Hi ,
It’s been a few months since my last email and I thought I would let you know what I have been up to since then.
Firstly, Ange and I have just returned home from a 16-day holiday in Svalbard (Norway). Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I would travel to the most northern part of the world. We were contacted by a very close friend of ours, Tim Cope, an explorer, and adventure guide, who invited us to join him on this amazing adventure. Ange and I did our research, watched several YouTube clips trying to understand what we might be getting ourselves into, then we decided to just go for it.
We boarded a small ice-breaking ship with 30 other paying explorers, and travelled towards the North Pole until the ice was too thick for the ship to break through. In fact, we were only 700km from the top of the world. Nothing can prepare you for the vast open scenery before your eyes. Blue skies, snow-covered mountains, fiords, ice packs, and cold! This time of the year in Svalbard is spring, so you have 23 hours of sunshine each day. There is no moon at night because there is no night.
Twice each day, morning and afternoon, we would wrestle into our “dry suits” to kayak through the icy waters taking hundreds of photos before returning to the ship to eat and sleep. We even had an opportunity for a 30-second polar plunge into the water which was a bone-chilling -1 degrees. That was a highlight for sure. All in all, the team and crew were amazing, the other 30 guests were all impressive people in their own individual fields of expertise, and the food aboard was great. We managed to see one polar bear, lots of walruses, whales, seals, arctic foxes, and plenty of birds.
If you’re looking for an adventure that upon reflection seems almost surreal, please reach out and I will give you the company’s website details.
Secondly, I have updated my coaching website, deciding to concentrate on coaching people to live confidently in all circumstances. I love coaching and more than that, I love meeting amazing people who decide to explore their inner world. In a way, they are adventurers just as much as the people I read about who first settled in Svalbard. If you get a chance, jump onto my website www.murrayparr.com.au, and have a look around. I’d love your feedback.
Thirdly, it’s important for me to keep asking myself key questions each day, for example, “What’s important to me in the way I live my life today?” These simple strategies I find can be very helpful to keep me on track in life. What are some strategies you can share with me that help you keep on track?
Finally, at 63 years of age I find I have developed a taste for self-development books. Although currently I am reading John Farnham’s biography- what an amazing Australian icon he is.
That’s it for today. I just wanted to check in with you and touch base. Feel free to reply to this email. If you don’t want to receive any more emails just unsubscribe, I won’t be offended in any way.
Stay well and keep warm.
Muzz
