The Box

The Box comes in many forms. It usually disguises itself as security. Everything is laid out in the box—grow up, get an education, get a job, work nine to five, bring up a family, retire, drop dead.

When we left our jobs in Nakusp we stepped out of the box and remained out of the box until we arrived in New Zealand five months later.

After four years of work and boat building in New Zealand we climbed out of the box and set sail for the Islands of Tonga and Fiji. Three months later we arrived in Australia—nineteen dollars left in our pockets.

While in Australia we alternated work with exploring parts of the Queensland coast and the Great Barrier Reef. Eighteen months later, coffers replenished, we set sail again, this time for New Caledonia.

We then sailed to Fiji then and back to New Zealand.

After returning to Canada by air, we climbed back into the box again.

I’m not sure what is the greater challenge—getting out of the box or getting back into it.