a few weeks ago i had a moment of total and utter happiness.... i was down on the beach, the mountains beside me had a frosting of snow on them, making them look like something out of a fairytale, out to sea there were massive thunderclouds, bursting with character, but not touching the blue sky above us. The baby seals sat watching us curiously from a safe distance out to the sea, not allowed to come any closer to shore by their velvet skinned mothers. As i galloped my horse along the beach, causing the flocks of birds ahead to scatter from our path, and filled with the exhilerating adrenaline rush that comes with being out of control but having total trust that the horse won't fall, i thought that i'd been mad to think that ireland didn't have enough to offer me and crazy to think of leaving just as i was getting settled down......
this week, different beach, summer now threatening, but not quite delivering... i was out with one of my friends for the first surf of the year, having too much fun to actually progress much, messing about to much to notice the size of the wave coming in behind me..... i'm sure anyone who surfs knows exactly what i'm talking about when i talk about that period where you're under water, being carried towards the shore, no idea which way is up or down, no idea where you board is and if it's about to batter you... helpless in the strong clutch of the wave..... a feeling which lasts a few seconds that go on forever....
as i'm under the water, it suddenly occurs to me that my life being so good is exactly the reason why i should leave, seek out new experiences, keep on living this life that i love so much, instead of staying where it's safe, expecting fun to happen automatically and starting to take for granted what this land has to offer.
new zealand has a lot to live up to!!
