“Life Moves Pretty Fast. If You Don’t Stop And Look Around Once In A While, You Could Miss It.” – Ferris Bueller
My time is (too) quickly coming to an end here in Australia. I have only a few weeks left before I’m off to my next destination. Since I never know when I’ll be back, I’m making a conscious effort to be more present in the moment. Taking in all the sights, sounds, smells, feels, and tastes.
I realized the other day that I have a tendency to be thinking of the next occasion, destination, or step in life without fully experiencing the current moment. A friend once told me, “you seem to enjoy the moment more after it is over than while you are in it.” After some self-reflection, I realized this was because I’m usually a little anxious and thinking of all the possible things that “could” go wrong (and usually never do). Once the moment is over and I know the ending, and I can relax and enjoy the memory or the photo. Since this realization, I’ve started to change that bad habit, breathe through the anxiety, and be in the now. I’m pleasantly pleased to report that after just a few short weeks of this, I’ve noticed myself getting much more pleasure out of my daily life. Below are just a couple of snapshots of these experiences when I noticed I was all in.
Today, I swam in the ocean and read a book on the beach. I felt the sun (yes, I was wearing sunscreen), cool water, sand, and wind on my skin. I could smell the salty fishy odor wafting in the air every so often. I took a long look at all the blues and greens that would dance in the water as the waves washed over me. Not to mention, my book was pretty good too. Anyone ever read, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari? It’s full of life lessons and inspiration.
Over the weekend, I met a new guy, Steve. We hit it off immediately. I’m actually extremely nervous around horses for some reason but Steve was a gentleman and I think we even connected on a spiritual note. He is a rescue horse who just needs some extra lovin’ and carrots. He would follow me around the yard and rub his head against my arm.
I spent one evening following some crabs around the rocks as the tide was coming in. They would scurry about when I would get too close but for the most part, we just stared at each other. I mean look at the eyeballs on this guy. The detail of his coloring and markings were beautiful…this photo doesn’t do it justice.
Later I watched some other tiny crabs that were more clear and beige in color build these beautiful sandballs and roll them around in amazing patterns all over the beach. My friend Joslyn swears they are garbanzo beans.
The food in Australia is really delicious. I’ve eaten a ton of seafood – the scallops and prawns are so fresh and delightful. We ate Indian the other night with some of Stephen’s friends and the table was so colorful from all the spices. I wish I would have grabbed a photo of the table and all the dishes. Below is a photo of me enjoying a simpler dinner – a pilgrim meal as we call them – in the motel dining room which was an old convent for the nuns. A couple of times a week Stephen and I will grab “snacky” food at the grocery store and make a little picnic like we would do on the Camino. It’s usually a variety of meats, cheeses, and vegetables. It’s amazing how enjoyable the basics are in life. Sometimes simplicity is best.
Sometimes (okay, a lot of the time) I take for granted all of the amazing experiences I’m having around the globe. It’s easy to get sidetracked and focus on the wrong “stuff.” I want to change this bad habit. I want to be more positive. I want to laugh more. I want to be so present that I hear the waves when I fall asleep. I want to make sure I don’t wake up one day and regret missing any of these moments. I’m finally living my dream of traveling around the world and sharing my stories with you guys. I don’t want to waste it and I don’t want to miss an opportunity to share the little stuff with each of you…which in the end, is the big stuff.
Goodnight and much love from Australia! 🇦🇺
Here is a 30-second video I took the other evening at the Yamba Main Beach. It’s probably the most fun I’ve had filming a video. The waves were so mesmerizing.
Relax and enjoy.