Wainui Reserve // Raglan, NZ

Hamilton is a funny little town. And by little town I actually mean New Zealand's 4th largest city. It's an ideal place to live when your in a country with a list of natural disasters just waiting to happen. Positioned in prime location when earthquakes and tsunamis decided to rear their head, Hamilton is a lovely hide away from it all. Big enough so that there's a new place to eat but small enough not to piss me off about how long it takes to get from one side to the next.

What Hamilton doesn't have though is water. I mean there's the Waikato river but our end of it isn't exactly the safest or cleanest part to swim in. Though this years summer hasn't been the greatest, it has been muggy as hell! The only reprieve is often escaping into water and well we have none.

Luckily enough New Zealand isn't rather large. In fact, the whole surface area of my current country fits 3.525 times into that of my province in my previous country. Yup you heard that right. All of New Zealand fits into British Columbia, a single Canadian province, 3.5 times. This means that all my years in Canada has primed me for a quick trip to the beach!

Though Hamilton may not have a proper beach of its own, it isn't short of choices. A quick 45 minutes drive west and you hit the beautiful shores of Raglan. Its your typical small surf town that has quietly evolved into a tourist hotspot. For many Hamiltonians, it becomes a distant suburb in the summer time.

In order to get to get there, you travel along a rather windy road. Not the worst I've ever driven on in this country but that's another story entirely. Personally, I like to avoid the main beach. Instead I like to drive further up and relax in the Wainui Reserve. Now I'm going to be completely honest, these photos aren't of an adventure I had recently. But this adventure followed a night similar to my last. In fact that windy road did a number on my roommate.

While living in Canada, the ocean was rather far away. While in high school, I remember missing the sound of waves lapping up along the shore. It was a sound that always has brought me peace. The lake just doesn't do it and the river is another beast entirely. I could sit and watch the waves roll in, over and over, for hours and not get tired.

This year I have needed to make a conscious effort to involve myself in things that make me happy in the now. Around the time these photos where taken, I was at a cross-roads and wasn't the greatest person to be around. After trying to figure out what was wrong, I had realised that the last few years I focused so intently on achieving in the long term, I forgot about happiness in the short. I think people get a lot of flack about being 'selfish'. Yet, I firmly believe that sometimes being selfish is a very selfless act. Tough decision don't come easy but they definitely are worth while.

The other day I learnt to surf on this very beach. I achieved a life long goal. It was an amazing feeling and I completely understand how people get hooked! The last year has been alot like the road to Raglan for me. Always knowing the destination but not understanding why it was so bloody windy. Im really good at just getting jobs done. Ill put my head down and get to work but sometimes I miss whats going on around me. Now Im choosing to be more present, do more stuff that I keep saying I want to do and be surrounded by happy people. It really is the little things.