The stats: 6 Months, 8 Countries, followed by a 4300km road-trip across 4 Canadian provinces, 3 U.S. states, along the agonizingly straight flat (with an emphasis on the STRAIGHT FLAT) prairie TransCanada Hwy 1 to the magnificence of the snow-capped Rocky Mountains. We have just about arrived.
The move from Australia to Canada proved to be an adventure of epic proportions. It's unpredictable emotional up's and down's: "What do you mean you 'LOST' your fiance in the Frankfurt airport?" and jaw-dropping moments "Please miss, come meditate on the rooftop of the Golden Temple, it is a very very powerful place" to burst at the seams hilarity "imagine swindling your way into a 'ping-pong show' in Bangkok and winding up in a rally with the headline act!" - the journey has undoubtedly strengthened John's and my relationship and we're both keen as mustard to take on the next leg of our journey: Life Three.
It came about one night in Manly, sitting down by the wharf, contemplating the meaning of life (and all feeling a little apprehensive about what was to come and the responsibilities that awaited), that three best friends philosophized as they sipped their brew (always the best nectar for philosophization) and ultimately defined the splendid truth of the Circle of Life. This simple yet insightful look at life was divided it into 4 stages:
Life One: Childhood. Blissful innocence. You are in wonder of the world around you and are fully dependent on your family for support.
Life Two: Late teens and early twenties. The world revolves around YOU. The world is your oyster. You are independent and are largely ego-centric and ready to take on the world. (Party-time)
Life Three: Career time. Maybe you get married, maybe you have kids. The breadth of your responsibilities widens and you now have people dependent on you. (A big role reversal from Life 2 and often accompanied by anxiety and apprehension during the transition period).
Life Four: Your kids leave home. Perhaps you retire. Your freedom increases for a period, followed ultimately by increasing dependence once again on family as you continue to age. The blissful innocence of clarity sets in as we complete the cycle.
Exhilarated and apprehensive of the blank canvas before us, John and I are on the brink of Life 3. The island awaits...
The move from Australia to Canada proved to be an adventure of epic proportions. It's unpredictable emotional up's and down's: "What do you mean you 'LOST' your fiance in the Frankfurt airport?" and jaw-dropping moments "Please miss, come meditate on the rooftop of the Golden Temple, it is a very very powerful place" to burst at the seams hilarity "imagine swindling your way into a 'ping-pong show' in Bangkok and winding up in a rally with the headline act!" - the journey has undoubtedly strengthened John's and my relationship and we're both keen as mustard to take on the next leg of our journey: Life Three.
It came about one night in Manly, sitting down by the wharf, contemplating the meaning of life (and all feeling a little apprehensive about what was to come and the responsibilities that awaited), that three best friends philosophized as they sipped their brew (always the best nectar for philosophization) and ultimately defined the splendid truth of the Circle of Life. This simple yet insightful look at life was divided it into 4 stages:
Life One: Childhood. Blissful innocence. You are in wonder of the world around you and are fully dependent on your family for support.
Life Two: Late teens and early twenties. The world revolves around YOU. The world is your oyster. You are independent and are largely ego-centric and ready to take on the world. (Party-time)
Life Three: Career time. Maybe you get married, maybe you have kids. The breadth of your responsibilities widens and you now have people dependent on you. (A big role reversal from Life 2 and often accompanied by anxiety and apprehension during the transition period).
Life Four: Your kids leave home. Perhaps you retire. Your freedom increases for a period, followed ultimately by increasing dependence once again on family as you continue to age. The blissful innocence of clarity sets in as we complete the cycle.
Exhilarated and apprehensive of the blank canvas before us, John and I are on the brink of Life 3. The island awaits...
