KEY POINTS:
Europe. Ahhhh. The word itself brings joy to the heart. It was a place of great fun and freedom more than 20 years ago and was just as invigorating, although in a more sedate way, when we revisited this year.
The diversity. The food. The history. The sport. The sheer passion of their sports fans. The politics. The entertainment. The transport systems. The media. The television. The political intrigue. And so much more.
It's not all wonderful, of course. For starters, the weather isn't always that flash. But there is no denying that Europe has a magic impossible to find in a much younger and more isolated place like ours.
Europe has, to steal an old advertising line, that "feel alive flavour". All things being equal, we shall return there, although New Zealand will likely, although not necessarily, always be home.
This is what I thought of as Luke McAlister announced-slash-mumbled on Monday evening that after the World Cup he was off to Manchester to play for Sale, the English premiership battlers.
Of course, it has provoked an outcry among some and even cries of treachery.
McAlister is throwing away greatness, chant others, claiming he will never reach his potential by turning his back on the men in black. Graham Henry tried to persuade McAlister to stay on this basis.
Yes, we can understand what Henry is banging on about. For those brought up on the knee of rugby, where we were told that Greg Denholm was the only man to turn the precious jersey down, Manchester may seem an odd choice for a 23-year-old All Black to make.
Manchester is hardly Greece or Spain either, although its constantly changing nightlife is legendary if past its Factory Records and Stone Roses heyday.
Still, you are never far from any action anywhere in Europe, especially if you are a footballer with pots of money. And even if history and politics isn't your go, Europe is a fantastic place for the younger set.
McAlister's decision would have been unthinkable by a budding All Black star 10 or 20 years ago.
What does it show? That this generation of sports stars has been brought up with remarkable access to the wider world and has different ideals perhaps.
We live in the instant society and even instant has changed. Nowadays, us older computer-illiterate types even get upset if a website fails to materialise within a nanosecond whereas 30 years ago we marvelled at the arrival of a telegram. Selling a young man the lure of test greatness may soon rank alongside trying to sell him a tape deck.
And young men have never necessarily been interested in greatness. They are interested in having a great time. In the old days, a great time and a great test career may have been one and the same. The evidence says that this, increasingly, is not how young footballers see it any more.
The reaction to McAlister's move is most interesting. It reveals our rugby passion and obsession but also a public hangover from days gone by; that the best players owe a debt to New Zealand, that they are somehow enslaved to their rugby fathers. They are not. They are professionals operating in a multi-million-dollar worldwide business. They have a dollar value and an awful lot of clout.
It is also the NZRU which decrees that All Blacks must live at home, a stance at odds with probably every other sport on the planet. Ironically, McAlister is even more valuable to Sale when barred by the All Blacks.
Of course, the old footballers may have happily turned up year after year for club and province, hitting tackle bags instead of filling money bags, all the while hoping that the magic call-up to the pantheon would arrive and willing to sacrifice all.
But as at least one high profile player-manager has repeatedly told me, this obsession with the black jersey is more a media myth happily promulgated by the rugby salesmen.
Many emerging players see All Black selection as a highly desirable and a wonderful stepping stone, of course, but not a career-long embrace with the holy grail.
McAlister, remember too, was brought up in Manchester, where his father played league. He also took time out to travel during his rugby rookie days, turning down an early opportunity for Blues selection. He has already tasted the big wide world and wants some more. Now.
And what is he leaving behind or escaping?
This may represent a jaundiced view from the media bench about the state of NZ rugby but the game is run by an overbearing, all-powerful and manipulative force.
Some refer to the NZRU as the Kremlin, as in a bloated administration that acts as if it always knows best, wanting to control every part of daily life.
To bring it closer to home, the NZRU of today reminds me very much of Muldoonism.
The NZRU has a claustrophobic presence with its centrally controlled contract system. The players must feel their careers are often being pulled by invisible strings. McAlister may be one of the flavours of the month now but one man's judgment can quickly cut down your income throughout the land.
The case of Piri Weepu illustrates the point about the abuses of power.
Yes, Weepu's game has its weaknesses. He has become George Gregan before his time, sitting in the pocket and firing out passes to runners rather than testing defences. Weepu might not always display the all-for-one, one-for-all team ethos either.
But he has been done in - denied the chance to get his game right.
Firstly, he was barred from two months of Super 14 action when he was named in the cotton-wool club. When he returned, he was often played out of position at first five-eighths in the Hurricanes by Colin Cooper, a coach favoured in the halls of power. Weepu was then part of the in-out, in-out All Black selection policy, getting just two starts. Then, after a semi-season in which he's barely strung two halfback games together, he was axed for the World Cup.
Where is the professionalism in these NZRU dealings with Weepu? It borders on restraint of trade.
The players who jumped ahead of him have been able to push their claims all year. Weepu is reportedly livid and with good reason.
It is so easy to have your path blocked in this country. Too much power is in the hands of too few. In terms of rugby, McAlister is heading to the land of the free.
Camp McAlister's chief is said to be his father. The last time I recall seeing Charlie McAlister in action, or not in action, was at a Kiwi league testing session held at Mt Smart Stadium.
It's unlikely a footballer has ever been lapped as quickly as the bulky McAlister was that day. Prop forwards whistled past him like V8s dealing to a freight train.
But Charlie McAlister has been no slouch in his dealings as his son's guide.
He is portrayed as a Svengali-type, dominating the direction of his son's career. If so, then the younger McAlister may have every reason to thank the old man.
Luke McAlister can claim a World Cup winner's medal then head off to play for terrific money in the most exciting part of the world. He will travel Europe for the Challenge Cup games and leave those mind-numbing and endless trips to South Africa behind. What a time in his life.
The bottom line is this. While the great and the good of NZ rugby may wring their hands, Luke McAlister will be on the other side of the world, having a great adventure.
We are finding out that for at least a few rugby stars, rugby is - as McAlister mumbled - only part of life.
