Rain, Rain Go Away - Night 28

Ominous clouds hung low in the sky again this morning, but the rain held off as we had breakfast and eventually drove to Buckley’s Hole to do more weeding. Just after break, when we were preparing to switch gears into some tree planting, the skies opened up once more. Shane led us on a brief tour of the island and we then returned to the cabins to wait out the storm. If it quit in time, we planned to return and plant in the afternoon. It didn’t and we didn’t.

I spent the afternoon reading John Krakauer’s Into Thin Air, a tale of his hike to the summit of Mount Everest, in which eleven people ultimately lost their lives. Though I have no desire to climb anywhere the use of supplemental oxygen is practically a must, it did remind me of how much I miss hiking in the Cascades, or anywhere above the tree line for that matter.

I finished the book and took a long walk down the beach promenade in the blowing wind and light rain to think about what I am going to do with my life when I return. Before I left I promised myself I wouldn’t let this concern get

Weeding on Bribie

in the way of my vacation down under, but I cannot but to ponder what it is I should do. The larger answer is obvious: find something you love to do, regardless of the pay…but what is it I love to do, or rather, my problem is narrowing it down and finding a compromise so I don’t have to sacrifice one enjoyment at the expense of another.

What I Learned Today: In 1996 Goran Knapp packed his gear, rode his bike from Sweden to Kathmandu, hiked to base camp and then climbed to within 300 feet of the summit of Mount Everest only to turn back because the snow wasn’t quite right for safe passage to the peak. That’s determination with the knowledge of when to quit.

written by

exumenius on November 7, 2007 from Woorim, Australia

from the travel blog: Kiwis and Kangaroos

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