| So Friday I decided to head out on a kayaking | | | | advantage of their full 2 weeks of vacation |
| weekend with my friend Leslie. This was the | | | | since they can't get away from work. I was |
| first time in about 8 years that I went | | | | talking to a client recently who works for a |
| camping again, and I had a ball sleeping | | | | major international retailer. I asked her why |
| under the stars. A fabulous weekend in nature | | | | she doesn't work from home since she receives |
| makes you think about life a little bit, so | | | | all her documents electronically from head |
| here are a few snapshots of what's been going | | | | office anyways. She said the head office |
| through my head in the last few days. In | | | | people just don't trust people working from |
| particular, I have been thinking about our | | | | home, so she continues to spend 2.5 hours a |
| lifestyles in the city and some of the stark | | | | day in traffic (on a good day, way more |
| contrasts with the experiences of this | | | | during a snowstorm...) Country snapshot |
| weekend. City snapshot number 1: Thursday | | | | number 1: After getting out of rush hour |
| night I linked up with a friend of mine who | | | | traffic my friend and I thoroughly enjoyed |
| works for a big international bank in | | | | the drive into Eastern Ontario, particularly |
| finance. He was telling me how his employer | | | | once we headed north of Belleville into the |
| was sending around a survey to find out what | | | | rolling hills, past tiny country towns and |
| tasks people were spending time on at work, | | | | provincial parks. Saturday morning we were |
| all for the purpose of efficiency and | | | | woken up by the mooing sounds of cows who |
| downsizing the workforce. In his employee | | | | were announcing day break. The sounds of |
| newsletter he read that his company was proud | | | | crickets and cicadas filled the air in the |
| that the annual turnover rate among employees | | | | campground. Country snapshot number 2: The |
| is now below 30% (!), and this was a big | | | | facilities at the Equinox river rafting camp |
| story in the newsletter. We were wondering | | | | are extremely basic. We realize that we can |
| why a turnover of almost 1/3 of the entire | | | | get by on 2 toilets in tiny plywood cubicles |
| staff in a year would be considered a good | | | | and 4 co-ed shower stalls that are located in |
| thing, considering the recruitment, training | | | | a wooden shed. We sleep in a tent on a mat, I |
| and outplacement costs as well as the | | | | forgot my pillow and I borrow Leslie's |
| disruptions caused by a constantly | | | | mini-pillow. There is no Internet, no cell |
| fluctuating workforce. But on a few days of | | | | phones, no appointments, no fancy clothes, no |
| the year his company gives away free icecream | | | | make-up. Country snapshop number 3: Evening |
| cones to their employees.... City snapshot | | | | in the campground. About 60 city folks are |
| number 2: Leslie and I left to go on our | | | | letting out their inner child, they are |
| kayaking excursion at 3 pm Friday. We left in | | | | partying, shouting, playing music, having |
| mid-town, just north of the 401, Toronto's | | | | fun. That's what it looks like when city |
| major cross-town highway. It took us about an | | | | people let loose. The next night is a lot |
| hour and a half, to get to Toronto's eastern | | | | quieter, after a full day of paddling the |
| suburbs, from about Pickering onwards we were | | | | rafters and kayakers are tired and Saturday |
| stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic until I had | | | | night was a much tamer affair. Country |
| enough and headed northwards to a local road | | | | snapshot number 4: I am doing my interview |
| where at least we were moving in between | | | | with Krista, the spunky young intern at |
| being stopped at red lights. City snapshot | | | | Equinox' river camp. I ask her if it would be |
| number 3: At the outdoor adventure camp I | | | | possible to borrow one of the bicycles that |
| actually talked to another weekend traveller | | | | were leaning against the shed. "Sure", she |
| who told me that he worked for many years for | | | | says, "just help yourself, my bike is the |
| a major international paper manufacturer | | | | silver-coloured one. Just grab it whenever |
| until he got unceremoniously laid off a few | | | | you feel like it". You don't see this |
| years ago. He had been living and working in | | | | easy-going generosity in the city. Country |
| Toronto's east end. After his lay-off he | | | | snapshot number 5: During the interview, |
| finally found a job in Toronto's west end and | | | | Krista tells me that a number of her rafting |
| he ended up commuting probably about 2 hours | | | | kayaking guide colleagues are living in |
| in rush hour traffic on a daily basis between | | | | tents, in a tree house or in a |
| his house in the east end to his new | | | | cobbled-together shack during the summer. |
| workplace in Toronto's west end. He figures | | | | During the winter they go off to teach |
| there is no point in moving since he doesnt' | | | | English as a Second Language, study theatre, |
| know when he's going to get laid off again | | | | teach skiing or plant trees and do |
| and where his next job might be. City | | | | horticulture in the spring. Krista mentions a |
| snapshot number 4: This same person told me | | | | key phrase several times: "It's amazing how |
| that one of the travellers in his group was | | | | little you need to live." And this morcel of |
| trying to use her cell phone in the middle of | | | | wisdom is coming from a 25-year old woman! |
| the wilderness on Calumet Island in the | | | | The guides are young adults that co-exist |
| Ottawa River. She even tried to get up on a | | | | without a lot of structure, very few rules, |
| picnic table and lifted the cell phone up in | | | | and they are just having fun doing sports |
| the air to try to get better reception. He | | | | they love and interacting with the clients. |
| found it rather ridiculous that someone would | | | | And somehow they manage to feed the clients |
| need to make a cell phone call during an | | | | and safely get them down the river. |
| 2-day weekend outing into nature. I guess we | | | | Everybody, the guides and the clients, feels |
| need to be wired all the time these days. | | | | like a kid again..... Makes you think, |
| City snapshot number 5: Life is speeding up | | | | doesn't it? |
| all around us. To meet a friend for coffee | | | | |
| you now need at least 3 weeks notice and set | | | | Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a web |
| up an appointment. People work on the | | | | portal for unconventional travel & |
| weekend, according to official statistics, | | | | cross-cultural connections. Check out our |
| many Canadians don't even manage to take | | | | FREE ebooks about travel. |