Tag: well being

Why I didn’t want to go home

Ever wondered how you can feel free again? An unplanned trip can clear your mind and give you that essential me time.

I remember that day five months ago.

I was swanning on the verandah, feeling free and unencumbered. The boy had left his nest comprising of footballs, guitars and Play Station and started uni three weeks before.

“Oh yes!” I replied to the solicitous phone calls, “I’m missing him dreadfully!” Smiling, I surveyed my pristine house which no longer contained a trail of plates and cups or wet towels.

I reflected on how I would spend my extra time. More photography? Get fit? Hmmmm.

Then the phone rang.

“I’m moving down too!”

My mother was coming!

Five months blurred by as I organised the move. My last trip back to the city was a week ago. I had spent a week packing and cleaning mum’s house when the boys told me not to come home. They had caught the dreaded bug.

So I took my time returning.

Stopping overnight at Bateman’s Bay I experienced a restorative sunrise and a very weird sculpture.

After visiting the museum, I stopped at Mogo for a cuppa and a stroll in the shops. Then I stopped again 15 minutes later at Moruya which is changing. Interesting new shops can be found to wander into on the main street. Then the luxury of deciding where to stay for the night.

An hour later I was in Bermagui, a serene little seaside town complete with harbour and plenty of spots for photography and surfing. I was so relaxed I just made it to sunrise.

Alone on the beach, clicking away with my Olympus you can understand why I didn’t want to return to a house containing sickly males and used tissues.

The Sapphire Coast provides plenty of opportunities to escape the winter ills with cheap and available accommodation.

It also provides a sense of freedom.

Reward yourself and take an unplanned road trip.

Rules for seeing the sunrise

Can experiencing a sunrise improve how you feel?

I have been watching the sunrise for 24 years. It started when I was travelling to work so after changing jobs I continued getting up early. Now, as a photographer, I watch every second, observing the natural world around me in an effort to get a great shot. That ritual provides balance and appreciation in my life, something you can achieve too.

Rules for seeing the sun rise

Don’t be a lush! Drinking heavily will affect your experience

There’s nothing worse than a hangover for preventing you from getting up early. Go easy on the red, or the bubbles, set your alarm and commit.

Mimic Greta Garbo – Find a place where you can be alone

There’s nothing worse than making polite conversation when you want to chill. Being alone is good for you. It reminds you that you don’t need to rely on others and gives you that essential time to reconnect with yourself and nature. In fact, psychological theorist Erikson recognised the importance of nature based intervention by using this method in counselling.[1] So find a safe place where you can be uninterrupted and wait for the magic to happen.

Be at one with your surroundings

Turn your phone off – you don’t need reminders or texts for the 20 minutes it takes for the sun to rise. Allow yourself this time to experience the scene. Listen to the sounds of nature, feel the breeze drift across your face and watch the glorious colours unfold before you.

[1] Burns, G.W., “Nature Guided Therapy” Taylor & Francis, USA, 1998, p.15.