I've been part of a Buddhist meditation group for the past few Wednesdays in San Francisco and there's not much more that can test the technique than arriving on a stressful situation.
Travelling solo comes with many perks but it also has its challenges. Much as anything I guess in the sense travelling with a friend or partner can at times be equally lonely and stressful.
I'm not entirely sure why I do it but I regularly throw myself into testing situations. Call it in the vein of personal growth and keeping things fresh.
This morning I was due to catch a 10am ferry to the island Hydra. I was staying at an airbnb in Athens and little did I know but as I left the keys in the apartment to 'check out' I unwittingly locked myself in the building. Unbeknownst to me, the downstairs door leading outside, had been locked and needed a key - the key I had just locked inside the apartment.
I frantically worked this door thinking a good push could unlock it but, no. In less than an hour my ferry would depart and I knew I would likely miss it. The following half an hour was spent sweating from the heat and stress and trying to calm my hurried mind so I could work out what to do. I had already knocked on the two other apartments in the building to no avail and in the end I used a combination of iPad and phone to source contact details and call my airbnb hosts. After a 15 minute wait someone they had rallied by phone came to my rescue. Phew. I was out.
I did miss the 10am ferry and had to wait an additional four hours for the next one at port. I whiled away this dead time reading up on the Australian liberal party's leadership contest at a cafe tucking into a healthy omelette and traditional Greek coffee. A much appreciated respite after an isolating start.
This is the thing about travelling, and especially to countries where English is the second language, if spoken at all. It can do its darnest to test your mettle and the side that reveals itself to you in these circumstances speaks volumes.
During the days, I stroll the streets alone and pass organised tour groups, mostly older people, probably retirees - mindlessly trudging behind their tour guide in numb submission. That's not me, I note, but I know why the sheep do it. Having to report and accord for yourself 24/7 in uncharted territories is not for the thin-skinned.
One thing the meditation and its teachings have taught me, is to breathe through it which helps still the mind and creates the space to think rationally.
I made it to port and was pleasantly surprised to learn that I was able to book the 2pm ferry at no extra charge. Things were taking a turn for the better. That is, until I stepped in shit.
Photo: made it to stunning Hydra - the view from my window.
Photo: made it to stunning Hydra - the view from my window.
