Working at the art center had given me enough financial freedom to start travelling, which I happily did with the intent of combining travel and my photography. It was during my first visit to the magical island nation of Sri Lanka in the village of Sigiriya that I heard the bad news. I had a feeling before I left that I would get this bad news while I was gone.  Most people have had their lives in one way or another effected by cancer. At that period my mother was fighting against it and one of my closest friends was fighting the same battle. Unfortunately for Gus, it was a very aggressive type of lung cancer that quickly spread to his brain. We knew from the start that he wouldn't have much time and after a few months from the initial diagnosis, he was gone. 

It was an evening where I was busy transferring and editing photographs after a day of shooting the historical site of Sigiriya Rock Fortress. I can't remember if it was an email or message on my phone but I remember that evening as clear as the nights sky. Time stood still and the tears ran down my face while a friend who was travelling with me tried to comfort me. As I write this post, I have tears running down my face remembering the friend I lost and the good times we shared. His family had set the funeral date for after I returned to Lebanon.

    Gus being Gus refused to have an ordinary funeral as so would I. He wanted us to dance, sing and play music and wanted his ashes spread into the sea at his favorite spot along the Lebanese coast. On the day, we all dressed in white and gathered at his spot with our instruments the djembes, tambourines, didgeridoos, birimbaus and violin. We drank, danced, and played our instruments until our hands bled and our minds went numb in remembrance of our dear friend. As the sun set the violin played the last tune while we sat around the waters edge watching his ashes mix with the clear salty water of the Mediterranean.

     Without going on further about my friend and the funeral you're probably wondering how this can be related to the title "A Stroke Of Luck"? Well, at that time it had been about five years since I last flew a kite let alone kite surfed. My gear was old, broken, not safe to use and I couldn't afford to buy anything new. I had put my mind into using any spare money I had into travelling and photography with the hopes of a career as a travel photographer. During the funeral I was waiting on a nearby road to show some people how to get to the spot which involved parking on the road and walking down a small, hidden trail to the beach. While I was waiting, I saw in the distance the shapes of two people on bikes. One of them looked familiar, so I waited until they got close enough for me to see who they were. It turned out to be Tobia, one of my old kite surfing buddies who I hadn't seen in a few years! After a short chat and some catching up he told me he was taking a group of 12 kite students to Egypt for a 6 day trip and needed help giving them lessons. My body was still in reasonable shape so I jumped at the opportunity.  To fly a kite again and get on a board let alone teach!

    The trip to Egypt wasn't successful though and out of the six days we had wind on the last hour of our trip! I literally walked into the plane in my board shorts, tank top and dripping wet hair. When we were back in Lebanon, Tobia asked me if I'd like to teach at his new school in a few months when the Lebanese summer and kiting season would start. He also wanted to bring in an IKO (International Kite Surfing Organisation) examiner for the first time in Lebanon to train, test and certify us as bonafide instructors. It was then that it clicked in my head. That would be my ticket, the way out, the way where I could follow my dreams of travel and adventure. So what did I do? I think you already know the answer to that. I reduced my working time at the art centre to part time in anticipation of the upcoming season.

    Along with a Swiss instructor and two of us locals we started what turned out to be one of the best and busiest seasons to date. I was back, and boy did it feel good to be back on the water with the wind blowing through my hair and the water rushing under my feet. Things do work out but things can also go wrong when you least expect them to. Halfway through the season I got caught out with a ripped knee ligament and bruised bone. Trying to show off in front of a pretty lady with a camera has a way of making you misjudge things, I wasn't even trying any tricks, I swear! Just looking behind me at the lady and smack into a tiny wave slamming the bar right into my knee. I was out for two months. And what's even worse, we had  our IKO training and exams coming up, PANIC and lots of ice! Luckily my knee healed in time to go through the training and pass my exams. Yes, IKO Level I Instructor, I had my ticket to the world to find the turquoise waters, tropical islands and to follow my dreams.

    It was shortly after this that I took another trip to Sri Lanka, this time a kite surfing trip with the intent of  opening up my own school even though I had no idea what it took to open a kite school nor did I have the money. I didn't care, I thought if it was meant to be it would happen and I had contacted a new resort at the kite spot which seemed interested in having me as a partner. It was a good trip but after several conversations with the owner of the resort I knew I wouldn't be able to do it, I just couldn't afford such an investment. I could hardly afford to buy a kite for myself let alone a whole schools worth! Feeling sad and beaten I returned to Lebanon but; look how things can change,  on my last day in Sri Lanka I had a few hours to kill before my flight. I decided to have lunch and take a walk on a beach in a town close to the airport. As I was walking along the beach I saw not too far away a couple of kites in the air. I walked over and met the guys flying. One of them was a German man who also owned a local hotel. We got talking and he told me about his plans to open a kite school in a new spot in Sri Lanka the following year, what a coincidence! We kept in contact throughout the year and I eventually ended up traveling back to Sri Lanka to teach and manage his new school but this is another story for the next chapter of my life. For now I'm going to close my laptop turn the volume up, the lights down and dance in my living room as I remember my friend Gus. Peace 

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