to belong

As we piled back into the van for the last time, everyone chuckling and grinning from the surge of energy the Orc Run had conjured, I asked Susi what it was that kept her coming back on Red Carpet Tours with such enthusiasm. She had to take a minute to compose herself, as she was still half-laughing, half-crying from re-watching our video.

“I just can’t help myself!” she said, and I wasn’t sure if she was referring to the laugh-crying or the coming back to New Zealand. But I suppose it doesn’t really matter. “Honestly,” she said, “I think the ‘Lord of the Rings’ films are very unique in that viewers give something of themselves – well, of course, money, time; the sorts of things you give to see any movie – but, the difference is, with this one, they get something back. They get back a sense of being a part of something – a feeling of fellowship.”

I understood what she meant. As I walked back to my flat half an hour later, I realized I was sad to see them all leave. Even though I had only known most of them for two days, I had formed a unique bond with them that I didn’t want to break. They were off to finish their adventure together, and I wanted to be a part of it; to share it with them; to belong.