First came the light, then came the sign. It wasn't some sort of out-of-body experience or religious vision but for a wanderer like me it was just as important.
In just over an hour, a morning walk along Cronulla Beach, with only a mobile phone camera at hand, was enough to provide a smorgasbord of changing sun and light, ocean mist and brewing storm clouds and reminded me how beautiful this part of the world can be.
As the heart of 'The Shire', Cronulla will always be an iconic Sydney beach with its long stretches of sand, always-alluring surf, distinctive surf club and for me, the memory of many years running its beaches and roads, sharing stories, sweat and tears with so many special friends.
But this visit was different. After seeing the 'Detour' sign along the path, it struck me that I was spending the weekend in an area that had been part of my life for so many years and yet it was now a place that no longer felt like home.
Friends, family and shared experiences are what makes a place special and memorable, but not necessarily different. On my detours in search of different, I now know that 'home' for me takes many forms but it will always be the place where my head and heart feel most energised, alive and inspired at that point in the journey.
Outside the window of the plane heading back to Melbourne, I was momentarily breathless when I saw the biggest rainbow I have ever seen - stretching from the ocean to the clouds. Maybe nobody else saw it, but I did. It was the sign telling me I wasn't detouring - I was heading home.