Saturday 16th July 2022
As I lie here on my university hostel bed, I can hear a whole lot of people screaming and chanting but I can't make out at what. A few minutes ago a helicopter took off from a nearby sports field. Our drive back, in the courtesy bus, through the buzzing town of St Andrews took me past bulging pubs, pavement cocktails, the old castle ruins and people everywhere.
It's truly a bit surreal. I used to work on big events like World Cups and Commonwealth Games but this time around I'm acutely aware of the opportunity I've been given. My own 'World Tour' has me attending events with global sports stars like Tiger Woods, celebrities and even royalty showing up. But I was privy to the golf course to myself again this morning and I use it as a form of quiet reflection and gratitude.
I had an hour extra sleep before I took my 2km walk to airdry my hair (and work- lol). The morning was glorious compared to the soggy walk yesterday. The view was so clear that I could see far off hills and I wondered which way was north. The sun was climbing slowly but it feels very different from the South African Eastern angle sunrise and my inner compass spins differently so I need to figure my direction out.
On one of the quiet stretches I was reminded of my Camino walk in Spain and I started to grin at the sheer fun in what has been my life. What an absolute joy to be smelling the cut lawns and unfamiliar shrubs, to watch the massive seagulls dart around and I wondered if they were wanting their territory back from the thousands of humans. No doubt they're feasting on take-away scraps and I wondered if they miss their natural food at all.
The golf buggies started passing me more frequently and my thoughts returned to work. I had a mellow day in the back of my truck and I even managed to catch some Vit D on my body during a quiet spell. As the rest of Britain swelters, it has been pleasant up here on the east coast of Scotland with the North Sea breeze.
I saw a great video on the 150th event which you can watch here. It's all about the broadcast of the British Open, how fantastic!
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