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Outpost:  Adventure  |
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taylor
honeybee
40 Posts
40 Posts |
 Posted - Jan 19 2005 : 11:28:42 AM
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This year my boyfriend Morgan and I went to Baja over Christmas. Our plan was to go diving. I hadn't been diving since we spent three months in Central America after college. On the island of Utila in Hoduras we spent two weeks learning to dive and becoming advanced divers. Deep diving as far as 98ft and night diving with huge eagle rays and sharks. It was amazing- some of the best memories of my life.
But now it had been over four years and I hadn't been diving and things have happened in my life that make me feel very mortal. I am more afraid more often than I ever have been. Things that I would have jumped at the chance to do make me quiver and my stomach drop.
In Baja we step into a dive shop and reserve a trip for the next day... I swallow my fear... Morgan tells me not to worry and I hand over my credit card and my dive card. A thought crosses my mind— I am paying to risk my life
The boat ride out to the dive site is long and part of me hopes that this is it— a ride in a tiny jet boat, we are not going to put on those tanks and sink beneath the surface.
We get to the site, I put on the gear mechanically and throw my self backward into the water... wow it's cold. I'm breathing heavily now. Be calm. Here we go... we deflate and sink down. I sqeeze my nose and pressurize my ears.. so far so good... I notice that some thing amazing is happening. I feel my whole body relax. I am embraced totally by the ocean, the sound of my breath and my bubbles, and the deep otherworldly noises of the deep. I realize as I unobtrusively observe the beautiful fish and the coral, that this is true meditation and that I haven't felt this good in a long time.
It wasn' the best dive site I had ever been to, most of the coral was dead and there weren't many different varieties of sea-life, but it didn't matter. The biggest thing was that I hadn't let my fears keep me from doing things that make me feel truely alive.
I came to explore the wreck.
The words are purposes.
The words are maps.
I came to see the damage that was done
and the treasures that prevail.
-Diving into the Wreck, Adrienne Rich
Please feel free to email me with any problems/complaints/suggestions about the connection. |
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Clare
True Blue Farmgirl
2173 Posts
NC WA State
USA
2173 Posts |
Posted - Jan 19 2005 : 12:55:47 PM
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Taylor, I can relate to your fear and sense of adventure. I'm glad you "just did it" and found it oh so satisifying once again!
For all of the decades that I was in the travel business, I totally feared water, do not swim, etc. Then I had the opportunity to take a cruise on a "big" ship. I swallowed my fears and went. There were enough distractions, and the sense of being in a building rather than a boat, that I got along quite nicely and enjoyed myself. In fact, I went on several cruises on ships to many destinations. Then I found myself more intrigued by nature travel, and the means to do that involved really small ships -50 to 80 passengers- and riding in Zodiacs (really small inflatable 8 person rafts with an engine) to get up close and personal to nature and specifically wildlife. I did this in the Swedish Archipeligo Islands and in the Sea of Cortez/Baja. Absoultely the best experiences ever!! After that I went on an expedition into the jungles and beaches of Costa Rica.. traveled on the beach at night in the pitch black to watch the turtles come ashore to build their nests and lay their eggs. Motored on a river on a 20 passenger "boat" through Costa Rica and Nigaragua...Also a fantastic experience. All of these were life changing events for me. They took me to my boundaries and pushed them out. I cannot live in fear. I will not live in fear. Life is too precious for such nonsense.
These days I'm not traveling much at all, except to visit the little grandkids... but that's okay too.. because I'm learning another dimension of experiencing adventures--to let them come to me! 
Here are a couple quotes that I especially find ring true for me:
I soon realized that no journey carries one far unless, as it extends into the world around us, it goes an equal distance into the world within. ~Lillian Smith
"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes, but in having new eyes." -Marcel Proust
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -Mark Twain
"When we get out of the glass bottle of our ego and when we escape like the squirrels in the cage of our personality and get into the forest again, we shall shiver with cold and fright. But things will happen to us so that we don't know ourselves. Cool, unlying life will rush in. . ." -D. H. Lawrence
"I think that wherever your journey takes you, there are new gods waiting there, with divine patience -- and laughter." -Susan M. Watkins
****Gardener, Stitcher, Spiritual Explorer and Appreciator of all Things Natural****
"Begin to weave and God will give the thread." - German Proverb |
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Eileen
True Blue Farmgirl
1199 Posts
Eileen
USA
1199 Posts |
Posted - Jan 19 2005 : 1:05:05 PM
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Clare, Once again you have voiced my thoughts. Through different experiences we have come to understand the essence of living.
And the experiences will continue!! Life is juicy and oh so good!!!
Eileen
songbird; singing joy to the earth |
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jpbluesky
True Blue Farmgirl
6066 Posts
Jeannie
Florida
USA
6066 Posts |
Posted - Jan 19 2005 : 1:24:01 PM
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Once I resolved to keep my sense of freedom;
If I must stand alone,
It is because I have a hoof
In the track the wild deer makes.
Author unknown 1966
I have carried these words with me all these years, and now I share them with you. Fears creep into the hearts of all of us. But the freedom given when we overcome them is priceless.
jpbluesky
Love those big blue skies and wide open spaces. |
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MeadowLark
True Blue Farmgirl
2206 Posts
USA
2206 Posts |
Posted - Jan 19 2005 : 1:29:09 PM
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Very excellent messages here...
"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there." Rumi, 13th century. |
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cecelia
True Blue Farmgirl
497 Posts
cecelia
new york
USA
497 Posts |
Posted - Jan 21 2005 : 6:45:23 PM
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Very good comments but any specific advice for me? We are going to Florida in February...I do not want to go...don't enjoy it (both Florida and the traveling)...actually enjoy the winter.
One year I stayed home, got sick at the last minute with flu. Any advice for such problems?
Cecelia
ce's farm
"Curiosity is one of the forms of feminine bravery" Victor Hugo |
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bramble
True Blue Farmgirl
2044 Posts
2044 Posts |
Posted - Jan 22 2005 : 06:36:07 AM
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Cecelia-- Is there any part of the time you are in Florida that you enjoy? The ocean, walking on the beach, exploring sites around where you stay? Maybe take a project or some books you've been meaning to get to so there is something you are enjoying and looking forward to
while on vacation? We once went on a "vacation" to a small town in Maine so my husband could transcribe some boat plans and there was not much to do for me (at that time I drew plans for a living , so that was NOT what I wanted to be doing!) I started talking to our inn keeper and she had all kinds of info about the area and she even went exploring with me a few days! Found a great quilt shop, went antiquing, did a farm run for the inn, lots of riding around enjoying the countryside and had the best lobster roll EVER! My husband and I spent plenty of time together that trip but we each met our own ideas of what made a great trip! Good luck, you and I are in the path of the blizzard this weekend, Florida sounds pretty good right now!
with a happy heart |
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Kim
True Blue Farmgirl
146 Posts
Kim
Pflugerville
Texas
USA
146 Posts |
Posted - Jan 22 2005 : 06:40:38 AM
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Where in FlLorida are you going? I've been to many different places in Florida. Even though it's not my first choice to vacation, my dad and stepmother live there, as well as an Aunt and cousins. So I have done a lot of sightseeing. Maybe I have been, where you are going.
farmgirl@heart
Be at peace with yourself and the rest will follow |
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MeadowLark
True Blue Farmgirl
2206 Posts
USA
2206 Posts |
Posted - Jan 22 2005 : 07:20:45 AM
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Doesn't jpbluesky live there? Perhaps she has some ideas for you!
"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there." Rumi, 13th century. |
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cecelia
True Blue Farmgirl
497 Posts
cecelia
new york
USA
497 Posts |
Posted - Jan 23 2005 : 6:19:13 PM
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Thanks for all your opinions, ideas, etc. I'd love to go to St. Augustine for the history, but the dh & son want to do the Orlando "thing". I love winter and cold weather, what I'd really like to be doing is going dogsledding in MN or Maine! But yes I usually bring a book along (and read it in 1 day); we will be staying at a time-share, and renting a car, so if dh and son go to do the rides, etc. I will be "stuck" there. I'm just not into the pool thing, etc. Most time shares we've stayed at have had limited on site activities. We do have some relatives there (central FL) but they may not even be there when we are there. Not thrilled about flying either! but will make the best of it, I guess.
Cecelia
ce's farm
"Curiosity is one of the forms of feminine bravery" Victor Hugo |
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jpbluesky
True Blue Farmgirl
6066 Posts
Jeannie
Florida
USA
6066 Posts |
Posted - Jan 24 2005 : 06:36:19 AM
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Dear Cecelia - Just reread this thread and see where you are coming to Florida! Sorry I have not responded earlier because, yes, I do live here all the time! And like Bayoubunch, I much prefer north Florida to Orlando and points south. It seems like southern Floridians are discovering this too, but that is another story!
Seek out the parts of the Orlando area that are still a throwback in time to the Florida of the 30's and 40's. There are still a few places around. They may not be close enough for you to get to if the guys are gone in the car, but perhaps you could give it a try. There are rivers to be canoed that take you through beautiful Eden-like places. The Crytsal River is one of them. The Ichtucknee is another, but is further north.
I do not enjoy the commercialism and fakiness of the theme parks, but if you go to Disney....and the guys are riding the rides.....find the hotel there that is fashioned after a rocky mountain lodge (cannot remember the name right off hand but I did this). I got a cup of coffee and a book and sat in front of the wonderful fireplace in the lobby...the outdoor area there, too, is beautiful and you can sit and enjoy the scenery.
If you are in the Daytona area, take the drive north on A1A toward St. Augustine. There are still stretches of undisturbed beach. There is also a great lighthouse and nature park at Ponce Inlet.
Go to Mt. Dora. It is an old town, full of antique shops and old Florida flavor.
Take some little roads off the interstate. Along some of them are pieces of the old Florida. Wonderful little parks and lakes. Do not take 27 and 441 around Ocala - one trailer sales lot after another! And lots of traffic. 40 through the Ocala National Forest is unique, and so is US 19 through there.
When we stay at our time share, the front of the place (4th floor) faces the ocean. My favorite thing to do is just stay inside and on the balcony, with the windows open to the ocean, and enjoy the view.
If you send further info about the area in which you will be staying, I will give you better suggestions that are close to your destination. Even though Disney has ruined central Florida, there are still patches that are wild and wonderful.
jpbluesky
Love those big blue skies and wide open spaces. |
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Kim
True Blue Farmgirl
146 Posts
Kim
Pflugerville
Texas
USA
146 Posts |
Posted - Jan 24 2005 : 06:43:50 AM
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Clewiston is a neat little town, but I'm not sure how far away it will be from Orlando.
farmgirl@heart
Be at peace with yourself and the rest will follow |
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jpbluesky
True Blue Farmgirl
6066 Posts
Jeannie
Florida
USA
6066 Posts |
Posted - Jan 24 2005 : 06:46:02 AM
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Yes, I remember going cave-diving around the Clewiston area in the 70's and it was a step back in time. We went to the movies for .75 that night.
jpbluesky
Love those big blue skies and wide open spaces. |
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jpbluesky
True Blue Farmgirl
6066 Posts
Jeannie
Florida
USA
6066 Posts |
Posted - Feb 05 2005 : 3:06:10 PM
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Well, my daughter and granddaughter are on an adventure. They flew to Pasco, Washington for a two week stay with my daughter's best friend. When I looked on the map, I could not believe how relatively close she would be to MaryJane's Farm! (For us Floridians, that is pretty darn close!).
Is anyone here on this sight living near Pasco? I am sure they are having fun being in an entirely new part of the country for them. She says she can see mountains in the distance! How long would it take to go to MJF?
jpbluesky
Love those big blue skies and wide open spaces. |
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Clare
True Blue Farmgirl
2173 Posts
NC WA State
USA
2173 Posts |
Posted - Feb 05 2005 : 4:58:05 PM
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Hello jpbluesky, Jeannie, that is! Pasco would probably be about a 2.5 - 3 hour drive or so to the Pullman/Moscow area. If they've got an extra day to sightsee, that might be an option.
If your daughter is looking to the southeast she's probably seeing the Blue Mountains in Oregon, and if she's looking to the west she might be seeing the Cascades in Washington in the distance. I'm about 2.5 hours northwest of Pasco,(which is where I was born!), and we have a snow advisory issued for tomorrow, but Pasco tends to be in the "sunbelt" of WA, so they may not be in for snow as we are.
Maybe you and your daughter can plan a trip together to come exploring in our area? I still think a get-together of us farmgirls at MJF would be great fun. I know, logistics and budgets ... but it's fun to dream!
Hope all is well with you!
****Gardener, Stitcher, Spiritual Explorer and Appreciator of all Things Natural****
"Begin to weave and God will give the thread." - German Proverb |
Edited by - Clare on Feb 05 2005 5:07:28 PM |
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jpbluesky
True Blue Farmgirl
6066 Posts
Jeannie
Florida
USA
6066 Posts |
Posted - Feb 06 2005 : 1:30:46 PM
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Clare -
I dream the same dream as time goes by and we get to "know" each other more and more. It would be so much fun for the farmgirls to get together someday.
For my daughter and her 21 month old, it was a loooong flight into Salt Lake City from Atlanta.
Your hometown is Pasco? That is so cool! I know my daughter would enjoy the prospect of snow! I am glad she did this with her daughter- it is always good to see a new part of the country, and be with friends, and I thank you for giving me insight into that area!
jpbluesky
Love those big blue skies and wide open spaces. |
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cecelia
True Blue Farmgirl
497 Posts
cecelia
new york
USA
497 Posts |
Posted - Feb 06 2005 : 4:37:26 PM
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Hi JP, just got time to get on the web. Thanks for the suggestions. We will be staying near Kissimee, but with one car I may not be able to leave the resort unless I go along with the guys.
I am just not into the commercialism of Disney, etc. and all that goes with it, but your idea on the hotel sounds good to me! There is a chance we may go up to St. Augustine, depending on the distance (I like the historical stuff), and we have family near Sebring, so that may "kill" one day! I listened to NPR today (Lake Wobeggon/G Keilor) and he said you didn't have to leave MN to travel in winter - you just wait 'til the weather changes - last we they "were in" Florida, then 2 days later they "went" to Siberia. Guess that's what I like about the area I live - wait a couple of days and the weather changes drastically!
Cecelia
ce's farm
"Curiosity is one of the forms of feminine bravery" Victor Hugo |
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jpbluesky
True Blue Farmgirl
6066 Posts
Jeannie
Florida
USA
6066 Posts |
Posted - Feb 06 2005 : 6:53:04 PM
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Cecelia - have fun and try to find little pockets of the old Florida. They are wild and mysterious and wonderful. I am so sorry that Disney ruined that. I know Disney is wildly successful but it does not compare with the tropical beauty that Cypress Gardens or Silver Springs or even the back roads of Florida can bring to the one who appreciates real beauty. "Real" being the operative word!
jpbluesky
Love those big blue skies and wide open spaces. |
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free bird
Farmgirl in Training
26 Posts
Laura
Victoria
Texas
USA
26 Posts |
Posted - Feb 22 2005 : 3:32:07 PM
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Last March I traveled alone to Mexico. I went to San Miguel de Allende, to be exact. I also went on short bus trips to nearby Dolores Hidalgo, and also to Guanajuato. I heartily recommend it! It was so great. I can't think of anything about it I didn't like. I did everything on a really low budget--I am really poor--and everywhere I went, every tiny restaurant or shop I went into, I was surprised by the sincere friendliness of the people, the quality of the service and the food. In San Miguel de Allende at least, you don't even have to know Spanish to get around. (In Guanajuato and other places, I needed more Spanish.) The weather is just simply delightful there in the mountains--San Miguel is about 100 miles from Mexico City.
I took a plane to Mexico City, and of course I did the prerequisite thing most tourists do, I got lost in the airport for a little while. I finally got a taxi to the bus station and took a really nice first class bus (TV's, airconditioning, deluxe seats, and really cheap too!) to San Miguel. I stayed at Posada Carmina--really wonderful hotel around a plant-filled courtyard. The plants...it's worth taking a trip there just to ooh and aah over the plants around there. Posada Carmina is on the expensive end but still it only cost about $50 a night (and at the end they even gave me a little discount for paying in cash). There are really good hotels there for a lot less, too. Anyway, I was alone in the streets even during the evenings in San Miguel and wasn't afraid at all. I am always a careful type, e.g. I wouldn't even walk the streets here in Texas at night, it would be out of the question, but in San Miguel for some reason it felt perfectly okay to be out alone at 9 pm. A lot of families go out walking together in the evenings there. Many stores don't close until 8 pm.
I would like to go with a few other people next time so that I'd have someone to share it with. And next time I will take an easy express bus directly from Texas--I heard it is a lot cheaper than flying.
The adventure and challenge to me, is that this is a whole other culture and language. I've also traveled to Peru, and walked the Inca Trail to Macchu Picchu. That was great too. Even though Texas neighbors Mexico and I live only about 100 miles away from Mexico, very few Anglos around here know anything about the real Mexico below the border. So many people here distrust anything abut Mexico, which is really stupid. At least I know better--I've seen there is a whole big world outside the United States.
I love my chickens |
Edited by - free bird on Feb 22 2005 3:35:15 PM |
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Clare
True Blue Farmgirl
2173 Posts
NC WA State
USA
2173 Posts |
Posted - Feb 22 2005 : 4:01:33 PM
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| Laura!!! The Inca Trail to Macchu Picchu????? Oh, my!! That has been on my list for years now.... I would love to hear your first hand impressions. Also San Miguel de Allende is the arts and crafts area of Mexico, is it not? Did you get to explore that aspect? Please share more!! |
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free bird
Farmgirl in Training
26 Posts
Laura
Victoria
Texas
USA
26 Posts |
Posted - Feb 23 2005 : 05:04:41 AM
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Clare--I went to Macchu Picchu in 1989 on a paid tour, hosted by a company in California called Wilderness Travel. I don't know if it's still there, or if they changed their name, but it was great. We had a very distinguished tour guide-- Hilary Bradt--she has her own publishing company in England, Bradt Publications, and she has written and published a whole lot of travel books. Anyway thanks to her and others, the trip went very smoothly, it was just wonderful. Hiking up the Inca Trail for a week was physically difficult. The breathtaking views make it worth it. You have to gradually get used to high altitude and steepness of the walk. It wasn't as steep as, say, mountain climbing, but it was just steep enough to really take the wind out of me at first. But if I could make it, anyone in moderately good physical shape could make it. I just needed a little pushing. I owe a lot to the guides there.
I really enjoyed Cuzco, Peru (a very large city about 11000 feet altitude). I really enjoyed walking around the markets there shopping, and the food was great. I could say a lot more. The people were so friendly. I think it's good for tourists to go there, because Peru needs the tourist dollars. I hope it hasn't changed too much.
About the arts and crafts in San Miguel de Allende Mexico (and the area)...yes I did a lot of shopping! I would recommend shopping as close to the source of the artists as possible. That is, not going to the regular tourist shops you see in San Miguel near the hotels, but going out to the small factories, shops and outdoor markets in the nearby villages. I took the local buses out to the villages, and I saw very few tourists on them, and I went out to the places where I saw mostly the local people and very few tourists. I bought some really interesting cheap "junk" antiques at the local "non-tourist" markets (where I saw everything on sale from electronics to live roosters). I went on a bus to Dolores Hidalgo--that place is famous for its pottery--and went to some factory warehouses where they sell local pottery wholesale direct. They had shelves and shelves of this wonderful hand-painted pottery in all sizes and shapes at fantastically cheap prices. I bought several pottery chickens, along with flowerpots of all sizes. I toted them back on the bus to my hotel in a heavy bag. Back home in Texas (after a long plane flight with several stops) I ended up planting my plants in them--"hens 'n chicks" plants as a matter of fact--and I actually sold them at craft shows last summer! I want to go into the importing
business.
I love my chickens |
Edited by - free bird on Feb 23 2005 05:08:33 AM |
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cecelia
True Blue Farmgirl
497 Posts
cecelia
new york
USA
497 Posts |
Posted - Mar 08 2005 : 6:21:37 PM
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Hi jpbluesky & all farmgirls, back from Florida. Though the weather was nice (until Feb.27 when we had heavy rain), the vacation was not too terrific. I am not a hot weather fan to begin with and don't like plane travel; that notwithstanding, we came in on time, but DH decided he didn't like the driving directions from the airport, so we didn't get to where we were staying until nearly 11 pm 2/20. We were to visit my sister in law's new digs, but called to find out her DH was in the hospital; late Tues. we found he had passed away. Didn't do the "Disney" thing at all and scrapped some plans, etc. Couldn't get back in time for the funeral. Son badly sprained his ankle, which made for some interesting last 3 days! He's on crutches for 2-6 weeks, and I am so dog-tired I think I will do a reverse, and hibernate all summer!
Cecelia
ce's farm
"Curiosity is one of the forms of feminine bravery" Victor Hugo |
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jpbluesky
True Blue Farmgirl
6066 Posts
Jeannie
Florida
USA
6066 Posts |
Posted - Mar 09 2005 : 04:55:02 AM
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Oh Cecelia - I am so sorry for the loss of your family member and for the hardship your trip caused for you and your son and husband. Your "adventure" was not the kind that any of us want to experience. I hope your son heals well and gets back to his normal life soon. I am glad you are back at home where you can contact your normal doctors and where you know life's routines.
Glad you are back online and I hope reading everyone's posts about spring and flowers will perk you up (while you are resting in your own home)!
Welcome home!
jpbluesky |
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MeadowLark
True Blue Farmgirl
2206 Posts
USA
2206 Posts |
Posted - Mar 09 2005 : 05:20:49 AM
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Cecelia, I also send my condolence to you for your loss. Home is probably sweet to you now...Rest up, and we are glad you are safe and sound and back online! We missed you. Tell the son to take care of that ankle from now on...it will be weaker as a result of a bad sprain. Jenny
"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there." Rumi, 13th century. |
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Kim
True Blue Farmgirl
146 Posts
Kim
Pflugerville
Texas
USA
146 Posts |
Posted - Mar 09 2005 : 2:56:19 PM
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Cecelia, I'm so sorry for your loss. Prayers to you and your family.
farmgirl@heart
Be at peace with yourself and the rest will follow |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Mar 09 2005 : 7:19:40 PM
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You and your family will sure be in my prayers too. THat was the wrong kind of adventure. I hope you get a nice one once things are better. Take care of you.
Jenny in Utah
Bloom where you are planted! |
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Outpost: Adventure |
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Adventure
