On Traveling

[Photo by Kira]

Traveling is always an adventure.

Coming to our friendly northern neighbor, Canada, seemed like no big deal -- easy to get food, everyone speaks the same language, eh, and I can read the signs. So who woulda thunk that in this little part of the world the grocery store would be closed on Sundays and that they would again be closed today, on Labor Day. Not working on a day set aside to honor workers? What the hell is that all about?

So the food situation is a challenge for someone who doesn't eat deep-fried anything (which seems to be the favorite way to prepare all foods in Digby, but especially seafood). And the situation (my hunger, that is) was made worse by staying in a nice B&B suite (kind of like a cross between a B&B and a hotel, with the hominess of a B&B and the privacy of a hotel) that came stocked with exquisite muffins on the dining table. Blueberry muffins cannot be refused.

I guess my spoiled American need for healthy foods on my terms wouldn't get me too far in REAL foreign nation. I'm a food wuss. But then, I think I'd rather eat grasshoppers than deep-fried scallops.

So, anyway, where was I?

Oh yes, travel is an adventure. It's raining today, and tomorrow, and every day we are here through the end of the week. I don't really mind the rain, but Kira gets chilled easily and even more so when she is damp. She brought five coats on this trip. Seriously.

But the weather won't stop us from going out to the beaches today to see some nature and hear some ocean waves wash ashore. It does, apparenltly, keep the whales from wanting to be seen, so the whale cruises don't go out so much in bad weather.

Being from Seattle, however, this feels like good weather to me. The bad weather is the 100 degree heat back in Tucson. I like the rain, and the fog, and smell of salt and seaweed and fish in the air.

The bigger point, if I have one before having any coffee this morning, is that when we travel we are competely removed from the rut of our normal lives. We have an opportunity, including adapting to different foods and schedules, to disrupt our patterns and open ourselves to the flow of new possibilities.

Kira had a dream last night that revealed to her how her behavior in relationship to me had been too centered around accommodating my needs and wants -- which is a microcosm of how her work life also based on accommodating the needs of the publishers she works for. The dream shook her up a bit, but it also clarified an area of her life that wasn't working for her.

My process is different. I make much more time to read on vacations. I usually bring several books and most trips end up buying several more. Mostly I read Buddhism books, or some poetry -- stuff that makes me slow down and be present. As much as I try to read regularly at home, it's often confined to scheduling around work and never feels relaxed. Plus, being at home I am more likely to get distracted by things that need to get done, like paying bills, blogging, or whatever.

We need time in our lives to be unplugged from the grind. It's too bad that some of us -- me -- need to leave town to get the need met. I know I need to find ways to do it without getting on an airplane, but for now, today, I am glad to be in Nova Scotia and away from my small life in Tucson.


tag: Vacation, Nova Scotia, travel, being present, Buddhism