Zublog

Lily Tomlin once said “Reality is the leading cause of stress amongst those in touch with it”.  It’s a funny quote – as comedians are want to give – but it’s seems frighteningly true these days.  Everyone I meet who is remotely sane, seems increasingly stressed out. And why not? For most of us, day to day life is getting serioulsy pressurized – with work, family, bills, keeping up with the Jones…it does tend to run you down.

Everyone knows too much stress can be unhealthy. One of our recent clients told me she was buying Zufall for her friend who had just had a heart attack. She summed it up with a simple, “The dude needs to learn how to let go!”  Isn’t that at the core of a lot of our stress – we worry too much.  We over think things. We’re clinging too tightly to the reins.  We try too hard to make our lives perfect.  We feel compelled to make sure every minute of everyday is being utilized. 

I’m all for making the most of life, and being motivated to achieve the things I want but I do agree – we also need to learn to let go once in a while.  To loosen our grip on the realities that drag us down and just let the stress melt away. 

Lily Tomlin as Ernestine the Operator on Laugh In

If that makes me a little less sane in the eyes of Lily Tomlin – I’m happy to join her company.  Oh, you had noticed that during her brilliant career, she has seemed quite capable of letting go, right?  Two ringy-dingies….

We found ourselves enjoying breakfast at The Grand Lakefront B&B in Nelson recently – the dice rolled us straight into a soccer tournament, so we had to abandon camping and enjoy the respite of this heritage accommodation – more on that later.

Exterior - The Grand B&B Nelson, BC

Joining us at the table were Stacy and Galileo, a bubbly couple from Calgary. Eventually, we got to talking about Zufall and how it works. They loved it.

It was amazing to me, that they were both attracted to it for very different reasons.  For her, it was the lure of not having to plan, to avoid all the research and work that usually goes into a road-trip.  For him, it was the lack of accountability. He loved that nothing on the trip could ever be his fault. 

We often find that men and women like to Zufall for different reasons – women like the romantic notion of spontaneity – the surprise of it all, and to be completely unencumbered by the planning. Men like that it’s easy and it releases them from expectation (their own and their traveling companion’s). 

Either way – it makes for a simpler vacation and forces you to take it as it comes. Everyone is more relaxed and enjoys the journey. When it comes to the battle of the sexes and Zufall – there isn’t much of a battle at all.

It’s hard to believe but it’s been almost 9 years since the first seed of Zufall was created.  Back then it was a flip of a coin instead of dice but it was the same premise… let chance decide where we would go and the entire trip would become an adventure.  It wasn’t planned, it was the spawn of utter indecision – a car packed and ready for a camping trip and neither of us could decide (or was willing to choose) where to go. All of the gory details of that first date, young love and unbridled indecision can be found on the history page. 

A lot has changed in these past 9-years, we’ve developed the dice for Zufall, embraced the philosophy, and (in the last couple of years) have been lucky enough to introduce lots of great people to a world of adventure by chance. We get more and more people telling us about their experiences and sharing their adventures.  Who knew that one moment of letting a coin toss decide our weekend destination would lead to so much?

In honour of our 9th anniversary, we’ve decided to hit the road for another camping adventure. We’re gearing up for 5 days and we have no idea where we will end up. Just like our first trip, we won’t roll the dice until the car is packed and we are ready to hit the road – we’ll have to be prepared for anything.  But, unlike our first trip, we will be video taping our excursions to share with you here on Zublog. Stay tuned for episode one of ZufallTV…guaranteed to contain Tim’s antics, Val’s tisking and lots of random fun.

Looking to save a bit of money and improve your social life?  If you want to pick up a Zufall kit but you hate to pay full price – why not get a group together and buy in bulk to save on the kit and the shipping?

 Once you and your friends start rolling, you can exchange stories and even do events together. One of the things we like to do with a few other couples is to meet at a specific spot (usually a pub or bar), all agree to the same parameters and we each roll. In a few hours, we’ll meet back up at the start point (which is why we usually pick a bar…) and talk about our adventures.  Sometimes, you even get people rolling the same thing but having totally different experiences. 

 Or, you can do a group roll.  This is particularly fun if you are getting together for a bike ride or a walk, or even a paddle. One roll and everyone goes together.  It’s amazing how much more you’ll take in with so many eyeballs on the look out for interesting things.

 Whether it’s a meet up, a group roll, or something you created, I hope you’ll tell everyone about it on the iZufalled section of the website.  Or, tell us about it on Twitter  @izufall or Facebook! We love to hear about new ways that people are having adventures by chance.

 When I explain Zufall to people, the often ask “but what if the roll leads you to nothing – doesn’t that ruin your time?” It’s amazing to me how limiting this fear of disappointment can be. Yet, so often when we plan something, we still encounter that disappointment. 

 There are many ‘happiness philosophers’ (yes, there are many of them) who subscribe to the notion that you simply need to decide to be happy to live a life of happiness.  Zufall is the same way – decide to have an adventure. After you roll, realize that everything from then on is all part of the adventure. Be observant and engaged in the journey, discover what the final destination has to offer. And if all else fails, see the destination as the next starting point.

 I was zufalling with a friend one day and we picked an inauspicious starting point. We rolled a NE/6 with the base value of two blocks.  After 12 blocks, we’d had a lovely walk in an unknown part of town but found there was nothing in the way of coffee (which we were both craving) at our destination.  We decided to keep the journey going and went another 12 blocks – shazaam. We discovered this amazing, out-of-the-way chocolate shop where we indulged not just in a great coffee (mocha latte to be exact) but also some sumptuous homemade truffles.

 Before we found the shop, we had both agreed that the walk had been excellent and given us a chance to really catch up while getting some exercise – and the fact that we walked twice as far meant we didn’t feel quite as guilty about our decadent treats.  

   YUM!

Recently, a story was shared on our main website (thanks for sharing your story) where a couple of kids got a chance to roll the dice to determine which city park they would take their dog for a run.  It’s always great to hear about kids getting involved in Zufall. 

One of the things I love most about Zufalling is that no matter where I end up, I find something to appreciate. I let go of expectations and go with the flow of whatever I discover – it’s all part of the adventure.  In a way, it makes me feel like a kid again – the way a summer day would just unfold under your bike tires and you never really knew where that banana seat would carry you.

Of course, not a lot of kids get to experience those carefree summer days any more so it’s nice to give them an unscheduled day of possibilities. Besides, it’s such a great lesson for kids. So often, they get frustrated with things not going their way or when something doesn’t meet their expectations. I’ve seen a tantrum or two sparked by this. So, why not remove the expectations altogether? When you Zufall with kids, it’s the thrill of not know what the roll will bring. It gives kids the opportunity to develop coping skills – to learn to make the most of a situation. Plus, when they get to roll the dice, they feel in control of the adventure – it’s their adventure. 

I’m so glad families are using Zufall and I can’t wait to hear more stories from them.

I realized today as I made my way to meet Tim for a Zufall lunch that our Friday Zufall dates have become a bit of a habit – and I had to wonder if it goes against our whole philosophy of spontaneity and un-planning your life. I guess that’s balance – we still get to roll the dice but we had to plan a little, to make it happen.  

Besides, today’s roll was worth it.  We started at 4th @ Burrard with the base value set at 1 block.  We rolled a 1/SE and thought we might be in trouble. If you don’t know Vancouver, there is something in every direction, except that one. Or so we thought.  

We ended up at Quince – a very unique business that preps gourmet meals so you can make them at home. The shop also has great foodie items like flavoured vinegars and artisan preserves (including a selection from the delectable Vista D’oro) Well, they also have a little café serving lunch – just our luck!  We waited a little for the food, but it was fresh and delish.  Tim had an organic chicken panini and I opted for the soup and salad (which prominently featured scrumptious beets). 

Not only did we find a new place to eat, but the surroundings gave us a bunch of food ideas – and even inspired us to get creative this weekend with our dinner plans.  I think Tim might even sign up for their very serious BBQ cuisine class.  It was just our regular Zufall lunch, but it still delivered so much more than we could have expected.

Last weekend, we decided to roll the dice for a place to hike. The roll was N/5 with a base value of 15 minutes driving. So, that had us heading up the Sea to Sky Highway toward Whistler.  And hour and twenty minutes got as far as Alice Lake – which is a beautiful place to have a picnic by the beach and wander the trails.  We did just that and really enjoyed our day.But, it wasn’t just the great hiking or the lovely setting that random chance delivered to me that day. It was a funny little contraption that I saw a young family using it. It was like a dissected tent – just the back half – providing a nice little clamshell shelter for their baby while the rest of the family frolicked in the water and sunshine. I had never seen anything like it and I felt like a new world had opened up to me.To understand my excitement, you have to know something about me – for all my love of the outdoors, I am impossibly sensitive to the sun.  My skin burns at the mere mention of sunshine. A day on the beach for me means bathing in SPF 60, long sleeve shirts, a wide brim hat and a sarong to wrap my legs in.  Until now! I found the shelter at XS Cargo for only $14.88 – it folds up nice and neat, just like a mini tent, and is a lot less cumbersome than a giant umbrella. I can finally be the beach bunny I’ve dreamed of being… without the skidoo suit.

We always say that even if it looks like the dice are taking you somewhere you’ve been to, look for something new.  Like if you are Zufalling for a place to eat and it takes you to your usual haunt, make a point of trying something new on the menu – or roll the dice to see what you should eat. The other day I wanted to go for a walk through the neighbourhood.  I do that a lot, so there are few places I haven’t seen.  I set my parameters at 1 = 10 minutes walking and then rolled a 4/ NE.  This delivered me to a park called New Brighton – I’ve been here dozens of times; there’s a pool, a beach and a lovely gravel path.  But since the dice had delivered me here, I decided to try to see the park with fresh eyes.  And, lo and behold there was a historical plaque on a massive stone marker.  I could hardly believe that I had passed by it so many times.  The plaque (pictured) explained the history of the place – that this park was once a country retreat for all of the city folks in New Westminster. For anyone who is not familiar with Vancouver (where this park is located), New Westminster would now be considered a suburb to Vancouver.  Finding out about the area history was a nice little bonus to my walk and I carried on through the park trying to picture this oft-forgotten East Vancouver park as a vacation destination. It was truly a new perspective. - 

Last week Oprah Winfrey issued a challenge on her show – asking “What Can You Live Without?”  The people who took the challenge for her television program gave up the things they seemed to be addicted to – mostly technologies like cell phones, video games, and the internet.  It was an interesting social experiment that got to the heart of just how much time we loose to these ‘modern conveniences’.  And, how these things are keeping us from connecting with our families, loved ones and our community.

What stuck me was that these people, like many people, use these devices to fill up their time because they don’t know how else to use it. We’ve become such a scheduled society that we don’t know what to do with ourselves when there isn’t something demanding our attention. We’ve lost our sense of creative play, our sense of adventure, our ability to reconnect with the world immediately around us.

So here is Zufall’s challenge to go along with Oprah’s. When you ask yourself what can I live without – ask if a schedule is one of those things. Try giving up control of every minute of everyday.  Try not having a plan. Try giving up expectation and just roll the dice!  I think you’ll find that just like giving up technological time-suckers, giving up on a schedule, once in a while, will bring you closer to your family, friends and community.

          http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20090506-tows-live-without-challenge