A holiday before the holiday

There is a rare, deep kind of peace that only arrives when your plans are taken completely out of your hands.

Yesterday, an unexpected 24-hour flight delay left me grounded in Melbourne on my way to Bangkok. I had a full day in a hotel with nothing but a single bag, which forced me to simply sit and be present.

I spent the evening watching Feud, the drama retelling the making of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?. After a few episodes, I drifted into a deep sleep, only to wake up a few hours later to that heavy, absolute silence you only ever find when you’re away from home. With the air conditioning humming in the total darkness, I felt a level of relaxation that is almost impossible to find in the usual rush of life.

Often, we head into a holiday carrying a suitcase full of anxiety, worrying if we’ve sorted every last detail at home or at work. But this enforced delay was a gift. It stripped away the “to-do” list and allowed me to just be.

I’ve realised over the last couple of years that the universe carries on just fine without me. Recognising that I’m not the centre of everything is incredibly liberating. That single night in Melbourne allowed me to shed the stress of the “everyday” and truly prepare for the journey ahead.

As I head back to the airport for the second time, I’m feeling remarkably still.