Yolo!

At a few minutes past midnight, before going to bed, I took a photograph of the corridor outside my hotel room, pretty convinced that this was going to be my blip for the day. I didn't expect to get many more opportunities to take pictures. As it's turned out, I've been as spoiled for choice today as I have been in a very long while.

I had a teleconference to do with another project at lunchtime, but that was over more quickly than I expected - although not quickly enough to catch the sun that had been teasingly streaming in though the windows of our conference room all morning. It looked like I had missed the boat but I took the opportunity presented to me and went for a walk anyway. On my run yesterday I had spotted a cycle track which looked quite lovely, heading as straight as a die into an area of forest.

I reached a point where another track forked off to the left along a watercourse and a decision had to be made. I could turn back and return in time for the final afternoon session ... or I could take that fork, try to make a circuit, and inevitably be a little late back. Yolo!

Making that decision was instantly rewarded by the Blip Gods. The cloud cover dispersed to reveal the most fabulous light. I was expecting to find a track to the right to take me in a circle, but it never appeared. After at least a kilometre I came across a walker and asked how far before I could turn right. The response was 1200 metres. I had another decision to make. Turn back and just be a little late ... or carry on and be very late back. Yolo!

I carried on. Of course I did. It was all too beautiful and incredibly photogenic. I have taken many trips to the Netherlands in recent years but almost all have been to towns and cities with no opportunity to explore the countryside. I kind of fell in love with these flat lands today. For the very first time I felt the beauty of the endless vistas you experience here, long views uninterrupted by hills, canals and paths disappearing into a point in the far, far distance. I experienced the soul of this landscape today. Professional responsibility went out of the window.

I eventually arrived back almost an hour late. I opened the door of the conference room rather sheepishly and just announced that one word, with a slightly questioning tone. Yolo? Everyone understood.

PS For those over about 25 years of age, yolo is short for "you only live once". I only discovered this word for the first time yesterday. Apparently it's becoming a very popular term amongst young people. That usually happens when there is a gap in the language market. I think it may well become absorbed into our language quite quickly. I'm certainly not going to resist!