Tuesday, 27 July 2021
Opportunity Context
It’s Official. The New Zealand ski trip has had the flights cancelled by the airline. On Day 204, I was devastated by the cancellation news; today’s confirmation provided an opportunity. I’ve wanted to visit the Northern Territory, for some time, and the Larapinta Trail Walking Tour seemed like my perfect substitute vacation. It was quite the discovery to realise my husband saw things differently.
In my mid to late twenties, I travelled extensively on adventure holidays. These vacations usually gave me the longest time away in another country and got me closer to the non-touristy culture in the safest way possible.
The long trips were because the countries had a superexchange rate against the Australian dollar; plus, you were camping and providing transport (your own feet and legs). Why wouldn’t you take the opportunity to stay longer and see more? Okay, there were other modes of travel, like camels across the desert, train trips, elephant safaris, white water rafting down rivers, bicycles, and trucks like I mentioned on Day 188. But there were also treks.
TV series like, Naked and Afraid, Eco-Challenge Fiji, Long Way Round, Amazing Race, Travel Guides Australia/ New Zealand, and Travel Around the World, only fuel my desire to relive past elements to experience somewhere new. When New Zealand’s cancellation confirmation came through, this was my opportunity.
Nothing but Positives
All I could see were benefits. The timing, I thought, was serendipitous since it was inside the exact dates we had booked for New Zealand. The exercise level was introductory to moderate, and the cost initially appeared the same. And, I would be exercising my ankle regularly, and there would be no hampering reason or ready-made excuse of, “I don’t feel like it” to avoid it.
Getting away from junk food and eating healthy for a week would be a bonus. It would be an excellent way to detox and lose weight with a bit of luck. The detox wouldn’t just apply to the physical it would provide a mental detox as well.
We would learn more about the indigenous population, get back to nature, the weather would be good, read or listen to a couple of good books, and hopefully sleep under the stars. The best part would be no cooking, carrying bags (except a day pack) and arriving at a new destination with everything ready to go – camping posh-like.
An Alternative View
Except, and it’s a big EXCEPT, my husband didn’t see the cancellation and opportunity in the same way. The flames of enthusiasm got tested. Something so natural to me was something alien to my husband.
It took me by surprise that our ideas of vacations varied so much. Thrown, how had we gotten this far in the relationship to realise our vacations styles were at odds with each other? Sure, assumptions happened when underdeveloped countries we travelled to for SCUBA trips hadn’t phased him. Okay, it’s gold class roughing it.
The big awakening was when I realised my husband’s travel experiences, before me, all had an air of sophistication. That’s okay; there have been those in my past too. However, I forget that not everyone wants to have the holidays I have. While the type of trip I went on wasn’t too radical or unusual, there are fewer travellers on this slightly riskier trail – even the gold class version.
But when I was young, I had to choose where to spend my money, and to my youthful mind, length of travel was more important than “quality” of travel. Hope that makes sense. Although I’d argue the quality I received was equal to any of the more sophisticated travel adventures.
Reality versus Fantasy
After a long chat around the fact, my go-to holiday might just be an “ideal but never really happen to my holiday” from my husband’s perspective. My husband confirmed the trip style had thrown him, as did my willingness to just jump at the opportunity without any preparation.
However, it was the first time he’d had to consider the option. He’d decided it wasn’t something he was against doing or trying, but his concern was around my physical fitness.
Was I really ready for this trip with the state of my ankle? If I were honest with myself and try to be, I would need another month’s preparation before going on the trek. The extra month would allow us the opportunity to practise and increase our fitness levels and be confident we weren’t embarking on a trip beyond our skill level. Sadly, we don’t have the extra month or the opportunity to push it out. Bugger! (Day 188)
Today's Cards
The Cards - Opportunity Analysis
Carryover Cards
No cards carried over from yesterday.
Cross
The Fool is Now making plans without looking at the potential impact; he is loftily dreaming of a “red centre” escape. 😁 Suppression impacts The Fool’s enthusiasm from taking full flight.
I am pursuing my Goal of Transformation, where I change the inactive state of current existence and the cancelled active holiday to another that included being active.
This Change happened in the Recent Past when the New Zealand trip got cancelled. Further, in the Distant Past, it was about listening to my Inner Voice for these types of trips. The good thing is the apparent misalignment of trip styles came out into the open.
It also looks like the Change (Recent Past = cancellation of the trip) triggered the Transformation (Goal = new journey).
Guidance is the Future Energy, suggesting help for another vacation from Renae, the fantastic travel agent, could be on the cards 😉.
Base
My Feelings about the whole interaction today is one of Breakthrough. Had the situation not arisen, my husband and I may not have talked about my longing for the occasional walkabout travel.
Others’ Views is Adventure. Today, more than usual, the image strikes me as a vulnerable child heading off on an Adventure. It may very well be how I was perceived today.
The Hopes & Fears spot has the Celebration card. Celebration is what my emotions did today. The excitement is hope for a familiar but new Adventure and the fear that it won’t be possible or conducive to uptake. Or simply reality setting in that my ankle’s healing hasn’t been put to any rigorous testing to know whether it could hold up on a sustained walking trip in central Australia.
Existence is in the Outcome position and captures that interconnectedness between yourself and time, realising that no one in the world can be you, past, present, or future. It initially caused the disparity in views but talking about it when thrown and rallying from the disconnect. Luckily, there is also no one else like my husband, and between us, we could talk it out.
So, I don’t know what opportunity will present itself or if we will ever go on my kind of walking vacation – it might end up being just me, but we’ll see.
References
- Osho, Osho Zen Tarot – The Transcendental Game of Zen, St Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-11733-7
Links
Tarot Day Layouts
Travel Guides Australia (TV Series) My notions were inspired n part by Season 1, Episode 5, “Top End” and Season 4, Episode 2, “Red Centre”)
