My 20th birthday had come around already, and I found myself in the sticky humidity of a Queensland summer. I didn't want another night that would be forgotten. That happened last year - I woke up the next morning with a head full of bees, and $200 dollars that had miraculously vanished. It felt like a step backwards! As I waltzed along the sun-soaked trees on Hamilton Island, I realised this might be the only birthday I would have an an exotic island, at least for some time. So I ought to make it one to remember.
I wanted something meaningful. The idea of a 'vision quest' excited me - sneaking away into the wild alone, and seeking insight in solitude. I was in self-discovery mode at the time, so the idea resonated quite strongly with me, and it wasn't long before I was preparing for the journey ahead. I scouted a beach on the other side of the island called Escape beach - how perfect! I could escape there for the night, and bask in peace. It sounded like a plan. I arranged the necessities - journal, food, water, and a little blanket - and sailed off into the fading day. At the last minute, my good friend Maxie decided to join me for half of the way to see the sunset. It was a nice idea!
It all felt so perfect, admiring the beautiful sunset with a good friend by my side. The vision of the journey ahead was golden in my minds eye. I could almost taste the bliss of waking up on an idyllic beach, sharing the morning glory with a sea sparkling like a million diamonds. I couldn't picture a better birthday present.
The sun was dancing on the horizon when I reached the bush, casting a peachy glow on the tips of the trees. Maxie farewelled me, and headed back the other way, eventually disappearing into the shadows. The wilderness beckoned me in, and I didn't hesitate. As shadows engulfed the path, it felt like I was plunging into a true adventure. My senses were my compass, and I enjoyed navigating the way through the darkness. It already felt like a silent quest. The evening air was calming, and I was shrouded in peace when I arrived at Escape Beach. It felt like I was deep in the wilderness now.
After enjoying the evening's stillness for some time, I decided that I should get to sleep. I wanted to feel as fresh as green apple juice in the morning, so I figured an early night was a sound plan. There was actually a little hut on the beach that I could have slept in. But I found a comfortable position in the sand, and covered myself with my miniature blanket. Hours were ticking by, and I was still wide awake. The rustling in the bushes nearby was disturbing me, and I tossed and turned. I squirmed around in the sand, struggling to rest my mind.
All of a sudden, I noticed that I was scratching my legs quite frantically, and that I must have been doing so unconsciously for some time. I shined the light of my phone, and unveiled a hell zone! My feet and lower legs had become a feeding ground. Hundreds of crazed sandflies were dancing around in glee, relishing the smorgasbord I had laid down upon their kingdom. A faint terror crept underneath my skin as I manically attacked back, ridding the menaces and scratching furiously. I had been blinded by my vision of a gorgeous beach expedition - and now it was 1:00 AM, and I was wide awake - in Hell!
I was severely under prepared. Why did I not think this through? This is the Australian wilderness we're talking about here! I brought this torment upon myself because of immature planning and lack of foresight. Fool! I was gasping at my own stupidity. But it didn't help the fact that operation blood borne was still erupting on my legs, and I had a situation that I needed to resolve. Of course - I was on a 'vision quest' after all, so I should have expected some problem to arise.
I wasn't going to perish here in a scratching frenzy until the sun finally kissed the beach. That would be madness. I remembered about the little hut, and went to investigate my potential saviour. To my absolute surprise, the only item in the hut was an old pillow! I was relieved, and gave sleep another shot. I managed to wriggle my way into a snooze thanks to the extra comfort of the stained pillow. But only for one hour! I was torn out of the peace of sleep back into a confused frenzy, and it was still only 3:00AM!
I knew I had to leave this damned beach. Escape beach? Escape to what, a hell zone? I was a boiling jug of emotions, as I slipped back into my shoes and tossed my bag around my shoulder. My frustration and panic had reached boiling point, and were screaming at me. I picked them off my shoulder, placed them down at Escape beach, and vanished back into the night.
It was liberating to be on the move. It was wonderful to know that I could conscioulsy change my circumstance, and feel instantly better because I was on the path to salvation. I found myself naturally heading to Passage Peak - the island's highest point, and also a popular destination to praise the sunrise.
My suffering was transmuted into adventure. My legs felt like a fuzzy television screen, but it was off my mind. I was looking forward to the sunrise! I looked over at the glowing horizon, and it looked as though I had timed this perfectly. As I neared the summit, I heard some conspicuous rustling in the bushes nearby. It was odd, but I continued walking. And then suddenly, I heard a voice! "Hey, Josh, is it? What's up!". I turn, and see a wild fellow emerging from the scrub. It was Josiah!
It looked as though he was born of the jungle - it just so happened that he was out here in the wilderness on the same night. I hadn't actually met Josiah yet, but I always recognised him as an interesting character I would like to meet at some point. And yet here he was before me, full bushman mode, almost as if he was awaiting my arrival. He took me to a secret nook on Passage Peak, and we enjoyed the glorious moment the sun returned. It was nice to spend the sunrise with a good friend after one hellish night. It seemed too surreal to meet Josiah up here and at this very moment when the sun returned, heralding my 21st year of life - it was a most peculiar birthday present! It felt like a predestined arrangement - a synchronicity. Josiah was some kind of spiritual brother. And I was just happy to turn 20, and to have made it an epic experience!
I asked for a vision quest, and, well, that's what I got. I learned a lot of things for my 20th birthday, but the biggest thing I walked away with was curiosity. I started to question what synchronicity's and coincidences really were, and what they were trying to tell us. This story is one of many such coincidences that I was experiencing on the island, and I couldn't merely dismiss them - instead I viewed it all as a radical phenomenon in reality that was worth investigating. My relationship with Josiah was one of pure coincidence - we would never arrange to meet up, but we would each just show up precisely at the right time.
And so now I was 20, yet with even more questions about life churning around my mind. What were these synchronicity's and coincidences? And why were they occurring? Is there some kind of deeper intelligence operating beneath our lives?
I believed I was well on my way to understanding the true situation of things, but really, my journey was only just starting the hatch.
I wanted something meaningful. The idea of a 'vision quest' excited me - sneaking away into the wild alone, and seeking insight in solitude. I was in self-discovery mode at the time, so the idea resonated quite strongly with me, and it wasn't long before I was preparing for the journey ahead. I scouted a beach on the other side of the island called Escape beach - how perfect! I could escape there for the night, and bask in peace. It sounded like a plan. I arranged the necessities - journal, food, water, and a little blanket - and sailed off into the fading day. At the last minute, my good friend Maxie decided to join me for half of the way to see the sunset. It was a nice idea!
It all felt so perfect, admiring the beautiful sunset with a good friend by my side. The vision of the journey ahead was golden in my minds eye. I could almost taste the bliss of waking up on an idyllic beach, sharing the morning glory with a sea sparkling like a million diamonds. I couldn't picture a better birthday present.
The sun was dancing on the horizon when I reached the bush, casting a peachy glow on the tips of the trees. Maxie farewelled me, and headed back the other way, eventually disappearing into the shadows. The wilderness beckoned me in, and I didn't hesitate. As shadows engulfed the path, it felt like I was plunging into a true adventure. My senses were my compass, and I enjoyed navigating the way through the darkness. It already felt like a silent quest. The evening air was calming, and I was shrouded in peace when I arrived at Escape Beach. It felt like I was deep in the wilderness now. After enjoying the evening's stillness for some time, I decided that I should get to sleep. I wanted to feel as fresh as green apple juice in the morning, so I figured an early night was a sound plan. There was actually a little hut on the beach that I could have slept in. But I found a comfortable position in the sand, and covered myself with my miniature blanket. Hours were ticking by, and I was still wide awake. The rustling in the bushes nearby was disturbing me, and I tossed and turned. I squirmed around in the sand, struggling to rest my mind.
All of a sudden, I noticed that I was scratching my legs quite frantically, and that I must have been doing so unconsciously for some time. I shined the light of my phone, and unveiled a hell zone! My feet and lower legs had become a feeding ground. Hundreds of crazed sandflies were dancing around in glee, relishing the smorgasbord I had laid down upon their kingdom. A faint terror crept underneath my skin as I manically attacked back, ridding the menaces and scratching furiously. I had been blinded by my vision of a gorgeous beach expedition - and now it was 1:00 AM, and I was wide awake - in Hell!
I was severely under prepared. Why did I not think this through? This is the Australian wilderness we're talking about here! I brought this torment upon myself because of immature planning and lack of foresight. Fool! I was gasping at my own stupidity. But it didn't help the fact that operation blood borne was still erupting on my legs, and I had a situation that I needed to resolve. Of course - I was on a 'vision quest' after all, so I should have expected some problem to arise.
I wasn't going to perish here in a scratching frenzy until the sun finally kissed the beach. That would be madness. I remembered about the little hut, and went to investigate my potential saviour. To my absolute surprise, the only item in the hut was an old pillow! I was relieved, and gave sleep another shot. I managed to wriggle my way into a snooze thanks to the extra comfort of the stained pillow. But only for one hour! I was torn out of the peace of sleep back into a confused frenzy, and it was still only 3:00AM!
I knew I had to leave this damned beach. Escape beach? Escape to what, a hell zone? I was a boiling jug of emotions, as I slipped back into my shoes and tossed my bag around my shoulder. My frustration and panic had reached boiling point, and were screaming at me. I picked them off my shoulder, placed them down at Escape beach, and vanished back into the night.
It was liberating to be on the move. It was wonderful to know that I could conscioulsy change my circumstance, and feel instantly better because I was on the path to salvation. I found myself naturally heading to Passage Peak - the island's highest point, and also a popular destination to praise the sunrise.
My suffering was transmuted into adventure. My legs felt like a fuzzy television screen, but it was off my mind. I was looking forward to the sunrise! I looked over at the glowing horizon, and it looked as though I had timed this perfectly. As I neared the summit, I heard some conspicuous rustling in the bushes nearby. It was odd, but I continued walking. And then suddenly, I heard a voice! "Hey, Josh, is it? What's up!". I turn, and see a wild fellow emerging from the scrub. It was Josiah!
It looked as though he was born of the jungle - it just so happened that he was out here in the wilderness on the same night. I hadn't actually met Josiah yet, but I always recognised him as an interesting character I would like to meet at some point. And yet here he was before me, full bushman mode, almost as if he was awaiting my arrival. He took me to a secret nook on Passage Peak, and we enjoyed the glorious moment the sun returned. It was nice to spend the sunrise with a good friend after one hellish night. It seemed too surreal to meet Josiah up here and at this very moment when the sun returned, heralding my 21st year of life - it was a most peculiar birthday present! It felt like a predestined arrangement - a synchronicity. Josiah was some kind of spiritual brother. And I was just happy to turn 20, and to have made it an epic experience!
I asked for a vision quest, and, well, that's what I got. I learned a lot of things for my 20th birthday, but the biggest thing I walked away with was curiosity. I started to question what synchronicity's and coincidences really were, and what they were trying to tell us. This story is one of many such coincidences that I was experiencing on the island, and I couldn't merely dismiss them - instead I viewed it all as a radical phenomenon in reality that was worth investigating. My relationship with Josiah was one of pure coincidence - we would never arrange to meet up, but we would each just show up precisely at the right time.
And so now I was 20, yet with even more questions about life churning around my mind. What were these synchronicity's and coincidences? And why were they occurring? Is there some kind of deeper intelligence operating beneath our lives?
I believed I was well on my way to understanding the true situation of things, but really, my journey was only just starting the hatch.
Comments
Post a Comment