In search of the Aurora

I am back in London after my sojourn in Sweden which was a fantastic experience of living in an extreme climate. It was right in the middle of winter over the shortest days of the year with averages of -25 degrees.

I was doing a work exchange at Aurora Retreat a guesthouse located in Junosuando a small village about 100km north of the Artic cirle in Lapland Sweden.

www.auroraretreat.se

It was rather busy at the guesthouse over that period. Besides the winter activities like dog sledding, snow mobiling and mucking around in the snow there is not much in the way of night life apart from viewing the Northern lights. This is one of the major reasons why people venture this far north in the middle of winter braving temperatures ranging from 0 degrees to  -40 degrees .

Despite the cold and darkness, I have to admit I think back fondly of the experience. The snow covered trees, the pink glow of the day, blue light of sunset, total stillness and silence was quite beautiful.

I went for a dog sledding tour through the forest and lake which was such a thrill. I had a team of four adorable  huskies. They can appear aggressive barking wildly,  howling and extremely exciteable when harnessed up waiting to take off.

Once we get going however, its total silence and they appear to happily run and run. In fact you struggle to keep them still because they keep dragging the sled even when you put the brakes on. We rode for about an hour through the forest and around a lake which was just magical. I would have to say that  it was one of the major highlights.

Another attraction is the Ice Hotel in Jukkasjarvis which I did a tour of  but not an overnight stay. It is a beautiful piece of art and definitely worth seeing but I did not have any desire to sleep on an ice bed in -5 degrees and I don’t care how warm the sleeping bag is.

www.icehotel.com

I had loads of free time so managed to catch up on movies and read a few books. In addition to that I got into felting which brought out my crafty talents that has been dormant for quite some years. I use to enjoy lots of crafty activities like knitting, crocheting, sewing, cross stitching, and jewellery making but it all went by the wayside after I started working. It was so much fun felting with Uma and Sita the owner’s young daughters of 6 and 4.  Uma kept asking me to make felt things and wrap it up as a present for her birthday which I enjoyed doing.

Lastly I did get a small glimpse of the Northern lights, very small  and very faint. Not quite what I was hoping to see but solar activity was virtually non-existent during that time, and it was cloudy and snowing quite often. Perhaps this means I will have to come back one day, and maybe I will but probably a bit towards early spring when temperatures are warmer and days are longer.

If you can not travel, bring the world to you

Most of you know that due to an unfortunate downturn in Wealthyfrog the wealth coaching franchise I started in July 2008, I decided to wrap up the business 6 months later in December 2008

If you didn’t know, I guess you do now

As unfortunate as that might have been, it also prompted me to take this journey, a sabbatical, my journey to freedom, perhaps similar to when Aboriginal Australians go on Walkabout. They undertake a spiritual journey to a Belonging Place to renew their relationship with their Dreaming and the Landscape. The land is their life, their mother, their way, their nourishment, and their spiritual connectedness.

I think that it is the same for me in travelling this way through volunteering and couchsurfing, I am connecting with people from all walks of life, cultures and experiences. I am opening my heart and mind to a whole gammit of experiences that would never happen if I stayed at home and continued the same life.

I’ve had so many personal realisations that were foreign once upon a time but makes total sense now. I’ve been touched by the kindness of people  I have just met and I know that it is how we should all be with each other all the time.

I know that it is not easy for everyone to travel, especially if you have a family, a mortgage and commitments. If that is the case, you can still experience a cultural exchange through hosting and making connections with people from other countries, by bringing them to you.

What an amazing thing for your child to learn and experience. If they are learning a language they can practice that language with a traveller you are hosting.  They will get to know people from all over the world and come to understand that we are all from the same family. You could potentially find hosts for your child to do a study exchange when they are bit older.  There are so many benefits gained from a cultural exchange through hosting and you only have to try it for yourself to truly appreciate it.

Italy

It’s been almost 7 weeks in Italy, much longer than I anticipated but I have enjoyed every moment of it. I love Italian food but I have to admit after having it every single day for the last 7 weeks, I wouldn’t mind something Asian. They really do eat pasta every day and pizza at least every second day.

I was here in Italy 10 years ago on a bus tour which stopped in Rome, Venice,  and Florence so I chose not to go back to those cities again on this visit. What I remembered from the last visit was the food, the many historical buildings, momuments, piazzas and while all that was lovely I am not really sure I had an appreciation for the people and the culture.

On that tour I felt like I was not experiencing Italy at all. I was just looking at it from afar stopping here and there to take a photo as a reminder that I was there. In fact it was a Contiki tour, the whirlwind 12 countries in 16 days tour of Europe. Well I can tell you I’ve never had a desire to do one of those type of tours again. In fact I can not think of anything worse !

Through couchsurfing I have been hosted for most of the time here. I feel I have “experienced” Italy through the people I have met and hosted me. They have all shown me warm hospitality, shared a slice of their life and their city.  It was made possible through the couchsurfing community.

To enlighten those who may or may not have heard of couchsurfing. It is a community of people who share a love of cultural exchange through either staying in a local home when they visit and/or offer hospitality to people who are visiting their town. It is non-commercial, not for profit website and organisation. I’ve really enjoyed my travels via couchsurfing and would recommend it to anyone who wants a cultural exchange more than just a place to stay.

Casale Monferrato

Casale Monferrato is in the Piedmonte region of Italy about 100Km west of Milan Italy. I am staying in at “Serydarth” an “Intercultural Space”. I really like how it sounds and you are probably wondering what is an “intercultural space”. I had no idea either but I decided to go and spend some time checking it out. I arrived at the train station greeted by Charles from the USA riding his bike across land and sailing across oceans to circumnavigate back home to Wisconsin.  Why ? I wonder and it is the same question people often ask me. The answer is really quite simple, “why not?”.  I don’t think there has to be a why for anything but simply because you want to and you can.

So getting back to “Serydarth” it is simply a place in which you can participate in whatever way you want to share who you are with the community of Casale and/or other travellers. It is an apartment in the old town, where you can stay for short time as a guest or longer time as a volunteer. A communal house, open to everyone for a place to sleep, to rest, to socialise, to share, to contribute in anyway you wish. What a wonderful idea !

It is only Charles and myself there this week but plenty of locals come by and say “Ciao” from time to time. Charles volunteers his time offering to fix bikes for free down at the Piazza Manzini. I help out with keeping the place neat & tidy and will be making a Vietnamese breakfast to bring a little bit of Vietnam to Casales. Getting all the ingredients will be a challenge and some improvisation is in order so I hope it will work out.

Cristhian, a Casale local with a love of travel and sharing culture, set up this place. A gentle, softly spoken young man with a vision to bring the world to the Casale community and allowing visitors to become acquainted with this lovely town and its people. It is only through donations that this place can continue and I sincerely hope that it does continue.

If you are ever in Italy, come and stay at Serydarth in Casale Monferrato.

http://serydarth.wordpress.com/about/

Scuba Diving

It was in May 2008 when I was in Cairns getting my Padi open water diving certification. Twelve months has passed and now I get to dive again. I am a little nervous because I can barely recall how to put the equipment together. Fortunately I was diving with a very experienced ex-dive instructor who was extremely patient and guided me through everything once again.

What has me mesmerised about scuba diving that it is a totally foreign environment.  The silence is deafening, so serence, the only thing you can hear is yourself breathing. The colours of this world is nothing like what you get above the water, it is vibrant and so full of life. It can almost seem impossible to have so much activity when you are looking at it from above.

I feel like an awkward mermaid, with my bulky tank, this mask pushed up against my face and this big black round thing on my mouth, my regulator. I must be the 0ddest looking thing underwater. I bounce around like a new born trying to find my feet.  After about 10 dives I “get it” how to control my bouyancy using my breath, and that’s when I really start to notice what’s around me more.

Like a kid, I marvel at every little thing, beautiful coral formations, tropical fish darting in and out, that turtle swimming by which I try to swim after.  It’s a beautiful world indeed and you should try it if you have ever had the inclination. It’s beautiful and magical.

Sky Diving

What sane people would jump out of a perfectly good plane? Many have and so did I ! It was a 14,000 feet jump over Cairns and its was exhilerating ! It wasn’t until I was on the edge of the plane that I momentarily thought what the hell am I doing but of course the tandem master does not give you much time to think before he decides its time to jump. Free falling for 60 seconds was the most thrilling experience to realise that you are. However what I envisaged that it would feel like was not what it actually felt like. It was more like floating and to think that you are falling at about 200km /hour seems unreal. The only indication that you are moving at that speed was the noise of the wind and seeing the land below getting closer and closer. When the parachute opened the world below seems so serene and peaceful. I absolutely enjoyed it and can understand now why a sane person would too or maybe I am insane

Sailing

Seven weeks of sailing from Mooloolaba to Cairns, five yachts of different shapes, sizes, comfort levels and too many islands and bays to count, I am a little closer to understanding why the sea life can be so captivating.

Whether it is a mega yacht or a small 28ft there are no pretenses, you are looking at the same beautiful sunrises and sunsets in some of the most magical places in the world. When you are out at sea, you are mercy to the elements and nature. Sure some vessels would be a bit more comfortable than others but its the same conditions out there for all.

There is so much to learn, firstly all things nautical has its own language. A rope is not just any rope,  it can be called different things depending what it does. The other thing to get use to is in sailing trying to get somewhere fast doesn’t work in your favour. Your engine is the wind, and strong winds might give you more speed, but too strong and its hell on the water.

You definitely learn to appreciate, being conservative with the use of water and power. Trying to do things with the boat bopping about can be challenge, but so far its been all good. I’ve had the occasional mild sea sickness which for me has been quickly relieved when I take the helm.

I am still a little overwhelmed with all there is to learn, and it definitely will take thousands of nautical miles in all conditions to really get an overall perspective. Its all great fun.

Journey to Freedoom- What is freedom

I was thinking about the meaning of Freedom and what it means to me my so called Journey of Freedom. Living in Australia we enjoy civil freedom that sometimes we take for granted and it is not until we find ourselves in another city/country where things are different do we appreciate that. I appreciate that I have the freedom to be me, what ever, however I wish to define that to be. That lead me to contemplate a little deeper, in that we are all to some extent a product of conditioning of our past experiences, the society we live in so are we really free to create ourselves as we choose to be.  I think to be free is be able to create you, your life, your beliefs, the essence of you in whatever it is that you choose. It is like a blank canvas that you can create a masterpiece that is you/your life without restrictions. Is that really possible? Are we really free or we just think we are? Its like trying to persuade someone to your way of thinking but doing it in away that makes them believe it was their idea so you get total buy in. Is it possible that what you think are your thoughts/ beliefs are someone elses. Can you think completely outside of that and decide for yourself what it is that you really want and believe in.  If we can do that then we are less likely to be manipulated by the media, society and religion. If in the basis of everything Love is the guiding light then we are always going to be creating ourselves and our life as we choose. That to me is Freedom.

Journey to Freedom – Child like

Since leaving Sydney on the 22nd April for the Sunshine Coast I raced in my 4th Dragon Boat Nationals and the last race for the season. I always enjoy racing, it brings out the best in the team but what I love most is regardless of the outcome we celebrate. We celebrate the experience, the participation, the connections, the highs and lows. The team camaderie is what keeps me coming back season after season.

After the races, a group of us went to the Gold Coast.  We went to Dreamworld and it was such a thrill going on all the rides. It was like being a kid at the biggest playground. Those hair raising rides made my senses alive with excitement. It is part of the journey that I wanted to continue to have the exuberance of youthfulness. You don’t have to go on rides to feel this, in fact just mucking around in a kids playground can be as much fun. Just do it when the kids are not there.

I had the chance to hang out with my friend Lana’s two children when I stayed with them in Brisbane. It was a very up close and personal experience of family life in suburbia Brisbane. I often wonder why those experiences are not endearing me to have  a family of my own, in fact they do the opposite. It makes me scratch my head in wonder as to what it is that I am not seeing or feeling that gives people the desire to have a family.

I think children are adorable, innocent, and expressions of pure love. Perhaps that is what draws  us to want to have them besides the biological drive to procreate for survival of the species.  When we are with children we admire their innocence, honesty, pure love, joy and their total focus on the moment of Now. We wish we could be like them yet we feel it is impossible when you have responsibility, jobs, mortgages and children of your own. However to be childlike is the key to capturing that essence of childhood. What does that mean? I mean to have the exuberance and excitement all that you do. To explore and learn new things all the time rather than to simply sticking with what you know or are good at. There is something enchanting when one can have the wisdom of life experiences yet retain childlike qualities.