The Experiment

Besides all the training I’m getting back to the roots of educational sciences, but in a practical way. I’m on a self experiment (for the record: I’m writing this with a mischievous smile on my face). As I reported in my last post I feel myself pushed to socialize, meet people, go out, do things, I can’t just stay at home watching TV, that’s definitely not what I came here for. Actually I’m getting angry sitting at home staring around and surfing on the internet. So I grab my purse and go out.

 Isn’t it you the person who most often stands in the way?

Setting:

Single traveling girl, settled (but not really) in Noosa, Queensland.

Actual situation: contacts in Triathlon scene. 24h on her account every day. Average training hours: 3. Sleep: 9h-10h. Food intake: 1h. Internet surfing: too much. Free time to fill: 10h.

The idea is simple, go out and meet people. The first attempt was reported in the last post. That was Wednesday. Thursday was filled with a lovely evening with Jules, upcoming triathlete (racing for Germany this summer, yeah!!), funny and simply adorable.

Friday, free afternoon and nice weather, I start the experiment, grab my stuff and head down to main beach. There has to be people to meet. I’m pretty aware of my shyness, but convinced to win this battle. It might be my german pighead, but I have to get over it.

The experimental ground is Noosa Main Beach. I sit down with an alibi book and observe my surroundings, looking for an opportunity to prove myself. Again, everyone around is with somebody. Young families playing in the water, couples working their tans, the lifeguards just don’t fit in my experimental concept, actually one of them is asleep, rough night I think ;)

Some pages of my book later the Swiss Triathlon guys walk by and take a dip in the ocean after their run. I know one of them, knowing is too much to say, I met him having coffee one day with Belinda and Justin. I just let them go; they probably go to bed early, so not the target group. I turn around and spot a single person. A young guy sitting on a stair, head phones on, looking around. He doesn’t seem to wait for anybody. I think I spent just enough time alone to see directly if someone is alone or not.

It is similar to my sport, if you are into Triathlon, and I suppose it is the same in other sports, you identify your fellows if you see them during training, and outside of training too, even on an airport. There are certain aspects that don’t fail: shoes – mostly running shoes, if it’s thongs, look at the toe nails, they are in a bad estate. The piece of carryon luggage can be easily a small backpack from a competition. Scabs on the neck (wetsuit). Watch: Polar or lately more fashion, Ironman watch, digital, not analog. Legs: shaved? (Talking about men). You can also spot a finisher t-shirt or polo shirt, a bike bottle instead of a normal water bottle, and of course the topics they talk about. Triathletes love to talk about their sport ;)Oh, and the weird tan lines of cycling jerseys and pants or running tops (when female)…

But back to Friday. I keep observing the guinea pig every now and then, just to avoid a snap judgment. Still alone, still not behaving like waiting for someone. It starts to get a bit chilly out there. I put my clothes on and pack my book back in my bag and get a bit nervous. I know that this is a unique situation I HAVE to take advantage of. I stand up and walk towards him, and walk by. No courage. I keep going some more meters and stop. Here’s the thing: I can go home now and get angry with my shy me again or I can take a deep breath and take a risk and change things, or myself?

Second option chosen. Take a deep breath, walk over, sit down next to him, and look over. He looks back and takes his head phones off. I say: Hi, you’re alone here aren’t you? He: yes I am, just chilling a bit, arrived today… He’s Dutch, traveling alone too, but staying at backpacker places which make it quite easy to know people. 4 Month in Australia, 2 weeks to go. And there we were sitting and chatting for an hour or two, I’m smiling on my inside, because I won the battle. My very own and personal battle. And it was easy! We just spend the afternoon and evening chatting, grabbed some greasy noodles at a take a way place, ate them sitting on a bench of a bus stop. I wrote down his name and blog name, we hugged each other and I drove home, happy, proud and laughing about me.

During our conversation he said: well, now you have your recipe how to get in contact with, and he might be right, but this is not about finding a recipe. I did what I wanted to do. Next time there’ll be another setting, different people, and a new challenge. I don’t want to get stuck in a recipe or in one way to do things. I could try the same thing just to approve it’s working, but that would be boring. This is not a laboratory and I don’t have to run several tests about the same question.

I think I changed something by doing what I did. Since then it becomes easier. Perhaps the simple fact to have proven that I’m able to do what I’ve done changes how I see things? They say: things don’t happen just like that, you have to make them happen. And I did.

Things have changed since then. But not (or maybe?) because of my rad self experiment. As I mentioned before, I went out with Jules, I met her for the first time at a BBQ on my first weekend in Noosa, but haven’t seen her again. On Monday last week she showed up at the swim squad, we changed numbers and have good fun hanging out together ever since.

Actually, now that I’m thinking about it, I have approached to a lot of people this week; even if it was only to present myself to the girls I’m swimming in the same lane with for weeks now. Things change; sometimes it is hard work on you. Like learning a new language: At the beginning you are still aware of each new word you’re using and then there comes the point where you’re just talking, without thinking. Or learning a dance, a new IT program or to resolve Sudoku’s. You just need to get out of your comfort zone.

Today I bought myself a new pair of thongs, new shoes for the next steps. Looking ahead ;-)

PS: this afternoon the next trip starts, there will be more photos ;)