Well the day has arrived - departure day for the Sahara! It seems such a complete world away from a big city like Melbourne and a job in an office on the 34th floor of a high rise building... but shortly I'll be on the other side of the world, in the most fammous desert on the planet.
A couple of last minute thoughts spring to mind...
1. The physical stuff is bound to be hard. The pack will be heavy for the first day or so, and coping with that, and the predicted heat will obviously be a challenge. Staying fit, healthy and strong is therefore priority number 1. Keeping the feet in good conditions is priority number 2. If I can manage those two things, then I should be able to finish. It's like so many things - focus on the process, and the result will look after itself.
2. Logistics. Getting yourself on the plane is harder than usual. Anything you pack in a suitcase under the plane may get lost. I am flying Emirates, one of the better airlines, so the chances are low they will lose your luggage, but its still a chance. So everything I absolutely need will be taken on as hand luggage, subject to weight and size restrictions for hand luggage of course! Currently my hand luggage is a little over 7kg, plus two hand held parcels (one for race shoes, and one with documents / cameras etc). Hopefully it wont be a problem.... but maybe I will repack one more time! :)
3. But I think the area that will make or break the event as an experience is the mental side.
I am not a natural camper, and have never camped in the bush, so this will be a challenge. Also the conditions are very basic, although apparently this year there is a seat at camp toilets, in the past it was just a hole, or more likely you would just go into the desert.
There will also be plenty of time doing nothing but recovering at camp post the days stage, or waiting for the stage to begin after the "tents" are taken down by the organisers. So there is a lot of waiting around apparently.
Moving from a fast paced life in the city, to a very slow pace, in completely different surroundings I think will be the biggest challenge. But the good thing is that I am aware of this, and I am looking forward to seeing how I cope in such drastically different circumstances.
The biggest positive, is that I know about it before I get there! Its all about slowing down, focusing on what I can control and just letting everything else flow around me.
Time to soak up some Sahara atmosphere!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment