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