Life's Pace: Reconsidered
The Seaward Kaikoura Range peeks out toward the Pacific Ocean
As I finish writing this particular post, it’s been 11 days since we left Kaikoura in a patrolled convoy to continue our journey through the South Island of NZ. Over those 11 days, I’ve had the opportunity to think not only about the special and fortunate experience of living with the Snows, the Collins’s, Andries, and Chrissy (if you’re wondering who these people are I recommend reading Kelsey’s previous post, “Giving Thanks”), but also the precipitating experience of ‘living through’ a two-minute long 7.8 earthquake in a teeter-tottering campervan 20 feet from the Pacific Ocean. Despite these ominously descriptive statistics, I have to put ‘living through’ in quotes as a hind-sighted admittance that, in the end, our lives were never truly threatened. At the same time though, despite diluting it with punctuation, I will defend my word choice and argue that the Kaikoura earthquake fits into a (thankfully) small collection of travel experiences where I caught myself thinking, “Hmm. I could die.”
Bethell, on November 13th, naively cozy on the Meatworks beach
Sunrise on November 14th sheds light on the quake's damage
Mill Road in Kaikoura saw significant damage to roadways, driveways, and properties
Glad that the timing of the quake meant many people were off the roadways
To be clear, I can’t say that at any point I genuinely thought that I would die; at no point did I believe that would be the outcome, nor am I trying to sensationalize the experience. But perhaps you too have found yourself in a situation where you briefly think, “Oh boy! This could deteriorate pretty quickly, and if it does as significantly as it possibly could…well then I guess there’s a chance my physical integrity and well-being could be threatened.” Perhaps not. Regardless, it’s what I thought briefly in the moment. Take it or leave it. That’s not really the point of all this. The point I’d like to get to is that while I’ve thought about the experience of the earthquake and the experience of a makeshift family unit quite a bit since the first couple minutes of November 14th, what I’ve been contemplating even more so has been the effect those experiences have had on my current outlook on life. To get there, I should ( :-P ) backup, not too far, to the evening of November 13th…
After a month of ‘campervanning,’ as Kelsey and I sat in our fold-up chairs perched on the rocky beach of the “Meatworks” campsite, we felt a certain calm and comfort in our then present situation. Sharing a few beers and our typical camping menu of cheese & crackers and dried dates (need I remind you? - Kelsey classes up the place), we realized that we had finally settled in to a very relaxed pace. We welcomed this discovery and gratefully took in the scenery of the peaks of the Seaward Kaikoura Range peering in and out of the retreating clouds at a rather placid Pacific. Such a setting was appropriate, if not encouragement, for the conversation in which Kelsey and I found ourselves. We discussed that calm and comfort – ‘living in the present’ and enjoying this journey we are currently on together – rather than worrying about the future, employment, and how we would make it all work. Although we still have goals and plan ahead for our coming days, we resolved to take the rest of our time on the road, emotionally at least, day by day. Our discussion, however, was not without its bystanders.
Cozy Kelsey enjoying Cozy Bethell - November 13th
Colin stretching out for a panoramic view of the Seaward Kaikouras
It seemed that nature was eavesdropping and decided to gauge just how serious we were about approaching our time in such an unperturbed manner. So, nature being the pragmatic power it can be at times, it forced us to do exactly that: to live very day by day, and learn to become comfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty.
Recognizing that not everyone who experiences a major earthquake comes out unscathed (again citing hind-sight, our lives were never truly threatened – if anything, they were enriched) has afforded me the emotional and cognitive energy to consider the ambiguity and uncertainty of life. One of the biggest challenges of it all, the uncertainty of when we would be able to continue our life beyond Kaikoura, may have been a shot to our egos in the sense that it took away a sense of control, but it was also a call to slow down. It was a call to recognize that there are moments in life when things are genuinely out of your control, that life will proceed along its desired course regardless of your own desires or actions. In those moments, it helps to recognize that the best approach is to do what you can, and then, let go of control. Because life will not only follow its desired course, it will do so at its desired pace.
When life hands you crayfish, cook, cut, and gratefully enjoy! Also, America!
Paua patties have a 'paua' (think 'power' with a Kiwi accent) of their own ;-)
After ‘living’ with the uncertainty in Kaikoura, I’ve left with a sense of comfort in taking things at a slower pace, or at least a comfort in not rushing through life. This effect may wear off periodically (or permanently when the travels are over), but for now I find it much more satisfying to appreciate life as a day to day endeavor that is best experienced “at pace.” I may never again get the opportunity to explore such a beautifully landscaped foreign land full of such genuinely kind and generous people with the woman I love on terms that are our own; even when it hasn’t been on our terms, it’s still been beautiful. Why would I want that to end? Why rush? If ‘living through’ an earthquake is any proof, life will eventually hand us a much different pace to deal with – although next time around, it will likely be one with responsibilities, deadlines, and decisions affecting others. You know, one with…jobs. The future and its worries will certainly arrive, we’re just not certain when. Until then, the thought of today is much more enjoyable.