This weekend I did one of my favourite things again. For the ninth time since Claytie died, I went whale watching. I absolutely love it! Each time I have been, I have learned something new. I have never not seen whales, and this time was no exception!

The first whales we saw on this trip were a big Mumma – the biggest whale I have seen- with her brand new, two week old baby! It amazes me that these massive creatures travel up here from Antarctica every year to rest in the warm waters and have their babies… and that we get to have this fabulous experience!

This time round I went with D and coincidentally one of my sisters and her husband (she had been gifted the experimental by her kids for her birthday). They have all been whale watching before as well – in Hervey Bay which is on my bucket list, and it was fun to share the experience with them. The weather wasn’t the most fantastic – we had our first cloudy sky in ages, and the water was a bit rough, but it was exhilarating to enjoy some real earth magic.

I love being out on the ocean (taking every possible anti-seasick precaution that I have ever heard of) and feeling like a speck in the universe. I know that we are actually quite close to shore, but looking out to the horizon with these huge creatures around us helps me to feel more in perspective in my own world. It is kind of mesmerising, and hearing the hush that comes over the crowd when the whales do appear makes me think that maybe I’m not the only one to feel like this.

I have found that being near the ocean has been really helpful for my mental health since Claytie died. It’s been a little while since I have gone specifically to see the sunrise – it used to be almost every weekend I would get in the car, drive the hour or so and walk along the shore while the world woke up. It was (and still is when I do it) such a nice way to reset the chaos in my brain when the world got a bit overwhelming. The sound of the waves crashing helped to drown out the anxiety and the overthinking. It’s the easiest meditation to do… sitting on the sand, listening to the waves and just letting your mind empty for a little while; and the fresh air and vitamin sunshine are an added bonus!