The Life of a Digital Nomad: Meditating on the other side of the world
- Jess Nadeau
- Nov 30, 2023
- 5 min read
November 2023 - The last month has been about getting home, only to set off again to New Zealand, for my first Vipassana meditation course.
I decided to extend my stay with my friends in Alberta by one day. And I split my drive across BC into 2 days, allowing me to visit another friend in Kamloops. I was tired of driving and sure that Jeepy would appreciate a break too, once in Squamish/Vancouver.
So I finished my crossing on Friday Nov 3. But I already had plans to leave again on the 10th. Giving me one week to catch up with friends, eat my favourite sushi and make multiple trips to my storage unit to unload my Jeep and find the items that I'd need for my next adventure.
It was a bit of a whirlwind. And during all this, I was negociating a trial run for some translation work. I wanted to get it done, or at least started, before my Nov 10 flight. But unfortunately, I only managed to sign the contract and NDA by then. The actual work would have to be done from my next destination: New Zealand.
New Zealand is one of my favourite countries, if not my number one favourite (after Canada)! Something there makes me feel at home. To me, it has everything to offer. So when, back in August, I decided I wanted to do the 10-day Vipassana silent meditation course, my heart stopped on their New Zealand centre. It is located in the beautiful countryside about an hour north of Auckland. Perfect.
Now, for the record, I'm on a really good friend's Air Canada passes this year. This means that flying to New Zealand was way way cheaper for me than the full cost. I wouldn't have done it otherwise. It would not have made sense to buy a full price flight to the other side of the world when I'm barely making an income!
This also means flying stand-by. So I'm never sure if I'll actually get a seat. I have to pack my bags and go wait at the airport until check-in is closed. Then, just before boarding starts, I usually find out if I get a boarding pass. Sometimes I even find out after everyone gets on! But it's all worth the extra stress.
I got lucky, the flight wasn't full. I was given a middle seat at the back of the plane. I was going to New Zealand!
Due to the time difference, this meant I landed in Auckland on Nov 12. I kind of missed Nov 11 altogether. Not a big deal for most days of the year. But that day marked my dad's 6 years since passing. 6 years. I have so much to be grateful for since then. So much I hope my dad would be proud of me for...
Getting onto the first flight I attempted means I had 3 days in Auckland before Vipassana. It was great. I caught up on sleep, hiked up Rangitoto and explored downtown and Devonport. It was the beginning of summer, with temperatures pretty cool unless in the sun. I also made time to complete my translation trial contract and hit send on my last morning in the city.
Nov 15, my friend Ash picked me up from the city and we set off for a mini adventure before she dropped me off at the meditation centre. She had just landed from Sydney the night before and would be gone again when I finished my 10 days. So it was a short and sweet reunion.
I was so nervous for Vipassana. I wasn't sure what to expect. I wanted to really give it my 100%. And so I did. I wrote about my experience as such:
A lot of people asked how my Vipassana was…
10 days isolated in this beautiful space
9.5 days of noble silence - no talking, reading, writing, no interaction such as eye contact, gestures or physical contact. Obviously no phones or electronics. No music either.
about 100 hours of specific meditation techniques
countless ups and downs
The schedule was busy. Every day starting at 4am and going until 9pm. No time to get bored. For the first 3 days, the thoughts were nonstop. Then on day 4, we learned the Vipassana technique and somehow that satisfied my mind a little. I didn’t expect to feel so many sensations. Sometimes I was flying. Sometimes I felt sad without knowing why. I had to remind myself of how special it all was, how lucky I was to be in that space.
The food was amazing. Lunch being a highlight everyday. But there was no dinner, only fruit. Feeling lighter and lighter everyday, both physically and mentally.
Day 6 I stopped feeling so tired. Day 9 I had a massive breakthrough. Physically clearing years of accumulated negative patterns stored in molecules all over my body. Sounds weird. But I don’t know how else to explain it.
When silence was lifted on day 10, we could feel a frenzy in the air. It was like we were a bunch of girlfriends at summer camp (boys being separated the whole time). We told stories, shared our experiences. It was some of the most genuine interactions I’ve ever had with strangers. But we no longer felt like strangers. We had shared something very unique. We finished our last night by exploring the forest filled with glow worms.
The whole thing was magical. So so beautiful. And so incredibly difficult also.
I know in my heart I needed to do this in New Zealand and I’m so grateful to everyone who suggested I do Vipassana in the last few years. Thank you
I came out of this experience on Nov 26. I felt so calm. Eager to see how it would change me in my "real life". I was getting dropped off in the heart of the city, from where I had to catch a bus to Ash's suburb, as I was petsitting for her until she returned from Fiji.
The return to the city was a bit of a slap in the face. But I managed to keep my zen. I also managed to keep my cool with the intensely energetic puppy until Ash's return on Nov 29.
I can't say that the meditation provided answers for any of my existential wonders... but I do feel I am still calmer today, and my mind clearer. It changed me in much deeper, yet subtler ways than I would have expected. One of the first life decisions I had to make was whether or not I would start a new GIS and Data Collection Technologies course. I had been waiting for the course to get on the eligibility list for a grant and only found out it had been added the day before it started. I did not even hesitate. I completed the application form right away and hoped for the best. And the day after, I became a part-time student.
This all takes me to Nov 30. Technically, I finished the month one day early (compared to Canada). I packed my bags again and got on a bus towards Mount Maunganui. I remembered very much liking the town 5 years earlier, and it felt right to go to the beach for a few days. So here I am! 🥰
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