Like any good kid whilst travelling in LA, I just had to go to Universal Studios. I mean would you expect anything less from someone who is obsessed with movies? We had conveniently located a hotel next store, so dressed in our fluffy slippers and bathrobes we looked down on the studios with excitement. After the treat of a room service breakie, we were off to fake tinsel town and immersed ourselves in the inner workings of the American film industry by jumping on and off various rides and taking the studio tour like geeky film students. Yes the place was filled with swarms of over excited, coke slurping, pimple faced teens and their bum bagged, happy snappy parents, but it was a very fun and funny day. For those who like to be all serious and question why – the answer is this: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHhehehehehehehebahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
hehehbahahahahahaaahehehehehehehehehehehehehehe

That was me screaming loudly till my voice started getting all hoarse like I’ve smoked an entire pack of ciggies in one go. Followed by an, I feel confused little laugh, then more screaming. Then my favourite bit, the belly laugh. Not the fake giggle or the genuine little laugh you get when something is slightly funny, but the kind that comes from so deep down you weren’t quite expecting it or even knew it existed. It is where you don’t have control over your senses, your emotions and quite simply, I LIKE it.

Now, there is a difference between screaming from absolute fear of dying or pain-this kind I definitely don’t like or ever want to be faced with. But I’ve got to say the kind of fear that gets your adrenalin racing, your heart pumping and where the unexpected shock- like a sheer sudden drop in the dark whilst a fake mummy jumps out at you- is the kind that makes me go all silly like I’m a little girl spinning cartwheels in a park again (something else I highly recommend).

What makes me think about this now was a conversation I had with my amazing masseuse Amanda (or who I like to refer to as Jesus) over the weekend. She heads up to the Gold Coast every now and then with her boyf because they are big giant kids and bought a season pass to the theme parks up there. We were talking about just how good screaming is, as really, it is the very definition of living in the moment. Whether it is the sheer thrill of dangling upside down as a rollercoaster flips your senses and you don’t know which way is what, or sliding down a giant waterslide on a raft-you just can’t replicate that feeling that essentially brings you back to your innocent, childish, stress free days.

I reunited with this feeling a few weeks ago when I went away with my sister’s family to Moama. They had recently purchased a very fine speed boat that we all ventured out in. At first, we glided over the beautiful waters of the Murray at a pace suitable for geriatric holiday makers. This was time to take in the stunning scenery –from hundred year old gums that scatter the banks, some standing majestically. Or others that have found their fallen place, half submerged in the murky Murray. Or there is the old port at Echuca, a place I truly love. Even with the autumn chills, there were still a huge amount of people lounging on their house boats, finishing with kids on the banks or sipping beers camp side at the many caravan parks.

But here comes the fun bit, the screaming……

Nicky and Az had also conveniently bought a biscuit (the rubber inflatable kind not the one you eat on Anzac day) to go with the boat (alongside some awesome wake boarding gear). My niece really wanted to watch someone go for a ride before she attempted it, so of course being the great aunty that I am, along with Lewy, we endeavored to brave the icy waters and give it a go.

In short, after a combination of twists, turns, bumps and near flips, I could hardly pull down my top lip from it being stuck in a permanent gummy smile (my true happiness smile as much as I hate to admit it). Throughout this insanely fun activity my sister Nicky kept putting her thumbs up to check I was ok since I was screaming so much. I would give her one back, go back to gripping the handles and then follow it by an incredibly loud cackle. This is the stuff that the weetbix commercials are about……where you can retreat back to being a big kid if only for a brief few seconds or minutes.

So this weekend or sometime real soon, find a place where you can let go, unwind and scream a little dream to happiness. Like the ohm is to the yogi experts, a good scream is just as good in centering your mind and can create one a very happy person.