Today’s blog is about taking a day trip to a location *not* within easy driving range. Have you ever thought about the benefits of taking a trip like this? It’s amazing how it can stretch your comfort zone.

 

Stretching your comfort zone gives you beautiful views

I travelled from Vancouver to Nanaimo, BC, Canada and back within the same day.

Unfortunately the view from the ferry was obstructed by clouds. Here’s a picture from the adventure:

 

So you don’t lose interest in riding the ferry, here’s a photo from a better day on the ferry.

 

That’s not the point

But that’s not the point of making the trip. My aim is to make the case for travelling outside of your comfort zone and the benefits that come with it.

 

The stats of the trip were…

37 – ground miles

58 – nautical miles

5 hours in transit one way : 1 hour catching connecting transit + 4 hours sitting, thinking, and watching the world go by

 

And the benefits of stretching my comfort zone were…

4 – unique modes of transportation

1 – standing on a skytrain (above ground subway)

1 – a bus (surprisingly a comfy seat)

1 – a ferry ride ( appealing especially if sunny)

1 – walking on foot (of course)

1 – large ocean to see from many directions – see photo above

1 – walk in a new neighbourhood

2 – coffee shops

1 – shop at a department store

4 – conversations with strangers along the way (a backpacker reading Paulo Coehlo, a mother with an active 4 year old, a man in barbership attire preparing for a chorus singing competition, and young woman from Kentucky studying criminology at SFU)

1 – wild salmon burger

1 – vanilla chocolate swirl ice cream (with this I max’d out on daily indulgences)

1 – adventure to a bistro specializing in raw food

8 – # of dedicated people I met with (reason for going to Nanaimo)

1 – discovery of a city centre (Nanaimo)

3 – wireless checkins of email along the way

 

D21’s (BC’s) Toastmasters Conference in is Nanaimo …but you knew that

For those of you in the know, in a few weeks Nanaimo will host BC’s Toastmasters conference.

This is blog is a semi-obvious attempt to encourage you to make the trek to the Island for the conference (and encourage mainlanders to travel outside of your comfort zone).

Has it worked?   Who knows, you may just move outside of your comfort zone and experience some new things along the way.

 

Stay well, until tomorrow,

Linda