I grew up in the middle of the country and only ever saw the sea twice a year on holidays. After nearly five years living just a couple of miles from the beach and seeing the sea in the distance everyday on my drive home from work there is still something awesome about it. I can sit and stare out to sea for hours and just let my mind wander where it wants to. Yesterday on the way home we stopped at one of the bars on the seafront for a drink and sat in the window watching the waves break over the pier. I suddenly felt surprised at my life as it is now. I can't remember what I expected life would be like at this point but I'm pretty sure it wasn't going to be like this. I almost stopped and changed thoughts, scared that if I thought about my life in any detail I wouldn't like it. But then I realised that put simply I am actually approaching 30 with a successful career, buying a house with the woman I love and living the life that I have made for myself. The scary details are the bits that other people worry about - that I'm buying a house with someone else yet there is no guarantee of a job here in two years time; that the person I love is a woman; that the woman I love is old enough to be my mother.

But I'm happier than ever, and these worries are not my worries.