It would not be an understatement to say that Adelaide has had an exceedingly hot summer this year.  We sweltered through 13 days over 40°C  (104°F) with five consecutive days hotter than 42°C (108°F).

Every day of the heat wave looked the same.  Each day was hot and dry and bright.

The light from the sun seared my eyes and its heat was scorching (my sunglasses melted in the car).  Every day I was hot and sweaty, and I wondered what on earth I could cook for dinner that wouldn’t heat up the house anymore than it already was (there were times that our kitchen was 36°C (97°F)!).

Every day was exceedingly hot, dry and bright.

But one day it turned dark.

One morning when I emerged from the city train station the sun was hidden and the day was no longer bright.   The sky was filled with dark grey clouds rolling across the sky signaling approaching rain.

And then it rained.

Big buckets of rain poured on the dusty dry earth creating puddles everywhere and sending sheets of water rushing down the gutters and into the drains.  The world around me was blanketed in a grey mist and a coolness started to descend upon me.

All of my senses were affected:

• the touch of the cool breeze against my skin instead of the searing heat;
• the smell and the taste of the freshness from the rain replaced the staleness from many days of excessive heat;
• the sight of darkness rather than brightness;
• the sound of the cars sloshing through deep puddles.

The stark difference between the light, dry heat and the dark, wet rain was so amazing.

Interestingly, when I was in the middle of the heat wave, I wasn’t looking for anything different.  I love summer.  But the experience of something different – a dark, wet day – was energising and refreshing.

And this made me think – how many other things in life do we do the same each time out of habit?  Because that’s the way that we’ve always done it and it works just fine?

I know that I am quite habitual in what I do each day because it’s easier or it’s faster.  However, when I shake things up a bit – eat somewhere different; try something new; go somewhere I haven’t been before – it truly is amazing.  I feel as if I’m more a part of life than when I’m ‘existing’ in the same old ‘groundhog day’.  My soul is re-energised and I am more excited about the world around me.

So If you are feeling like the days are all blending into one another, why not try something new?  Your soul may feel refreshed and your senses may start to tingle.

Tempted?

Have a great day, my friends.