Making Time

It's four years ago now that a growing sense of dissatisfaction with our lives led us to start planning a year off, a soul searching, learning adventure that we hoped might lead us somewhere new. We didn't know then where it would lead us or what might happen along the way but we had a list of objectives - of things we definitely wanted to change in our lives. High on all our lists was more time spent together, more time to smell the roses, stop and stare, just be.

Fast forward to now and although on the surface we do indeed have a simpler life it still takes quite some effort to ensure that we stay on track with our desire to snatch enough moments each day to just enjoy what is here around us. In our first and second summers here on Rum a great way of ensuring we achieved that for at least two hours every single week was the Thursday Sheerwater boat trip. Two hours off Rum, away from the croft, the village, whatever paid work we might be engaged in, voluntary roles we might have taken on. Two hours spent with each other making the absolute most of this amazing place we get to call home.

Today was the first trip of this, our third summer. Once again we fully intend taking this opportunity every week and have already written out every Thursday afternoon in the calendar between now and September as we'll be off, sailing to Soay and back, spotting seabirds, cetaceans and admiring the breathtaking views of our island as it looms smaller and then larger once more as we sail away and back. Once upon a time adventures like this one were the reserve of a two week holiday once a year, sandwiched between weeks and months of working jobs that didn't fulfill us in lives we didn't enjoy. Thursday afternoon was noteable only for it's proximity to Friday, end of the working week.

It didn't matter that it was a choppy ride and we saw only a kittiwake and a distant shearwater. What mattered was that we were there, seaspray on our lips, ocean breezes in our hair, promise of better weather and calmer rides to come and that ever present chance and potential of just maybe seeing something amazing.