One of the fun things of this season is reading people's Christmas letters. This year we've seen many of our friends during the year, but many years it is the only thing we hear about the lives of many of our friends. But even so, there are still surprises.
Yesterday I read the letter of friends who, in 2010, went on a snow skiing holiday with their primary-aged children. They also camped on a coral reef island (with no electricity or fresh water) for nearly two weeks. That wasn't so surprising, but when they wrote about their plans for 2011, we were surprised. They plan to "expand the holidays to be more adventurous". Okay, so what's more adventurous than they've done in 2010?
Visiting us in Tokyo!
We knew they were coming, but I'm a bit shocked to be classed as more adventurous than a roughing-it camping trip or a skiing holiday. Are our lives really that far from an "ordinary" Australian's life that visiting us is a 'adventure'? Obviously what we class as ordinary is different to most others. On Christmas Eve when our boys gleefully said, "We're going home!" to a stranger, they meant Tokyo.
Perhaps we should try a skiing holiday or camping somewhere remote. If flying to and living in Tokyo is not adventurous for us, obviously we need to try harder!
5 comments:
I don't think it's visiting the Marshall's that is so adventurous, but rather the whole idea of leaving one's own country and going to another one where you cannot speak or even understand the language. I think adventure is about getting out of your comfort zone, and it would definitely be an adventure for me to visit Japan! Thailand - OK, Cambodia is home, but Japan - that's a bit scary! Hope both you and your visitors enjoy their adventure when they have it.
I was going to say the same thing...I think it's the idea of a whole different culture that people think is adventurous. I know that I would see it that way.
Or maybe it's because they are travelling much further away from home than the coral island?
So, you'd consider visiting your friends who live in another country and are going to look after you, more adventurous than a coral island. Interesting. I think I'd rate them the other way. By the way, we have running water, shops down the road and a roof over our head. They don't need to bring their own food, water and shelter with them. We even have two flush toilets! And it isn't as dangerous as taking up skiing, either.
They're all adventures! Stepping out of your comfort zone is definitely adventurous, even if you do know there are people who will look after you all the way. Maybe it's about "control" as well. When you go camping or even snow skiing, you still have a fair degree of control over what happens, when it happens and how it happens. Go overseas and there are lots of things you cannot control.
By the way, I love that the boys consider Tokyo "home". You've done well.
Perhaps you're right. I just think it is amazing that we still feel pretty ordinary and live what feels to be a pretty ordinary life, yet others consider it an adventure to visit us. Bizarre what you can get used to, hey!
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