Last week, I drew up a map to turn otherwise-boring days into adventures in boldness. Drawing on the simplest and most fulfilling moments of foreign travel – from waiting for a bus, to navigating new soil with help from the locals – the results were a step-by-step guide on how to travel, even when you’re not. Celebrating the new Wanderlust And Lipstick theme, Be Bold, I based my post on the words of American activist Maggie Kuhn: ” My goal is to do something outrageous every day.”
And then, several days later, I forgot everything she said. An extra early work shift, combined with a Wednesday, sent me down into the doldrums. Though even the location of my employment (Freycinet National Park) is an internationally-renowned tourist destination, I also forgot where I was. Boredom replaced the enthusiasm of travel.
So here’s what happens when you practice being bold in Coles Bay, Tasmania…
1. Ask a question. As I stumbled into the staff kitchen at 6:55 a.m., Anita was spreading Vegemite over two slices of wholemeal toast.
“Gross,” I teased her.
“Not as gross as peanut butter and jelly!” Her hands flew to her hips in mock indignation. “Salty and sweet? It’s such a weird combination.”
So I asked out loud, “Where does the PB and J sandwich come from?” Later, at home, I looked up the classic American dish online. And in case you, too, were wondering, the pairing first appeared in a Boston cooking magazine in 1901. (After peanut butter had been suggested with pimento, celery or watercress. I wonder if anyone has tried it with Vegemite?)
2. Take a right. These days, my shifts end with barely an hour of autumn sunlight left in the day. So Hadyn and I borrowed our friend’s border collie and rushed out for an afternoon walk. We usually follow the road down to Sandpiper’s Beach, but now we ducked into the bush. A sandy trail led us through eucalyptus and wild flowers, down to an unmarked bay. Violet and beige seashells crunched under foot; adolescent waves crashed warily into the shore; from across the water, the Hazard Mountains stoically guarded the horizon.
3. Taste something new. Inspired by my earlier conversation with Anita, I tried two things during my shift: Vegemite and Gemmaicha tea. Admittedly, I’d tried the yeast spread several years before; but, knowing that taste buds change, I wanted to give it a second chance. And, admittedly again, it wasn’t half horrible when thinly mixed with butter and fresh baguette.
As for the roasted Japanese rice tea? Not quite as salty as the Vegemite, and something I’d be much quicker to consume at a normal breakfast.
4. Speak to a stranger. As a food and beverage attendant at a luxury resort, it’s my job to speak with strangers. But even this step can be applied to a typical day. Rather than stick to the usual “What would you like to order?” I played a game: at each table, I had to ask one question that had nothing to do with food.
5. Wait 10 minutes. While Hadyn stayed at our newly-discovered beach to fish, I walked the dog back – only to discover we’d left my boyfriend with the house keys. We didn’t wait 10 minutes, we waited 45. Reclined over a deck chair, I closed my eyes and counted birds’ calls, strained to hear motors on the highway, squashed rebel mosquitoes and watched the clouds turn from daytime white to dusky pink.
6. Snap a photograph. Tasmania’s East Coast is dramatic and colored by the ever-changing sky. It only took a glance out the resort’s main windows to remind me that, however much daily work stinks, I’m still lucky to be in this unusual place.
7. Write about it in a postcard home. Dear me… How many different bird calls did I hear today? The chimp-like laughter of the Kookaburra, the wizened croak of the honey parrot, and that lilting chirp of several small, bright blue wrens. So difficult to see in the bush, their notes followed me from public street to isolated beach. This is why I love the East Coast: every step leads to a sense of discovery, each scene feels as if its yours for the taking. Like the explorers of old, we set foot ashore and should eagerly document the strange world surrounding us…
~ What have you done to be bold today?
~ Until the next adventure! ~ Kelli