3. Unfamiliar Territory OR The Monsters of Saranac Lake

After leaving the familiar womb of New England, I travel through eastern New York and up into the Adirondacks, over 2.5 million acres of which are designated in the state constitution as “forever wild.” I stay the night with John and Anne Fitch, who over 30 years have created a paradise for themselves on the shores of Saranac Lake. They show me how they built their own home, guest home, dock, boat house, and trolley (which runs from their home to their boat house). They tell me the story of Martha Reben, who came to Saranac Lake a dying tuberculosis patient and emerged a healthy adult, which leads into a valuable conversation about the relationship between Man, his fears, and his origins. That night, as I attempt to fall asleep in a guest house that feels too vulnerable for my liking, I wrestle with my own fears and fantasies in the face of the naked outdoors.