…..beauty comes from within
I have traveled
extensively and I relish the opportunity to learn about different cultures and explore
this wonderful world that we all live in.
Recently, I went on a kayaking/hiking and exploring the ruins trip to
Greece. We started in Athens, then to
Crete and lastly Santorini. Each a very
different experience. While it would be
easy to write a travel blog on the pristine sights and the amazing foods of
Greece, I have instead decided to write about the extraordinary experience that
has created friendships and memories that are priceless. The cultural norm was one of the quickest
formations of team that I have experienced. Of course this perked my curiosity
and caused me to introspectively review the why.
We had varied
professionals, among the guides and guests together there was a balance of men
and women, ages were varied with some Millennial, Gen X and Boomers, technical
experience was varied, there was a balance of introverts and extraverts, the
group was made up of varied levels of wealth and we came from all over the
United States. By all counts, this was a
diverse group with the only basic commonality being that we were all American
citizens. We were in minimal
living-conditions, we had different interests and different needs. Despite all of the diversity, we quickly
formed a cultural norm that created a bond between the members of the group
that has lasted beyond the trip and memories that go way beyond the ordinary
vacation experience.
The guides and the
guests formed a team culture that, aside from probably being the most
photographed trip by amateur photographers and I-phone users, was driven by
selfless love and shared leadership. Within
one long and very close-quartered van ride, one by one each of our very type
“A” and guarded selves was put aside and replaced with humility and
vulnerability…. in that moment the past dissipated and we simply let ourselves
be in the present. We shared our personal stories, laughed and a bond of unity
was quickly forged. Thereafter, no “one”
took the lead, yet interestingly we all took the lead. A balance of independence, interdependence
and intradependence surfaced among this team of prior strangers. Even the
guides of Northwest Passage were quickly adopted into our group culture while
maintaining their professional responsibility. The introverts who needed down
time were given the space for down time, those with a more active appetite
created group and individual choices, those with more technical experience stepped
up to help those with less experience, others led the dinner discussions, one
used their musical talents to entertain, food was ordered with consideration of
everyone’s pallet and sharing memories of the day and what we were grateful for
became the evening ritual. In an environment of long arduous and physically strenuous
days, we hiked and paddled through the most southern part of Europe, to towns
consisting of as little as ten people with conditions that were primitive to
basic at best. While it could have
easily been the breeding grounds for tension and stress, the group camaraderie
never once faltered. Instead, we respected each of our differences, took the
time to appreciate the environment around us and gave thanks to each day of
experiencing the earth’s internal and external majestic beauty.
On an
aside…another curious thought that has nothing to do with Greece directly: In all my travels, I have noticed that the
southern parts of each country, i.e. Chile, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, and
the United States to name a few, seem to be more pure, laid-back, in the
present…and even birds fly south for parts of the year. Do you think there is something to be said
that heading south for part of the year can help with stress and cause a
harmonious soothing effect? Even in
war-time…South Korea, South Vietnam, South Nigeria, etc., were the peaceful
parts of the country…Hmmm, do birds know
something we don’t’ know? Just a
thought…..
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