Seek adventure in every situation
Life is a treasure hunt. I am currently in Tierra del Fuego – the 29th largest island in the world, its name in Spanish means Land of Fire – and I’m waiting to join a ship to the Antarctic. This Argentinian archipelago is located at the tip of South America and it’s my second visit here. Today, I amfacing up to the fact that I didn’t nail my travel plans to the level of detail required for a smooth sailing.
They say assumption is the mother (or father) of all mistakes so I assumed a few things that I shouldn’t have. Being busy with many other missions, I assumed that my transfers and accommodation were sorted and the boat departure date was correct. Unfortunately, no transfers or accommodation have been sorted. Fortunately, we are a day early for the boat, not a day late.
There is nothing quite like the feeling of arriving, literally at the end of the world, tired. I was travelling with my son and we were the last off the baggage section; there was no sign with our names on it and no hotel with a room for us. It may seem like a First World problem to be potentially homeless in a nonEnglish speaking country where the summer temp is 9 degrees Celsius and rain is on the horizon.
Thankfully, a sympathetic hotel manager rang many other hotels. Even in rapid Spanish ‘‘no’’ means no and the manager’s shoulders drooped with every ‘‘we are full’’ response. Eventually we hit a ‘‘Si, we have a room’’. The treasure hunt continued as we had to find another night and another room because the boat left a day later than I had budgeted.
Managing your thoughts, expectations and emotions while travelling is the key to enjoying the experience. You have to go with the flow and enjoy the treasure that every unexpected turn digs up. For us, the opportunity this time was an extra day in the Land of Fire, one where we could take a road over the Andes, the longest mountain range in the world and the second highest in the world, second only to the Himalayas.
A good night’s sleep can change your perspective as problems seem amplified and worse than they are if you’re experiencing a good dose of jet lag. Tempers can fray and holidays can be spoiled by someone losing the plot over unexpected events. I’m sure we can all think of examples of bad behaviour while travelling and seeing other family members cringe as their respective loved ones melt down at not getting what they expected.
Getting frustrated and angry is a waste of time, even more so when you’re on holiday. Go with the flow, take each day as it comes and seek the adventure in every situation. Now that I have slowed down and looked at the map of Tierra del Fuego, I’ve realised we could easily spend months here exploring fiords, mountains, lakes and trails. The Land of Fire is one of nature’s finest pieces of work.
Visiting Tierra del Fuego is GETTY IMAGES also a chance to improve my Spanish as the guide speaks no English. Relajarse is the Spanish word for relax. Safely back at the new room with a new view, a new adventure awaits tomorrow. Make sure you ‘‘relajarse’’ on your next trip. ● Dr Tom Mulholland is an Emergency Department Doctor and GP with over 25 years experience in New Zealand. He’s currently a man on a mission, tackling health missions around the world.