8 THINGS YOU CAN DISCOVER IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE

A trip to the middle of nowhere can be a good way to find what you’ve always been looking for.

Jocelyn and I were enjoying a 10-day holiday cruise that was gifted to us for twenty five years of service at North Pointe. We brought our books and lemonade to hang out on Deck 12 of the “Independence of the Seas.”

The Atlantic Ocean was all we could see in every direction.

It felt like the middle of nowhere.

There I found what I was missing or better still, wasn’t missing.

8 Discoveries In The Middle Of Nowhere

1. Twenty-four-hour connectivity isn’t all its wired up to be. There is nothing like a cruise to give you reason to disconnect. Even though unlimited Internet connection was available (for a special price), we chose to disconnect – no email, Messenger, texts, tweets, snapchats or social media of any type.

We didn’t miss being connected. Now we try to stay disconnected for 10 out of 24 hours (stretching for 12).

2. Weight. Cruises are infamous for tempting, all-you-can-eat buffets and weight gain. I lost weight on our cruise – the weight that usually rests squarely on my shoulders. When you’re in the middle of nowhere, the weight of responsibility lessens (never goes away completely) because there’s not much you can do about crises back at the office. (There was a helicopter pad on the prow of the ship so we felt assured we had a way off if required.)

3. The News. After ten days we didn’t know if the Oilers were still in the basement (they were), if oil prices were still falling (they were), if the dollar was still shrinking (it was) or if Donald Trump was still blustering (he was). Surprise – we went without newspapers, the CTV, CBC, Global or CNN and survived.

4. Weather forecasts. We didn’t read any 5-day forecasts. Not once did we CARE about a 5-day forecast. Don’t be phased by predictions. Everyday holds promise.

5. Ring tones. Never in the ten days we were ocean bound did we hear a cell phone ringtone. No sounds of “Strum,” “Synth,” “Star Wars” or even “Classic.” Not until we hit the airport departure lounge on the way home did we hear a ringtone – and it was annoying.

6. To-do lists. The pages of my daily planner are filled with lists and check boxes. Invariably I never get to check off all of my boxes. What I don’t get done is more tiring than what I accomplish. We did what we wanted to do and sometimes that was to do nothing at all.

7. Traffic jams. Jocelyn and I walked everyday, everywhere (of course). The only traffic jams were at the coffee stations and the frozen yogurt dispenser.

8. Preconceptions. My conception of cruises was they were the privilege of the rich. I was wrong.  We met people from every station in life. The experience enriched us in ways we never imagined.

In the middle of nowhere we discovered the somewhere we’ve always wanted to be.

APPLICATION: Where is your “middle-of-nowhere” and what did you discover there? Please leave your comment below. Thank you.

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