Stepping Out Of the Comfort Zone

Photo taken in Lisbon, Portugal 2015.Welcome to our Wilkinson Travel travelling blog.  We are John and Nancy, married for many a year, parents to adult children and grandparents to seven munchkins.   Having attained our summer season, we consider ourselves to be more than the sum of our collective journey of career paths, children grown and house downsize.   Life is an adventure and a pathway of many directions.  To continue to grow spiritually, emotionally, physically and mentally, we believe that we must step outside our comfort zone.  New goals, new challenges. Retirement and slowing down are not options.

Venturing to Cuba, Central America, USA, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Spain, France, Ireland, Portugal, UK, Croatia, Italy, Corsica and New Zealand these past four years, has been awesome.  Travel is a privilege; imparting knowledge, sometimes humbling, of just how privileged we are.  We live our life in gratitude for the many blessings that we enjoy, each day.

Loved Rome and her amazing antiquities. With past goals of maintaining good health now allowing freedom to choose pathways that challenge physically, mentally, and emotionally, John has embraced goals that would seriously challenge many half his age. An Ironman, several 70.3 Ironman events , 3 marathons including the New York marathon,  3 Dam and 5 Dam Cycling challenges are now reflective in a growing collection of finisher medals. This coming weekend, John is adding to his heavyweight collection by competing in the Busselton Ironman, Western Australia.

A very happy John after competing in the 70.3 Ironman World Championship in Mooloolaba, Queensland in September 2016

Along with triathlons, travelling, photographic and writing interests, bushwalking (trekking, tramping) has been a favoured pursuit.  Walking Camino Portugués from Porto to Santiago de Compostela, The West Highland Way in Scotland, Wainwright’s Coast to Coast walk  in England, has whetted our appetite for a longer walk.    We leave for New Zealand fours days after the Ironman event.  Te Araroa beckons. Te Araroa means the Long Pathway and is New Zealand’s long distance tramping route.  Our intention is to walk the North Island 2016/2017 about 1700kms. We are ready.

Triumphant faces after successfully walking across England in May/June this year…after previously walking the West Highland Way in Scotland a few days prior.

Long distance walking – everything lightweight!  Some of our gear shown above ready for packing.  Time will tell what we retain; what is considered essential and what is dispensable.  NB No heavy nikon camera and lenses! sigh.

We Are All The Same

We are all the same
In our humanness
As we age

In our fears
In our frailty
In our insecurities

We easily allow
Frailty of spirit
To grow in strength

To gain control of attitude
Of determination
Of exploration

This frailty of spirit
Grows
And we do not

Youth and beauty
Combatants
Our Nemesis

The laboured walk
Of stiffening joints
We slow

We weaken
Allowing ageism
This creeping decrepitude

To take hold
Devaluing
Life’s investment

Renders eyes, ears, greying hair and ability
Open to condescending attitude
Not helped by Old Grumpy clichés

Nancy Wilkinson 2015