the ease seeps in

It’s been a really good couple of days. Hard to put my finger on why but feeling more of the Byron Bay ease.

Funnily, a work trip to Sydney yesterday helped. A short workshop in the morning using a great tool called the Business Model Canvas, then a stimulating session with my mate Trevor Thomas wrestling with an approach to strategic planning that is relevant for organisations where the team will ‘die in the trenches’ for the cause – traditional vision and gap analysis often seems to do violence in these contexts.

Home to Byron Bay in the torrential rain where a large and noisy group of friends where having dinner at Earth ‘n Sea. Great night, and made better by the football result.

Today was Zac and Jan’s last day, after Rachel and Nick returned to Melbourne yesterday. They and Johanna had a 3 hour+ session in the water with lots of rides and lots of fun … I also had a good time catching waves out front of the deck … as the wind died the breaks became beautifully smooth. All tired and satisfied.

We drove them up to Surfers paradise this afternoon where they will stay the night before catching a rude o'clock flight back to Melbourne. We wandered up the beach for a while and then along the streets where we stumbled onto a night market and then thanks to Urban Spoon found a wonderful little Thai restaurant to fill our bellies for the night drive back to the warm and cosy yurt.

On the plane home yesterday I read the latest Monocle. It’s a ripper; the theme is quality of life in cities. The read left me feeling inspired and refreshed … there is something about the mix of global affairs, business, culture and design that touches something deep within me. Pretty big call for a magazine eh?

One more weekend day before work focus begins to waft in …

happy sounds, crappy waves

As per Maria's recent post, our time in Byron Bay this year hasn't had the same sense of blissful peace that normally accompanies being here. But its all relative; having the opportunity to process and work from here is a privilege we don't take for granted. Every morning as I sneak out of the caravan, don the beanie and make my way to the 'office', the solitude of the table overlooking the beach while I wait for the Cafe to open, I am overwhelmed with gratitude. Our worries, in the scheme of things are trivial, trivial. I know I'm in good shape when the thing most worthy of complaint today was the crappy little waves we've had over the last few days (see below).

Most of the morning I was working and/or on the phone, but this afternoon I switched modes and made the most of the sun and water. I love the sounds of happy voices, and there were lots today ... the screams of delight from the girls as they splash around in the surf, the dinner time (Kasbah chicken curry tonight) banter and fooling around ... and now the laughs that go with poker - M&Ms providing the betting fodder ...  soothing noises.

... and as my mind bounces between the happy chatter in the yurt and the business dexterity needed to keep all the balls in the air, my mate Gav reminds me of our yurting mantra ... "don't rush, don't complain, what happens happens."

Tomorrow I'm commuting to Sydney, the alarm going off at 3:30am will be an unhappy sound!

It use to be Cool

Last night we donned our ‘it use to be cool’ clothes and joined with friends to eat, drink and watch the sun go down. Between us there had been numerous visits to op-shops and reaching to the very back and forgotten recesses of wardrobes – needless to say there were some beauties.

This was followed by State of Origin, obligatory watching up here. Watching blokes smash into each other wasn’t compelling enough to see me beyond half time, although Colin says it was a close and exciting match.

Today, I sat near Main beach watching Rachel and Nic get smashed by the waves on their boogey boards. It looked like 90% getting smashed and 10% getting awesome rides. Johanna ran and somersaulted behind me practicing hand- springs and the sounds of a didgeridoo drifted up the beach – it felt like Byron Bay. (on a side note, on my wanderings to take photos at sunset I have seen people surfing, swimming, running, walking, riding bikes, hauling canoes, doing yoga, meditating and a bloke doing a nudie run to commune with nature in the bracing waves – I made sure to have my camera facing away from him!)

This afternoon I laid myself out on the bench seat on the deck in the sun and watched the clouds float by and when the tribe headed back out for one final surf/boogey board/swim I tagged along to take some photos and watch another day draw to an end.

Zac

Colin

Colin

Rachel and Nic

One thing that is always cool is the sunsets.

A challenge or two

This year at Byron Bay it has been a challenge to remain present and in the moment.

Colin has had a lot more work to do, which of itself would generally not pose too much of a challenge, he seems able to transition from one space to another fairly easily.

It has been other things which have crowded in and consumed our thoughts and emotions. Heidi caught a bad dose of the flu and had to get a friend to take her to the doctor. It was hard to be up here when she was so miserable down there. (I sussed out flights back, just in case, but she got through it)

We had some expected, but the none the less, sobering news on the business front. The next few months will offer some challenges. Colin, ‘the cup is half full’, is viewing it as an ‘opportunity’ to rethink and reshape.

Also on the work front, once we return from Byron, an already jam packed next 7 weeks for Colin continues to get busier. He is at the point of allocating evenings and weekends to cover the work he needs to complete before we head overseas in September. And still the work load increases.

Challenges all round that clamor for thought and attention, time and energy taken from the here and now to manage the soon to come. This is a learning curve we are muddling our way through. It feels distracting and disorienting at the moment. They are, however, challenges that have arisen from choices we have made – combining a small business with our yurting aspirations. It is not always smooth sailing!

The Pass

Blue sunny skies but small waves. Never mind, we spent a lot of time at The Pass today.

Jan, Rachel and Johanna all go for the same wave,

Zac and Nic,

Colin and Zac trying to catch the wave, along with the rest of them!

Trying to get warm - Johanna on top of the car and the others leaning against the sun warmed metal,

Another surf later in the day.... And then the sun sets

Highlights of today

Breakfast - where Colin outdoes himself

Byron Bay market – where Johanna bought a birthday present for a friend and her usual organic doughnut (I think they still remain in the unhealthy category though!) Colin and I purchased our usual honey, peanut and lime dip and fudge, but dipped out on the coffee beans (sold out)

No photos here

Beach – where Johanna and her friends had a lot of fun, Colin caught some waves (well attempted to do so) and I took some more photos.

And best of all tomorrow Zac, Jan, Rachel and Nic arrive for a few days, sadly leaving Heidi home to recover from the flu, look after the animals, work and attend a 21st

now I remember

True to the forecast, mid afternoon yesterday the rain stopped, and before you could say ‘where’s the sunscreen?’, the sky was blue. We felt sorry for the many people who had to pack up and leave today, but on the plus side, in the changing of the guard, more of our friends arrived today – perfect timing. The swell dropped, and by afternoon the wind had gone and the view from the deck was dominated by glassy banks, dotted with board riders and the famous Byron Bay sun set against clean mountains across the bay.

The last few days have been OK, but as I stood alone on the deck and surveyed what lay before me, my soul sighed as I remembered why we come here. This is a special place.

Yes, the people are an important piece of that; what a wonderful mob it is that gathers here in the winter. But there is also something about the place … it invites you to consider what really matters. Yeah, its kinda rainbow-y and all that, and that’s part of it, but there is a reason that people who are creative, alternative and peace loving congregate here east of everything. The walk to the lighthouse on the most easterly tip of Australia is more than leisure, its almost pilgrimage.

Tomorrow is market day. It has become a happy ritual to wander through town and soak in the colours, smells, ambiance, and maybe grab a coffee and sit in the grass while Juzzie does his one man band thing.

Check out some of Maria’s shots from this afternoon;