Spun 360 Degrees in 60 Seconds

Wow, what a holiday!

Eight days spent in a tropical paradise with my awesome little brother. An adventure of a lifetime. One that dreams were made of.

We did it all!

Whitewater rafting the turbulent river — terrified and exhilarated — knowing only the day before there’d been a tragic accident, resulting in the loss of a tour guide. The river was swollen from a recent cyclone that had hit the area, but it made for a greater ride. We were thrown from the boat into the freezing water, tossed around on the raft, swallowed by the crashing rapids rising above our heads and thrust up against submerged rocks; only to get to the end and want you to do it all again.

Flying above the rainforest canopy on the sky rail, in awe of the stunning views as the sun began to set. Exhausted from a day of wandering the local markets, immersing ourselves in the local culture.

Swimming with the sharks on the reef and learning how to practically run on water, when the sharks got way too close. Taking a gazillion photos of the colourful fish swimming around the corals, with the underwater camera purchased that day.

Fishing the ocean for dinner. Catching a wide array of unusual fish — well unusual to us. Choosing the perfect fish to take back to our accommodation and cooking it for dinner. Tastebuds sizzling in delight.

Eating the delicacy of a specially prepared mud crab, in a specialty seafood restaurant. Choosing the perfect crab from amongst those burrowing in the bottom of the restaurant’s aquarium. Doesn’t get much fresher than that!

Losing with grace at the casino, but having a ball doing so. For a few precious hours we felt like a high-roller. Well, we can but dream!

Undertaking the awesome guided tours of the amazing countryside; visiting spectacular rainforest, immense waterfalls, local natural swimming holes and viewing the vast array of wildlife; from the rock wallabies to the bush turkeys, large pythons in their natural habitats, cassowaries, koalas and the colourful bird life. Nature in all her glory!

We certainly did it all!

Each of those eight days would see us fall into bed at night, totally exhausted, sated and brimming with happiness.

We lived an entire lifetime in those eight wonderful days and the best part of it all, was getting to spend time with my little brother — an amazing human being.

We had an absolute ball and made memories that neither of us will ever forget.

What a blast of a holiday!

But inevitably, the final day arrived and it was time to say goodbye. Goodbye to this little touch of paradise, goodbye to each other. My heart broke at the thought.

As I was pondering these goodbyes over breakfast, my little brother looked at me and stated in a matter-of-fact way, “You really like it here, don’t you? You’re going to go home, pack up and move here, aren’t you?”

He may have posed those words as a question or two, but he was actually making a statement, like he knew something I didn’t.

I, of course, immediately responded, “No, no, no! I do love it here but I can’t. I have two houses, two kids and a job back home! I can’t just pack up and move to the other side of the country.”

But as I uttered those words, I instantly knew, that is exactly what I was going to do!

My little brother knew me better than I knew myself and in that space of sixty seconds, my entire world had just done an about face!

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Originally published on Medium