Who travels with you may be either the biggest blessing or can change the most beautiful journey into a nightmare. This is probably why it is said that true friends one meets in poverty. And… while travelling.
Poverty seems to me a much easier test. Different people are good in different situations – not many of us are like a versatile plug that fits all and everyone – not everyone I love in Warsaw I will love during trekking in Sumatra or diving trip in Bali…
If you know what you want, what you like while travelling (I do), there is no point put it into test. If we want keep loving some people we should be with them in certain situations and that’s it! I have many friends whom I would give a kidney without thinking twice, if they needed it. But I would also give the same kidney so we don’t have to spend holiday together.
So if it’s not obvious whether those you know, love, spend time with, those who entertain you, who are able to listen, who you like to listen to, are suitable for a journey together, then… what to say about trip on a ship?
Ship is a VERY specific journey – whether you want it or not, you are locked in a floating metal can. And you cannot say after a few days: “Sorry, I’m out. It’s not my cup of tea. Ciao”
I actually didn’t think about it before sailing to the Antarctica (although I should have, because after the cruise Panama – Columbia I know exactly what it means to be locked up with the wrong people). I was busy to cope in three days formalities people normally deal with over several weeks. But the question of Sergio, my friend from Ushuaia, to the travel agent Danielle, made me think:
– What is the average age on the ship?
– Young people, no worries… on average they are 49 years old.
From the point of view of an already aging individual – I love that segmentation. I also think that today’s 50 is yesterday’s 30 (it is funny that whether I convince my clients in Izmalkowa Consulting during presentation to this point of view – always depends on the average age of clients – they either love me or laugh at me).
When we boarded on the ship, I saw that 80% people are a mix, from 8 to 84 years old… I am not so good in math but it felt like it’s not 49 who will dominate …
If they had told me that while buying the ticket, I would have thought: “I’ll DO it. It is not a cruise to Ibiza to have fun and look for friends. I’m here to see the Antarctica.” But… At the end of the cruise I would answer the same question with:
“Genius combination!! Thank you! I can’t remember the last time I had so many interesting conversations during 12 days.”
When I was looking at all these people for the first time, I thought: “How will we all get along? How will we cope with each other for 12 days?” As I immediately made friends with the girls working on the ship, I asked whether many groups form during the trips and whether there are conflicts.
– Never or almost never. There are definitely more among us than among passengers.
– But they are at different age, form various countries, of different professions…
– All this is not important. They have ANTARCTICA in common. This is such logistically demanding journey, so expensive and unique, that if someone is here, it is because THEY WANTED TO BE HERE VERY MUCH. Most people save for it all their life, dream about it all their life. They are different, but one thing connects them – love for the ice. And also openness to uniqueness. This is why there are no conflicts.
Another proof that ONLY psychographic segmentation is important (i.e. one that connects people because of their stage of life). IN my work people pretend sometimes that they understand that but than… we goes the brief and its 15-50, big cities, high education, average plus income etc… I think the only way to convince them to psychographics is to make them EXPERIENCE THEM (maybe all people in marketing should go to Antarctica – one person in one ship…)
Because what I experiences on the ship was the best proof that people are more similar in their matters when they are connected by goal, dreams, attitude.
Everything was crew member was saying turned out to be true. Yes, micro-groups were created, to talk about some interesting subject. Then others formed, then others joined, etc. I had never before experienced so many cultures in one place: from those one could expect (UK, USA, or Australia) to those that surprised even people on the ship (Korea, Japan or the Republic of South Africa). I had never before been in group with such a variety of people in terms of professions and activities: from students and teachers, through space satellites designers and lawyers, to helicopter pilots and ornithologists. For all, the three daily meals were an occasion to exchange experiences, views, to find out something and talk about their culture and passions
If people are connected by something big, then this big something is like a lever, which opens the door to minds and hearts. Complete openness and curiosity towards the other person’s story. There was more will to hear someone else’s opinion than to talk of oneself; people more often asked than talked themselves.
From the point of view of our every-day lives, we did not have much in common with each other. But such extraordinary thing as Antarctica connected us, bringing fascination with the world of people from other worlds than ours. Thanks to the fact that everyone was practically an alien, this journey was so interesting.
I didn’t know that the satellite in space dies after 9 months at most, because it moves so fast that it wears itself off; that the “divorce rate” of albatross is only 0.01; that the most magical way of visiting Alaska is kayaking or by helicopter; and that owning quite a big radio station in the UK gives prestige and fame, but not the money to travel to Antarctica. I would not hear the most romantic and sad-happy love stories; I wouldn’t find out about how and why 82-year-old woman travels more than her grandchildren; I wouldn’t discuss the ozone hole and greenhouse effect, or visual art during music festivals.
We were AMAZINGLY connected by the differences of our experiences – I do not meet in my normal life the employees of space stations, ostrich breeders… Many of these friendships will not last, but everyone will leave a trace anyway – in my mind and on my blog.
I am certain, however, that some of these friendships will last – because I have already met people whose difference from me is something so brilliant, that I cannot wait until I will be able to talk to them again. A passion and will to explore connected us. The curiosity for diversity made us close. Even though COMPLETELY NOTHING connects us demographically: not age, place of residence, or profession.
You can make mistakes in numbers but not in emotions.
Just before boarding the ship I didn’t really know what was waiting for me – until then I only sailed on small yachts.
However, a very pretty view awaited me. I was lucky that #OneOcean upgraded my cabin and I was alone. I didn’t expect it to be so big, so looking at the divine view from the window, I thought to myself: ok, if people are hopeless, then, worse comes to worst, in between the excursions I will sit and look through the window.
Right after leaving the port, everyone started wandering on the ship alone, taking last pictures of the land. And, of course, selfies.
It is always most difficult to break the ice (it sounds very funny, when you’re on your way to Antarctica). We were helped by the animals – people react like barbarians, after all (I – the biggest barbarian of all), when they see something they don’t see every day. So when someone noticed a swimming penguin, there was screaming.
Then the whales – even more commotion. Well, that was really something – we looked at water…
… predicting in which place a whale was about to appear.
After animals, the best ice breaker was laughter – we looked absurd in large shoes and dressed in big jackets and trousers, like red penguins – we moved on land equally clumsily.
First trip in a zodiac was an experience for all and here the present time started to connect us, as well as sharing what we had seen and felt.
When we left the land, it was our time for eating, having fun and conversations. And I don’t know whether the penguins, ice or lack of Internet freed in us such carelessness and curiosity about each other.
