May seems to be a month of note when it comes to ground swells in Dunedin. Just about every Mother's Day for as long as I can remember there have been great waves (and terrible excuses conjured up by me to get at them). This whole week has had great waves from the North Coast to the South Coast.
I've become a master at cramming work into the evenings, mornings, little breaks between surfs, around meal times, while driving, waiting in socially distant queues – anywhere that helps me to get in the water at the optimum tide, wind and swell combination. That five-week lockdown must have intensified my need. I've actually become more surf crazed than I thought possible.
I'm not alone. In our bubble my three kids are learning from home. They have discovered that daylight hours are better for surfing and night time is perfect for school. They've actually picked it up so easily, I think they'll struggle to settle into normality next week – when they can't pick the eyes out of the surf two times a day.
I know we're not supposed to be on holiday, but the lifestyle benefits of living in a town like Dunedin is turned right up at the moment. Yes, I'm working hard and probably still hitting around 50 hours a week, but I'm also surfing a lot. This work-life balance seems about right.
The rug gets pulled from under us on Thursday as the country gets back to work in AL2, but I'd love to bottle a bit of the magic we've discovered throughout this ordeal. Maybe its a four-day working week? Maybe it's about reviewing priorities? One thing is for sure we've all had a taste of something that we'd all like to be a part of our future.
See you at the beach ... Derek
PS With Alert Level 2 on Thursday we can resume printing and framing your favourite images. Jump on to our online gallery at Box of Light, or book an appointment to check them out – your walls deserve some fresh love.
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