The Many Faces Of Water - The Essence Of Life

This Is What Makes Our Planet Unique - Monthly Challenge

Water flows, water gushes, water cleanses, water hydrates and water heals.

Water is the element associated with our emotions. It feels the waxing and waning of the Moon and has both the qualities of calming and invigorating the inhabitants of the Earth.

The shapes and forms that water is presented to us are so beautiful and vastly unique. We have been blessed with oceans, rivers, lakes and waterfalls.

I never understood the importance of living by a body of water. When I lived in London, I wasn’t surrounded by any nature. It was only once I traveled and lived in places I never would have thought of before that I realized how important it was to live near nature, specifically, living by a body of water.

I have been lucky enough to experience living by and visiting bodies of water in many places, in fact as I write this I can see the river from my apartment window. I have a deep appreciation for being in a position where this could be possible and I am grateful for the places I have been fortunate to live in.

So let me sail you through my water journey, reminiscing about some of the various places I have visited where the forms of water was nothing short of divine.

Aitutaki - Cook Islands

The Cook Islands are a small group of islands tucked away near New Zealand. You can actually drive around the main island Rarotonga in an hour, it’s that small! But that’s the beauty of it.

Aitutaki is the visual manifestation of paradise. It’s another island which is a short plane ride away from the mainland where you then need to take a boat and voilà, you are there.

I personally feel that the Pacific Ocean has some of the most crystal clear turquoise water I have ever laid eyes on. We could see turtles and fish swimming around our boat. It is so clear it’s literally like looking through glass.

Being here I felt a deep sense of pure happiness. The weather was beautiful, the people were incredible and the views were just breathtaking, to say the least.

Karekare Falls- New Zealand

On my first road trip in New Zealand, my friend and I and a few people I had only just met, took a trip to Piha which is a picturesque place on the North Island. There we happened upon this waterfall which was so beautiful pictures really do not do it justice.

I loved that we had to walk through the woods to get to this spot and as we walked closer to the falls we could hear the rushing of the water before we actually saw it.

This trip was special for me as I had just spent 2 months in Fiji so it was a complete change of scenery. It marked the beginning of my new chapter in New Zealand which came with a feeling of excitement and nerves as I was unsure of what was to come at the time.

Jasper National Park- Canada

I was extremely fortunate enough to live in Jasper for 7 months and the main perk of this was living in nature. All you have to do is walk out the door and bam there you are.

I was lucky that all the lakes were within walking distance of where I was residing so going for a walk around the lake became somewhat of a ritual of mine.

I went through some tough times whilst living in Jasper so I found comfort in going down to one of the lakes and immersing myself in my surroundings. It was my way of finding peace and inner balance at a time when my external world was tumultuous.

Also being able to see the way the change of seasons affected the nature around me was magical. Especially when it came to the lakes. They would be a clear blue hue during the spring and summer and a complete sheet of white in the winter. I loved seeing the ice melt too, it brought a sense of excitement knowing that change was in the air and a fresh start was right around the corner.

Alofaaga Blowholes- Samoa

I had never seen anything like this before in my life until I visited Samoa. These blowholes are located on the island of Savai’i and they are definitely worth visiting.

You don’t need to be waiting for long till you see an explosion of water jetting into the sky. It’s not just a sensation for the eyes, as the sound that accompanied the water was incredible. It really is a spectacular thing to see and it is a reminder of how water can be powerful and commanding as well as calming.

Water is such a crazy thing. Sometimes we take it for granted but without it, we wouldn’t survive. When we see nature's amazing expressions of water it reminds us that we should protect and respect water at all costs.

Water also serves as a reminder that regardless of our differences we are still interconnected beings and water is the one constant every organism on this planet needs.

“Water is the lifeblood of our bodies, our economy, our nation and our well-being” — Stephen Johnson

Thank you Anne Bonfert for sharing this awesome prompt that invoked my nostalgia!