I have a new favourite book this week. It’s not the latest bestseller, or even a timeless classic, but an old, slightly dog-eared, copy of a walking guidebook for my local area. It’s designed for tourists, and I actually came across it when I went away on holiday elsewhere and got hold of a walking guide there by the same publishing company. I loved using it and had a vague memory of buying a similar book for my own area years ago, so when I came home I dug it out. Recently I’ve been going through the walks in it one by one, and ticking them off on the index list.
It’s been a huge joy to find new and unexpected walking routes. I’ve found some real gems which I never knew existed, and have rediscovered a love of old haunts. The book has also given me the motivation to venture to more challenging or less easily accessible routes.
These walks in the cool autumn air through forests of colourful leaves have done wonders to cheer me up. Like most people I imagine, I’ve been feeling run down by the seemingly never-ending nature of this pandemic. The announcement of level five lockdown restrictions this week is a hard thing to come to terms with, however much we may have been expecting and speculating about it in advance. Six weeks feels like a long time, much as it may be for our own good.
So to help ease the pain of these new restrictions, and to combat the feeling of time sliding by in a never-ending fog of pandemic misery, I have set myself a challenge. Six weeks, six good long weekend walks. I am going to write a short review of each, and take a picture, in order to document my challenge. Even if the level five restrictions are eased after the four week review period, I’ve decided I’m going to continue for my six weekends. It’s a project that will take my mind off other things, and add a bit of much-needed fun.
The next six weeks will be hard for all of us, as the last seven months have been. Is there any positive challenge or activity you can come up with to take the edge off? For some people it may just be a case of getting through the weeks, and there’s no need to add increased pressure to that. Others may find a challenge or activity helpful or enjoyable. I shared my idea with a friend of mine, and she decided she is going to go for much shorter walks more often, aiming for ten minutes every day. She has promised to update me on her progress, and I’m looking forward to doing the same.
With best wishes,
Mags