Freedom camping, East Coast, NZ

Nothing beats waking up to the most stunning peachy sunrises over the ocean. And watching as the golden light smothers the surrounding hills in day.  Blessed to have a rickety old caravan, and a sense of adventure, it's been neat to spend the summer parked up on a rugged coastline.

Thanks to the friends who've come for dinners, and to share the coast with us.  The fine food and the fresh air have been so delicious!  So much time can be spent gazing at the waves rolling in, and the clouds skirting the horizon.  Time is key.  Rush is deadly.  To choose to be still and watch the stars come out is a delight.  To watch as the bumblebees bathe themselves, preening every last hair, is never a waste of time.

In fact I may have become a bumblebee whisperer over the last wee while!  They must love something in the smell of our biodegradable dishwash liquid.  A few have plunged into the mix, and seeing nothing else took priority, I fed one wee guy a dose of honey, which he lapped up eagerly. Have you ever seen a bumblebees tongue?  I hadn't either.  But why not?  They're common enough, they feed every single day.  I've been too busy.

But too busy doing what?!  Busy being content?  Busy being happy?  Busy being busy.  

How come I've never noticed the shifting pastels on the inside of a Cooks turban shell, as the great light lifts in the east?

How come it's taken 35 years to see a full tangerine-coloured moon rise out of the water?  It was immense.

What's been so important that I've never considered how a pink lady (flower!) gathers such splendour as they flourish beside dusty roadsides?

How long has it been since I did the dishes in a bucket under the warmth of the morning sun, and hoped that the job would take all day?

Being still has become the greatest gift.  It's taken a while to get over the guilty feelings of 'I should be...'  But being still is healing.  It induces creativity of thought.  It allows us to notice our world, and to feel deep appreciation.  It's fab!  Be still.  Or take it a step further, and just 'be.'  

As an aside, I've stopped asking people what the do for a living.  We aren't what we do. Our job does not define us, nor does our schedule.  You are you, and you are worthy of being gloriously present, in every moment.  You are worthy of being still.

Give it a go, in whatever form that suits you.  Make it your habit.  

Freedom camping, Pouawa, East Coast, NZ, summer 2015.  See ya next summer?!