Local Peaks

Recently, I alluded to adventures abroad giving one a new perspective on adventures at home. After returning from Costa Rica, I felt a renewed exhilaration for my travels across southern British Columbia over the previous two summers. This in no way diminished the Central America experience, which was an excellent one. The geography, wildlife, and adventures were truly unique, and perhaps once in a lifetime. Only, it all gave me a greater appreciation for the unparalleled beauty and experiences that are in Canada and British Columbia. I certainly cannot think of a wilderness more vast, yet overflowing with energy as that found in the remote areas I found myself in during the summer of 07, and 08. They were truly humbling and once in a lifetime journeys themselves.

A few days ago I went on a local hike that, while on a smaller scale, replicated these sentiments. A friend and I assailed a well known local trail. While we have both been fairly active in BC’s outdoors, neither of us had ever attempted this particular trek. It is a pair of peaks that are iconic to our city, and stand out to millions of people. However, the percentage of people that got as close as we did the other day must be unfortunately minuscule. Further, we set out early, and as a result had the steep trail, and the spectacular views all to ourselves for hours on end. As we climbed above the clouds, it was as if we had stumbled upon a treasure reserved just for us alone. You can’t really beat that. Hoping you can get out there and find such places for yourself.

Thanks to D. for a great hike!

Perspective and Travel

Not that long ago, I had the opportunity to spend an evening speaking with some fellow young adults in Lafortuna, Costa Rica. (As always, the term adult applies loosely to me, as I know some debate whether or not I fall into that category). At one point the conversation turned to talk of national and regional identities. The Costa Ricans I was with readily identified Canadians as being polite, peaceful, and caring. When they inquired as to what qualities I identified Costa Ricans with, I admitted my perceptions were relatively new. Prior to visiting the country I read a little bit about the history, geography, wildlife and culture. However, it was not until I actually spent time in the country and interacted with people that I began to get a better sense of the history, culture and people. In reflecting upon my perspective, I find myself wishing I had more time to spend with people in Costa Rica. Similar to my previous experiences abroad, it was the people who were the best part of the country. The moments when one was able to engage people in actual conversations it was evident they were passionate about their nation’s culture and achievements. In response to the question posed to me that evening I felt the people I met to be progressive, kind, joyful, and peaceful. Yet, more than the specifics of the question, it was the nature of the conversation itself that made the evening one of my favourites in Costa Rica.

I was extremely fortunate to participate in a number of adventures and activities in Costa Rica. While these experiences left me feeling appreciative of where I am able to go and what I am able to participate in, I was also left with a number of questions on perspective. Most people in the world will never be able to take a trip abroad. Even fewer will live for an extended time in another country. Is it a sense of flaunting fortune and waste to engage in these endeavours? There is certainly a lot of joy and experiences to be found close to home (more on that in the next post as well). Conversations around national identities and human relationships can happen within one’s own neighbourhood.

Thoughts like these though, actually lead me back to the beginning of the question, and I believe (or at least hope) my perspective balances out. Each time I have gone away for adventures, I have grown to appreciate the adventures right here even more. Conversing passionately about social and cultural topics in a different country gives me a new perspective about these topics back home. It is this worldly perspective that the others may have been referring to when they felt Canadians were caring. By going out into the world and engaging with it, you develop a greater understanding. Thus, in the end I think it is important to get out there if you can, but at the same time, balance it all, and look at your adventures through different perspectives. It is important to at least consider how travel could be a wasteful, narrow-minded, and wealth flaunting activity – even perceived “budget travel”. In this way it serves as a reminder that one should strive to make the activities meaningful, and not just accomplishments or crossing things off lists. Further, perhaps the most meaningful part of travel is the people. The conversation that night in Costa Rica was not on any list of things to do, but it will always remain one of the best experiences there. Be ready for those experiences in your own life, and be prepared to engage in them. Perhaps they are more important, and could come at the cost of the “to-do-list” activities. As was explained to me that night – Pura Vida. As usual, your thoughts and questions are welcomed on this. Maybe I’ve got the balance all wrong – it wouldn’t be the first time.

I am most fortunate to have met some great people while traveling this time, and they helped make the adventures truly awesome and full of laughter. Thus, in closing, special thanks to M, Rainforest Club, and Daniel.

Stay tuned for upcoming posts, in the next few days – I promise! In fact, they’re already partly written:
– perspective on adventure in BC (yes – again)
- Terry Fox Run
– annual Labour Day reflection

Porpoise Possibilities

One Short

Originally uploaded by irober.

I came within two metres of two porpoises in the wild today. I was less than 100 kilometres from my home, and after passing incredibly close to the two, I watched about a dozen of them feed. It was a completely unexpected experience, and I am sure not many people will share it in their lifetime. There are amazing sights, moments, experiences, and adventures to be had so close to your own home. You no doubt have similar unique experiences in your own life. If you feel lacking in them, perhaps it’s best to get off your computer, and out there to explore what is within a hundred clicks of your own front door. Whether it be people, places, or possibilities, plenty of the world is right there.

The photo is another part of the weekend, and yet another homage to the theme.

Air and Island Escape

It’s time for a bit of travel. Technically it’s only been two months since the last bit of travel, but this time there is a plane involved, and some distance over the Pacific. While there is a long day of ahead, admittedly I am a fan of air travel. Further this trip is more than just a personal jaunt. I am honoured to be in attendance at the wedding of two great friends, one of them my closest. There will be a personal challenge thrown into this wedding (there always seems to be one when I attend nuptials) and I’m looking forward to that as well.

Here’s to J & D and an early congratulations. I’ll fill you folks in on le retour.

On the Cusp

It’s the eve of The Tuesday again: the day after Labour day that signals the practical “new year”. A year ago on this evening I wrote a post about this time of year, this day in particular. WOW! It is crazy eery how everything I wrote back then seems to apply even more to this year, even though so many things are different. A whole new set of circumstances is at play for myself and many of you, but the point of that post seems to ring true even more now. My suggestion, there’s not a whole lot more to say, so be sure to click here and read that post. If you want you could just read it, listen to the song, and call it day, it pretty much sums things up. (At the bottom of it you’ll also see how I promised a “Fear of success” posting, and it took eleven months – cheesh :-S )

Still, there is merit in being current though, so a few new comments. So much has happened in the past year, the past season. Yet, here we sit, on the cusp of so many new adventures. The most amazing thing is, that most of the adventures that will come from Tuesday’s starting point can’t be seen right now. They may even be unfathomable. A new path, a different approach, a new opportunity, a new relationship, new travel, a new life. There’s also endless possibilities of what is already at hand, jobs could change, homes could change, relationships could change, plans could change. With all the ups and downs of balance in the past 12 months, what we can take away though, is that balance will still play a role in the year and the adventures to come. As I did a year ago, I encourage us all to remember, that we’re all in this together.

Remember, you can turn to people in your community – whether it be friends, family, co-workers, teammates, classmates. You can also hold them accountable and tell them they can turn to you. Sometimes we assume people know they can turn to us, but we don’t say it. If we actually mean it, then we should say it. Adventures can create unbalance, and that’s okay, it is exciting, and we can learn from it. Adventures, learning, life, all require some unbalance. Our community’s job is to help bring the balance back when we need it. You’ll be there, I’ll be here, and we’ll get this show on the road come Tuesday.

“The most beautiful adventures are not those we go to seek.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

Please keep me up to date on your adventures.

Ready or not, here we go.

Allez!

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New quotes from the summer added – click here.

The Places in Between

Some people climb mountains, some kayak raging rivers, some perform medical feats, some jump out of airplanes, some raise children, some go into space, but I’ve only heard of one person walking across Afghanistan mere weeks after Western forces went into the country after the Taliban. Rory Stewart is an adventurer like no other I have heard of. Author of The Places in Between, which documents his journey, he seems far from arrogant or overly driven. He admits at the outset of the book that he is not good at explaining his reasons for the walk (of which Afghanistan was only a portion, having also walked across Iran, Pakistan, India and Nepal). Yet, as one reads, one gets the sense that like any true adventure, the true reasons are revealed as the adventure unfolds.

This story is outstanding. If you have ever done any adventuring on your own, for any length of time, I highly suggest you read this book. I could go on to write five more paragraphs about how incredible his journey was culturally, emotionally, mentally, physically, spiritually and socially. I could write another five paragraphs on how his journey is the first meaningful information I have heard, seen, or read regarding Afghanistan and its people. It completely displays everything else as close minded. However, at the end I still don’t think I could come close to doing his story justice, so you’ll have to read it.

To step out into the world and take your fate so much into your own hands you find that you must share the load with others, whoever they might be, as you come across them. As you take these risks it is your true self that you must put forward, and your true self you must live with.

Stewart is quite the amazing fellow, his walk aside. You may want to check out his biography here, or here.

Read this book.

August Adventures

Adventures can take place without having to travel. Many worthwhile, and even necessary adventures keep people in physical places they consider local, or home. These “local” adventures should never be discounted or regarded as second rate. One of the primary purposes of adventure is to learn about one’s self, and one doesn’t need to always be off on travels to do that.

However, travel doesn’t hurt, and there’s a lot to learn both from taking the show on the road, both about the world and about one’s self. A lot of great learning and adventuring takes place away from home. So, while heeding some previous lessons of adventure, including some from last summer, it is off adventuring. This one will have some old travels, as well as some new to it, and it’s been calling for a couple of months now. Here’s hoping you get off the computer and up to an adventure. You don’t have to leave home. A new project, books, relationships, pursuing joy, sharing experiences, hobbies, goals, education, reflection, these are all adventures – ones that we can all spend more time on. Perhaps when I get back I’ll have lots of new photos or I’ll get back to that series on success. It can all wait – I’m sure you won’t mind.

A plus,
IR

Tuesday Eve, and We’re All In

Tomorrow is Tuesday, and the figurative end of the summer. Labour Day is an odd holiday. For many it marks the end of a season that officially has almost 3 more weeks to go. I have never been truly able to enjoy it as a holiday because it often falls on the eve of beginning a new adventure, or I’m on a recently started adventure abroad and don’t notice its passing (as most of the world celebrates this holiday on the first of May). Instead it stands as this preparatory day, the calm before the storm if you will. There is certainly credence to the history and symbolism of the day, (to be discussed at another time) but for myself, and the community of people I often find myself in, the day marks the eve of new adventures, change, a fresh start, and not a lot of sleep.

For some people the Tuesday after Labour Day will bring momentous change: travel, a new residence, a new job, new commitments to a relationship, or a new school. For others the day will be more subtle, reflecting on a calendar year that is two thirds done. For some there may be a shift in mentality about how the conclusion of the year should be approached. Autumn resolutions may arise, now that Summer and its frivolities are slipping away and a more serious state of being seems to set in with the cooler air. Personally, I have always looked upon the Tuesday after Labour Day as the start of the New Year. The roots of this feeling obviously lie in September being the start of a new school year and a new hockey season – the two calendars that my youth was organised around. Even with both of these factors playing a reduced role in my approach to the future, the feelings of freshness, and adventure, remain prominent at this time of year.

I know many of you will be starting new adventures, or returning to old adventures with new challenges. Some of you will also begin to think about the season and the special holidays ahead and will be assessing relationships and considering the adventures that lie ahead in pairs, with friends, or in families. All this rambling reminds me that we’re all in this together. We’re going to get more out of our adventures, new and old, go further in all our relationships, be keen to try new things, if we contribute to – and rely upon – the communities we build around ourselves.

On Tuesday, or later this week, or later this month, when you are being in, and having a new adventure or experiencing new things, and its getting a bit stressful, or the path looks unclear, or the direction of the relationship uncertain, I hope you remember that you’re not alone. The experiences you are going through are not meant to be conquered alone. The new adventures, the exciting experiences that follow Labour Day can help shape the rest of our “year”, the rest of our lives. It would be silly to think we should be experiencing them alone. When it gets tough (which is exciting) on Tuesday, later this week, month or even year, be ready to turn to someone else in your community, and be ready for them to turn to you. After all, it wouldn’t be much of an adventure if there weren’t other people around.

After all that, we’ll end with a little cheese, as I recall Ben Lee’s song: We’re All In This Together. It’s kind of catchy, kind of cheesy, but it fits – darn that non-threatening pop music There’s a slideshow that has some neat little images on YouTube using his song.

Have a great Tuesday, no matter where it finds you!! Hope to hear all about your adventures soon.

Coming soon:
-Confirmation of blog’s rationale
-A requested post about the “Fear of Success”
-Decisions about photographs
-La Vuelta

Inland Ferries

I have not neglected posting, rather I have been enjoying summer activities that have kept me away from the computer. I view this as a good thing, and make no apologies. As a part of these activities I took a two week stretch to jaunt about Southern British Columbia. While I spent the majority of the time in the East Kootenays – that magical place that exists a whole hour in the future from the rest of the province – I did bounce around to a few places I had never been to, or had neglected for some time. No matter how many times I gallivant about this province I continually remain in awe of its size and diversity, and this time was no different.

I rolled out with a map and some vague ideas, which is fairly typical of how I begin most days, only minus the map. It all led to the renewed and concrete reflection that traipsing through British Columbia is a fantastic way to bring about some balance. Numerous stats, editorials, politicians, and businesses will easily extol how thriving BC is. The Lower Mainland is now Metro Vancouver, the Olympics are coming, the Okanagan is home to cities now, not towns or villages, we’re building bridges and widening highways. Yet, within a day I found myself in a mountain valley, tenting alone, hours away from cell phone service, and apparently one day removed from a bear sighting. The nagging disappointments about my evaporated worldly and national travel plans began to slip away as the expanse of one small section of the province took hold. The next day saw these disappointments slide away completely as I began with a hike through a part of the West Kootenays I had never been to. The lushness and variety of the greens around the Upper Arrow Lakes reminded me of Korea, yet remained characteristically British Columbian. By mid-day I had come to a stretch of highway that simply ends, and one has to catch on of BC’s inland ferries. I love a good ferry trip, I mean, who doesn’t, they’re just plain cool. You’re getting somewhere without having to do any work, not even press the pedal. The scenery, from nature to people watching, is usually some of the finest. Ferries, are also one of my favourite photo-ops as well. So, I made sure to use a ferry route I had never been on before and traversed the Upper Arrow Lakes. The views were worldclass, and a few of my dozen or so fellow passengers reaffirmed it. A German family was making the same crossing, having chosen to go RVing through BC for their summer vacation. It reminded me that visiting BC is a worldly trip, there is no need to hop on a jet plane if one is already here. This was reinforced throughout my two week trip, as I encountered Koreans, Italians, Japanese, Germans, English, Greek, and likely many more nationalities. The world comes to BC, because it is worthy of the world. It is a tiny part of the world when you spin the globe, but it is absolutely immense. For all my travels to different parts of the planet, I have never been more secluded than the times I have ventured into back-country BC. It is the perfect place to get away from it all and still experience the world.
The Arrow Lakes ferry trip also hosted a logging truck, which took up almost a third of the deck space. It served as a reminder that the good times we are all loving in this province are finely balanced on natural resources from far fetched places. Ever present evidence of the pine beetle infestation, coupled with constant roadside literature about the “new sollutions” served to reinforce this tricky balance. What I actually discovered to be reinforced more than anything, was how little humans can control in balancing the natural resources of this province. We can certainly get ourselves into a lot of trouble, but only time and natural processes alone can ever truly correct the imbalances.

Another boat ride, on a larger ferry across Kootenay Lake, and hundreds of kilometres through some of the most stunning scenery, and beautiful stops the Kootenays, BC, Canada, or the world has to offer, I took up residence in the East Kootenays for a while. Day trips took me to different places, including glaciers, streams, lakes, mountains and wildlife. The best things: it all felt world class, it was out in the wilderness, but by being in BC, one felt all at home and extremely fortunate.

I made sure to take in off-the-beaten-path places on the return trip as well, and it didn’t disappoint. Overall, I took hundreds of photos and will put a few of the decent ones up. Again, it was utterly fantastic to be away from the internet for a good stretch. Thanks for putting up with a rambling post as I get back to blogging. Upon my return, I was showing some friends some of the pics and they were slightly surprised to learn one could take a ferry ride in BC 700 kilometres inland from the ocean. There is always so much to learn right at home. Hopefully I can take in some more before the summer closes. Hopefully you can too.

Closure on Korea

After about 26 hours of travel I wound up back in Canada on Wednesday, my adventures in Korea having come to an end. As mentioned in previous posts, there were many highlights of my time in Northeast Asia, including food, hiking, taxi rides, dong-dong-ju, drums, weather, temples, and Hangeul, just to name a few. However, it was the people of Korea that made the experience completely fantastic.

In September I wrote about my early impressions, and how Koreans were always keen that I should be left with positive feelings regarding their country. This continued right up until my final day in Korea. During December I was often asked where I had visited, what I had enjoyed and what my favourite parts of Korea were. I told of the sights I had seen and the unique experiences I had, but I always emphasized that my fondest memory of Korea, and what made the adventure so worthwhile, was how I was treated by the people.

There were some I got to know well, like some students, and there were others I only had a passing connection with, like the family that ran the local corner store. Yet they all went out of their way to be helpful, kind, and accommodating. Two groups in particular will always represent the people of Korea for me. Firstly, the Daejeon Gold Eagles Ice Hockey Club Team. I always had a smile on when I was around these guys. Their welcoming attitudes, humour and amazing work ethic never made me think twice about playing hockey in a city an hour away at midnight. Each ice time, game or practice, was an exercise in joy.

Secondly, the core group of students who attended our English Clubs were quite simply the best part of Korea. I got to meet hundreds of students at CNUE, probably got to know about 30-40 a little bit, and then there were about a dozen or so students that I will always remember. It all started back in August with some clubs to help students improve their English. It finished in December by saying goodbye to a group of students that I sincerely hope I will meet again. The core group of students that came to the clubs were the best ambassadors any country could hope for. They genuinely cared about my Korean experience. They took us to special places in Korea, taught us about Korean culture, and shared their hopes, dreams and fears for the future of Korea. They opened their homes, went out of their way to help me get settled, cared about my welfare, and were genuinely interested in learning about me and Canadian culture. I hope we will meet again because they were much more than just students. They became friends, and were without a doubt, the best part of Korea.

Korea is an amazing nation. Its progression in the last half century is mind boggling, and the credit goes to the Korean people. There is still a lot ahead for the peninsula. In just my short time some key issues came to the forefront: nuclear testing, free trade with the US, cutbacks in Education. However, I believe the work ethic, hospitality and genuine caring of the Korean people will see Korea through the challenges ahead.

I will miss the mountains. I will miss the colours. I will miss learning about the culture. I will miss the people.

Thanks must go to Selma, Mark and Cam. While they are not Koreans they certainly showcased Korean hospitality and were incredibly inclusive. Thanks to Colette for being a great colleague. The biggest thanks to those I have already described: the core group of students that attended the English Clubs regularly. Korea would have been a completely different experience without them. It would have been good, but they made it great.