I am a Lucky Bastard, Although it isn’t ‘Just Luck’

Look at that photo. That is me flying through the air in Nice, France. 
Now – I risk sounding arrogant when I say this:
That is pretty damn cool.

I know – It should really be left to others; but I say it to address a point (pfff)

That photo is made possible by the following:   

• Flying for 23 hours across the world to Scotland.
• Being born in Scotland where I have so many lovely family members who supported me while I planned my Europe trip.
• Working months on top of months in a job that I had to move countries to do.
• …A job I could not have done without completing a 4 year long carpentry apprenticeship
• Learning how to skateboard for years and risking the re-breaking of a hip that I first broke in 2009.
• A fellow tourist having a kick arse camera and the desire to take a photo of a complete stranger skateboarding.
• That tourist being nice enough to approach a stranger and say “look at this photo I just took of you”

That photo exists with thanks to a large amount of my work, a good share of luck and a collection of circumstances. 
I have endured not-so-good days to make the good ones possible.

It is very easy to forget all the shit times when I look at a photo like that. If you are a traveler you will have overcome challenges to see the places you have seen, I’m sure.

I have made plans to travel to Africa, another continent to ‘build something’ on, at the end of next month! Afterwards I am revisiting Krakow, one of my favourite cities so far.
I will also be seeing more of Spain and perhaps Portugal in May. In June I am flying home to New Zealand after 16 long months away.

Most importantly:  

So I didn’t just cruise into Nice, fly off a skate ramp and get a cool photo –
…well I did, but… argh forget it. Go back to whatever you were doing haha