Sydney, NSW
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
– Mark Twain
“I’ll do that someday.”
Do you catch yourself saying that a lot?
There are so many things I want to do but I put it off for “someday”. I want to do it, I hope I can do it, I wish I can do it, I dream I can do it, I even pray that I can do it; but when the opportunity finally makes itself available, I don’t do it.
I’ve given myself a “someday” for just about everything I’ve ever wanted to do:
Someday, I’ll lose weight. Someday, I’ll learn how to use the weights at the gym. Someday, I’ll go bungee jumping. Someday, I’ll go skydiving. Someday, I’ll go on a road trip. Someday, I’ll go to grad school. Someday, I’ll put myself out there and meet new people. Someday, I’ll travel every continent.
Someday.
January 1, 2019
The moment before that picture was taken (above), I made the decision to stop dreaming about living in Australia someday, and to just go for it.
Five months later, I began my one year Radical Sabbatical here in beautiful Sydney, Australia!
As I continue to journey along this season of (f)unemployment, I’ve decided to do some of the things I’ve always wanted to do but never gave myself an opportunity to do.
I made so many excuses not to do them:
- I had to work
- I didn’t have enough money
- I didn’t have the free time
- I needed to hand in an assignment
- I’ll go someday
Sydney, Australia
July 9, 2019
I’ve always wanted to go Whale Watching. I lived in the West Coast of Canada, there are so many opportunities to go Whale Watching and see our beautiful Orca Whales or Dolphins swim and breach along our coast.
I was in Circular Quay on Monday, trying to figure out what I wanted to do during the week (I have a lot of free time on my hands, as you can tell). There were multiple booths for Whale Watching, I walked up to each one and asked them about pricing and the schedule. The average price was about $90 (something I was not that thrilled to pay for). I walked over to one of the last booths which was Captain Cook Cruises, and they told me I could go the next afternoon for $55.
Sold.
I walked up the Wharf on Tuesday. It was quite a lineup to get onto the Catamaran. Fortunately, when you’re the solo traveler, you can get any open seat at the upper deck (yay).
We were given complimentary Barf Bags (so thoughtful). I chuckled to myself when they were being handed out. The waters didn’t seem that rough?
HAH!
Once we left the harbour, the boat was hopping on the waves and you couldn’t walk on the boat without holding onto something (guess who fell down the stairs, sigh). People were using those bags, some people used theirs up and were going off the side of the boat, and one guy didn’t make it past opening the washroom door (everywhere … it was everywhere).
Helpful Tip: stay hydrated, but don’t eat before you go onto the open waters.
Anyway, the scenery was breath taking. You look back and can see all of the cliffs, beaches, and the city skyline. Ugh, what a view!
Then you look out into the water and you realize you’re on sailing the Pacific Ocean. The wind was blowing, the sun was out, there was not a cloud in the sky.
The Skipper slowed the ship down, and we were told over the loud speaker that there were two hump back whales swimming ahead. Moments later, we had a pod of dolphins (you can look at some short clips in the instagram post above).
People who know me well will tell you I am one of the most emotional people you’ll ever meet.
I was a wreck watching these mammals come up for air.
Fortunately, I wasn’t the only one on this ship that appreciated the opportunity we were experiencing because there were a lot of people crying.
Phew.
Kirrawee, NSW
July 10, 2019
The next day, my cousin was chatting with me at breakfast and asked what my plans were for the day?
I didn’t have any, was likely going to bum around the city.
She told me she was going to their her kids Indoor Rock Climbing and asked if I wanted to tag along?
I’ve always wanted to go, I just never had the time or anyone to go with so I jumped on the opportunity!
While I’ve never been too afraid of heights, there’s something about the idea of rock climbing climbing that has always made me queasy. Oh, and they don’t give helmets (seriously … even the ones I’ve seen in Manila, Philippines give you a helmet).
Nonetheless, my little cousin was belaying for me, and I faced my fears and climbed to the top (the video below is my 2nd climb … the first one I skinned my knee and cussed in the video, oops).
Kirrawee, NSW
July 10, 2019
I woke up the next morning and realized that one year ago I finished the final class of my Bachelor of Arts in Leadership. To celebrate, I went into the city for a walk.
There’s a patch of grass as you enter The Rocks below one of the pillars of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
I laid out in the sun, the calm breeze brought the subtle salt water smell to where I was. Boats sailed by, the running groups were training, and the cars and train going over the bridge made up the typical downtown noise.
I reflected on the significance of that moment.
On the evening we finished our class, Leading in the World.
We were asked by our instructor what our degrees would do for us once we walked out of the doors of the university?
Some of my colleagues said they would use their degrees to become teachers and others said they would become counsellors.
I’ve always said my degree would give me the courage to pursue my dream of being in Australia.
And it has.
I quit a job that I loved, paid off my debt, packed up my bags, and pursued a dream that was on my heart.
I left the only life that I knew back in Vancouver. I’ve pressed “restart” and have this rare opportunity to create a new identity, create new structure, meet new people, learn more about myself, try new things and take the time to find whatever it is that has drawn me to Australia.
I am living my dream right now; today, not someday.
Sydney, Australia
July 11, 2019
So, think about this:
What is that thing you’ve always wanted to do someday?
The big question:
What is stopping you from doing it today, not someday?
I hope you pursue the first thing that came to your heart.
I promise you, it’ll be so worth it!
Onwards,
-Zaighum
ZP's Radical Sabbatical 