Dillard thinks about arctic explorations, which use the term "northing," to denote traveling in a northerly direction. How does she see "northing" in her own life?

Dillard wants to go "northing," as a means to pare down to the essence. She will not go "northing" this year, but she will wait where she is and welcome the north wind as it scours the land around her. For Dillard, the idea of going north armed with only the essentials appeals to her need to strip away the clutter in her life, physically, spiritually, and psychologically and to discover the essence underneath.