A Night with Aliens on Vementry

I found myself sitting in a circle with a group of aliens on an uninhabited island nestled among the many isles of Shetland. As I looked up at the sky, it felt like a dazzling fireworks display was unfolding above me.

Earlier in the week, we had made plans for an overnight adventure to Vementry, an island inhabited by sheep, birds, rabbits, otters, and sunbathing seals along its shores. My companions—Nick, Billy, Steve, Magnus, and myself—had just finished our dive, successfully collecting a bounty of seafood.

After holding our breath and diving to the ocean floor to retrieve scallops, we surfaced, caught our breath, and then plunged down again. For fish, we’d crawl back into the boat and head to another spot, where we’d spear just one fish—not more—ensuring we didn’t take more than we needed.

As darkness began to fall, we knew it was time to return to camp and quickly clean the scallops. Still clad in our wetsuits, we began the task of cleaning our coveted shellfish, but since our swimming for the day was done, we cracked open our first beers to kick off the night.

Billy was in charge of cooking, preparing roasted scallops in their shells and steaming Pollock wrapped in foil. Delicious! Although we had just emerged from the sea, hydration was essential, so we toasted with beers. The uplifting mood enveloped the camp, with everyone busy at their tasks: I was tending to the fire, others finished setting up the tent, and the rest prepped the food.

As we finally settled down, the scallops started to sizzle, and the fish awaited its turn by the fire. What I cherish most about these nights is the sense of equality around the crackling flames. It doesn’t matter if you are a house cleaner, school teacher, factory skipper, or joiner; around the fire, we’re all just aliens.

Why “aliens”? These days, stepping away from our phones and computers for an adventure makes you feel out of this world. When we dive into the sea, we leave our EGOs on the shore, just like our UFOs. Around this fire, there is no place for pride or titles—just good folks, and more importantly, friends.

What do we talk about by the fire? Absolutely everything! There are no limits or censors. As time slipped by and a few more beers disappeared, Billy asked, “Who wants the first one?” The sharing commenced with Nick, and each scallop found its happy owner in a leisurely rhythm—we certainly weren't in a hurry.

Before long, we unwrapped the Pollock from the foil. I recalled something my father used to say back in Hungary: “All food tastes better when cooked over an open fire.”

Now, I finally understood what he meant. The fish was juicy and tender, and as we tore into it, I thought,

“Oh my creator! This is heaven!”

With our bellies full, all that was left to do was sit around the fire, laughing and gazing at the stars. The darkness enveloped us, revealing the magnificent Milky Way above. In those moments, I often found myself speechless, simply listening and observing. The boys were hilarious, and amidst the laughter, a thought crossed my mind:

“I’m just happy to be here, and I don’t need anything else.”