I was speaking to my son the other evening. He lives in Boston in the US and they had had two feet of slow over the last forty eight hours! Once he had cleared their driveway the roads were already snow free and life returned to normal. School busses were running and my grandson, who has just passed his driving test, was able to drive to school. Massachusetts is geared up for winter and heavy snow showers seldom prevent people from going to work or children to school. Unlike here ……. A centimetre of snow can bring traffic grinding to a halt!
After my son showed me their snow covered garden and the driveway which had taken him many hours to clear, we moved on to the summer and the hope for the end to covid restrictions! I mentioned that we were hoping to see them sometime in the autumn. My son reminded me of our enjoyable hiking expeditions we’ve shared with him over the years.
He loves New Hampshire and the White Mountains. This rugged mountain range, part of the Appalachian Mountains, covers about a quarter of New Hampshire and a small port of Maine. They are called the White Mountains because of all the birch trees. We have walked along a few of these hiking tracks and thoroughly enjoyed the wonderful scenery and the quality time spent together. My son has been back hiking on his own. He calls this part of America his ‘happy place’ and asked if I have one.
There was no spontaneous reply. There are countries I have visited which have taken my breath away but I couldn’t think of anywhere specific that I could call a ‘happy place’ and want to revisit, over and over again. This surprised me so I began trawling through our many holidays and places I had seen.
Many years ago, before the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 that devastated parts of the coasts of several countries in South and South East Asia, we visited the Maldives. The first week was spent on a boat sailing around the little atolls. The weather was perfect and some of the tiny islands weren’t even inhabited. The ship would dock in the deep water and little motor boats, called ‘dhonis’, would take us to the islands. We’d climb out onto the warm golden sand and marvel at the brilliant, azure blue waters of the Indian Ocean, sparkling in the glorious sunshine.
One specific memory springs to mind. The majority of the passengers would find a place on the beach and lay out their towels. Suntan lotion would be liberally applied and they would spend the next few hours baking their bodies to a crisp! My husband and I used to circumnavigate each island before settling down to read a book or swim in the glorious clear, warm azure waters.
On our last island hop our exploration into the heart of the little atoll brings back very vivid memories. Chatting to each other as we wondered through the palm trees, a huge creature suddenly swooped down, just above us, and landed in a nearby tree. I was in such shock that I couldn’t scream, much less move! Finally, when my heart rate returned to normal, we ventured towards the palm tree and looked up. We spotted the creature hanging upside down, wings folded tightly against its brown hairy body, not moving.
We later discovered that the frightening creature was a fruit bat, or flying fox, with a potential wingspan of 1.5 metres. It flew with its head down, almost within touching distance of us and certainly wouldn’t have won any beauty prizes! They are crucial for managing the fragile eco system of the 1200 small atolls, relatively isolated from each other. These bats spread seeds through their droppings and help with pollination. Fascinating and harmless if we had only been warned!
We headed back to the beach and dragged our plastic recliners to the water’s edge, just far enough to feel the lovely cool water washing over our feet and legs. After our sojourn into the heart if the island and subsequent adventure, I felt hot and clammy. Slowly, I began to relax. Closing my eyes I revelled in the peace and utter tranquility of our beautiful surroundings.
Turning to my husband I mentioned how wonderful it would be if the waiter brought us two ice cold beers! We both agreed that it would the cherry on the top of this fantastic week! A couple of minutes later I felt rather than saw a shadow briefly block out the sun. Startled, I opened my eyes. And there he was! Our waiter holding a tray with one hand and a tea towel draped neatly over his other arm. Two beers, condensation dripping from their bottles, sparkling in the early afternoon sun! I can still visualise the scene and my amazement that my wish had been granted! Two shocks in the matter of an hour! That was the best beer I have ever tasted!
I can still see that beach and remember the vibrant hues of the sea, water and sand. I haven’t forgotten my amazement as I looked into the clear water and watched small brightly coloured shoals of fish darting around our loungers. Stingrays and baby sharks, all completely harmless, came to investigate. It was definitely a little piece of heaven here on earth and would have become my happy place if I lived there!
But I live in Cheshire in England. It’s winter and cold. Currently my happy place is sitting in front of a roaring fire mesmerised by the flames, warm and cosy. I listen to the wind howling outside and the rain beating against the windows. I’ll go with this as my happy place. For now. For tonight. Who know what tomorrow might bring? 👠
Jenny Burrell 