Delays...

Maiwar is no longer in my hands, she’s at the mercy of the shipping industry, which is, in turn, at the mercy of uncontrollable events, acts of God.

 It seems a bat flapped its wings in China, and now Maiwar is delayed on her journey to Peru, it’s funny how life goes.

 Ultimately, the latest news is that she is stuck in Sydney. I was under the impression she was now in New Zealand, soon to be heading for Panama. However, I have been belatedly informed that she missed the boat, and is still sitting in Sydney. Her new ETA for Callao, Peru is the 7th of April. Maiwar is already 21 days behind schedule and hasn’t even left the country! She still needs to go via numerous ports in New Zealand, The Pacific and South America, each one of those ports being another chance for delay. So, who knows when I’ll get there?

Fortunately, patience is a virtue, and one that I have been practising a lot of recently.

It’s oh so easy to get frustrated and disheartened by these delays. Why shouldn’t it be easier? It was all going well when Maiwar was in my hands.

I really thought I was over the hump when I secured a booking and packed her into the container, but it seems that was just the start, I’ve still got many hoops to jump through. I feel like Sisyphus at the bottom of the hill again…

But when it all boils down, in the grand scheme of life, of living, of our human experience, this is but a minor incursion in an otherwise pleasant existence.

This extra time before the journey has been, and will continue to be very valuable to me. I am making the most of it, working full time to raise some dollars for the trip, while also training, preparing and making some great connections with people all around the world, along with doing the odd presentation, podcast and media engagement.

Bombs are being dropped as I write this, and I’m worrying about a later departure date for my pleasure trip. I think perspective is just as important as patience right now.

The good times are coming…for me anyway.