That was the single most powerful thing I have ever experienced. I can't even describe all of the things I thought or felt or experienced over the few minutes of surreal daytime darkness standing on the beach under a completely eclipsed sun.
Nothing on our trip has gone as expected so it's no surprise that today's big event was no exception. We've spent a cloudy week in Cairns, watching the weather reports all week and seeing clouds, and more clouds at every turn. Earlier in the week when I looked at the 5 day forecast with Wednesday, the eclipse day in the middle, it wasn't looking promising with photos of sun, clouds, clouds, clouds, sun. When the first 'sunny day' arrived along with slightly smaller banks of clouds than the cloudy days, we accepted the strong possibility that we would not be witnessing an eclipse this time around.
We played the 'what if' game all week. Playing out scenarios about what we expected to happen, what we thought we might see, how many people would be there, where we should view the event from, and eventually deciding it didn't matter if we couldn't see anything since the trip has been an amazing thing in itself.
Amusingly enough, as I pictured the anti-climatic nature of what we might witness this morning, I forgot to think about a lot of things... almost everything, in fact. I had been so narrowly focused on the idea of watching the last bit of sun disappear or spotting the shadow running across the ground toward me that I never could have imagined how amazing the rest would be.
This morning I was standing on a beach, before sunrise, on the edge of Cairns, half way around the world from where I live, with a thousand people, all gathered here for the same purpose
This experience has eclipsed all before it. I cannot imagine a feeling more amazing, or overwhelming, yet serene at the same time. In that two and a half minutes, in those few dozens of seconds, I died and was reborn... I understood the universe in an entirely new way, no longer feared death, was perfectly accepting of everything, connected to thousands of years of human history, and stood quietly in awe and silence along with every human and animal within eye and earshot.
The moment of totality, like much of the nearly hour long process of eclipsing before it, was obscured by clouds. Standing and sitting with these others in anticipation and wonder of what we were or were not about to witness you heard the communal oohs and aahs as the clouds would thin and offer a glimpse of the eclipse behind. Just minutes before totality there was a giant cloud bank slowly making it's way across the sun. Everyone thought we had seen the last peek at the sliver that remained but there was a thinner patch of cloud that provided a clearing and exposed the sun again for a few more seconds. It was so close to the moment of totality that before it was obscured again you could see a thin sliver of light with one large pearl of brightness in the center.
The drama of the clouds both when it exposed and obscured was met with claps, shouts of joy, oohs and aahs. You could hear the disappointment as the clouds covered again for the final time but then everyone took their glasses off and looked around, at each other, at the cloud bank, at our surroundings. The day had grown dim, like twilight, or a colorless sunset. I thought it was fairly bright still, brighter than I expected at totality. I wondered why it wasn't dark enough to see the stars, confused if this was as dark as it would be and curious if something more dramatic would happen. Less than a minute later you could tell the exact moment of totality despite the cover of clouds because there was an instant and dramatic shift in the lighting.
The world paused for a bit. Everything stopped. Inside me, and outside. I was overstimulated and trying to take it all in and everything just paused for a moment of pure perfection. There was an instant of reaction and emotion, a collective moment of amazement from everyone and then calm. The bird's panicked squawking disappeared, the waves rolled slower and further up the beach, the dark sky above was a deep rich blue but not black as night, with lighter colors along the horizon. We stood in as much light as a night with a full moon but the world wasn't lit from the sky, it was lit from the horizon, far away from the sun, where it's rays were still being cast far out over the ocean.
My chest swelled and I had no words, just in that instant. I was literally moved to tears by such a powerful and instantaneous shift in environment - both from the drama of nature and the change in our surroundings as well as the proximity of the nearby thousands on the beach being moved by the experience in their own way.
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I sit in my room and write this just an hour after experiencing this dramatic event and I feel changed by it, like I have been reborn or cleansed in some way and the world is full of new possibilities. I am sure it is from the wash of indescribable emotion I felt in those moments witnessing the power of nature - the dramatic scope of such a simple yet astounding action of being briefly separated from our sun. It's a feeling that I am sure will fade with the day, or perhaps with the week, but for now the sky looks brighter than it should, the day more surreal, life feels strange and different and miraculous.
I have been so lucky and blessed in this life. I think this often and am thankful for feeling it in an even more profound way that I imagined possible in a moment of surreal peace this morning on a beach half way around the planet from my home with my husband and a few friends at my side.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Hello from Cairns!
The eclipse is not less than 24 hours away. I have a ton of things to say and share but not enough time (or reliable internet connection to share it) while we are traveling. Don't worry, the stories are recorded, the photos are taken, and there will be a flood of posts in the weeks after we arrive home to fill you in on the adventure. For those of you who are facebook friends, there are occasional posts and photos there that are marking the journey.
We've had a full week of clouds here in Cairns and expect the same tomorrow. Despite the unlikely occurrence of clear skies we are hopeful to see the eclipse in the morning. We are staying at a beachfront apartment and have a great viewing point from our balcony. This is fortunate as they have closed many of the roads and best vantage points for the duration of the eclipse, I'm guessing to help control the hoards of people that will be flocking to each destination.
In case we can't see it in person, we will be trying to watch from the webcam but expect it may have the same view as us since it is positioned nearby at Trinity Beach.
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In case the mess above doesn't turn in to an actual webcam, you can check it out live or find out more information about the area we are staying and the conditions this week at: www.eclipsecairns.com
I have to run as we are leaving to explore Daintree Park.
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