any towns and even had to use cross-country skis(滑雪板) to take food there every winter.
Zeki experienced a few difficult situations while he was learning how to live alone in the tent. Once he was in the mountains when the weather got really bad while he was hiking. It was impossible to see very far in front of him, but he knew to stay calm and not panic (恐慌). That ability was also really useful when he was on a camping trip with his classmates and the weather was terrible. Some people were extremely tired and anxious and had to leave, but it wasn't a problem for him.
Zeki doesn't live in a tent anymore, but would like to see more people living the way that he did, so close to nature, for a short period of time. He says:"People don't really know their environment... they don't tend to explore it. But to really know your own environment... is quite an incredible thing." He feels that if people connect more with nature, they will understand and enjoy it. Zeki continues to enjoy the outdoors and to use his skills in his life now as a young adult - he works in Iceland as a guide, and in Scotland as a survival(生存) skills instructor.
