Some pics of my recent holiday, and thoughts on life directions, signs, and real beauty.

I am old enough to have sat through slide projector carousel sessions of my grandparent’s holidays to appreciate the value in efficiency a holiday blog post brings.  Secure in the anonymity of your own personal Internet, you can now look disinterested, yawn and excuse yourself from the room without offending me in any way, shape or form.  With this caveat in mind, I can now share my photos and thoughts about my recent break with a clear conscience.

The stage and getting settled

For the uninitiated, Mount Tamborine is less than an hour out of Brisbane on the east coast of Australia (for my non-Aussie readers).

We stayed at the Amore Bed and Breakfast based on reviews on Trip Advisor.  Yes, reviews really work.

The place lived up to its name, in that it had a bed, and there was breakfast.  The curators Kay and John were fantastic, offering to take us out to see the glo-worms at night.  The breakfast was enough to keep us going well into the afternoon.

We got off to a slow wet start, which was not such a bad thing given the pace we had both maintained through the year.  We were a bit worried that this would be our view of the next five days.

Paths ahead

I was reminded of a scene from Star Wars The Empire Strikes back where Luke prepares to enter a cave and asks Yoda what is in there, to which Yoda responds “Only what you take with you”.  Such is the way with holidays.

I hear of some casting off everything and using the time to recharge. Others take the opportunity to intentionally gain clarity on a discrete question or topic.  Theresa and I entered into our first holiday with just the two of us in over a decade, looking to reduce the noise and prepare for the year ahead.

It is no surprise then that my experience was framed by metaphor in the paths and directions I saw.

Entrances

Entering into a new situation can be exciting and scary. Will you find a new world of wonder, an axe murderer, or more of the same situation you are in currently? You can ask others who have been through and trust in basic rules of society, but the only real way of knowing is to go through yourself.

On vision, obstructions and bends

It is rare to see more than a few feet ahead. Part of the excitement of the trail is looking to see what is behind the next bend. Occasionally you can see a ways down the path, but even then the path becomes more blurry the further down the path you look.

You have to weigh safety versus risk

Mount Lamington had an extensive board walk path, safe for flip flops, strollers and wheelchairs. It was also quite crowded.  As you hiked more  into the mountains, the path became more intense, the traffic less frequent, and the intrinsic rewards of discovery greater.

It’s difficult to see the path when you are moving so fast

The beauty of management books is that they outline the journey from a stationary position after the fact to predict paths to the future.  When I am on the road myself, I hear others comment on the beauty around me but all I can do is concentrate on navigating the twists and turns and avoiding oncoming traffic.

The more windy the road, the more you need to know where you are

Vision and meaning is like your life’s GPS.  The road is going to get windy at times.  Without an assurance that the path is heading somewhere in the end, you can get caught up in the twists and turns.

A path may be optional

Getting away helps break your thought processes out of set routines. A new perspective can help you see paths were none existed previously. It can also provide the resolve to set out in new directions where no paths yet exist.

Signs

As you start opening yourself to new directions, you begin to gain new meaning from signs you see along the way.

Syntax is important (avoid fudge porn)

I entered this establishment with some moral caution.  Saying you provide “adults-only fudge” brings to mind some sort of fudge porn extravaganza rather than the reality of liqueur-laced sweets.  If you are following signs or giving off signs yourself, be sure to have your syntax match your purpose and your audience.

Do others know what you deserve?

Many signs will tell you what is best for you. Often such recommendations are really in the best interest of the one preparing the sign.

Someone always wants to go somewhere

We were surprised at the number of properties up for sale.  Talking to some of the locals, they attribute it in part to rates increasing faster than property value.  More so, however, they comment on people falling in love with the ideal but not accounting for the reality of the isolation. Before you go somewhere, ask why someone would want to leave as much as why they want to stay.

Sometimes you need to slow down no matter what the signs say

The drive up to Mount Lamington was filled with tight corners and single-lane roads, and we crawled up in many places at 20 km.  The official speed limit was 60km/h, but we never bumped past 40 km.  Life can feel like a slow mountain crawl.  Put the pedal to the floor too early, and you may shoot off the mountain.

This isn’t Disney: A kookaburra stole my lunch

Theresa and I went to the botanical gardens on Christmas day for a relaxing picnic.  Shortly after setting up the blanket, two kookaburras hopped next to us.  After preparing my chicken sandwich on my plate, I casually snapped a photo of our new friend feeling the connection one has with all Disney animals.  I had thought he might wish us a Merry Christmas and poop rainbows.

The next shot was an accidental reaction as my new friend launched himself at my lap.  The laugh of the kookaburra will forever have a sinister element.

The best part was my best friend

This was the first holiday Theresa and I had taken alone in over a decade.  As I thought about life’s directions and plans for 2012, I was grateful I would be doing them with such a wonderful person.

There is value in surrounding yourself with people who have a unique perspective and seeing life through their eyes.  Theresa is one of those people for me.

Theresa sees the world through a camera lens and picture canvas.  She helps me see beautiful things on the journey I would miss from being too focused on the destination.  I am learning  to pay attention to what she is looking at and so help me learn a new outlook on the world.

You can see some of her perspective in her blog post here. There are few things in life as beautiful as someone in their element doing what they love.  I will leave you with images of what I felt were the best views of the trip.