Monday, November 06, 2006

Who am I and where did it all begin?

This is me. Sturdy Girl. Lovingly named by my big brother many years ago…

It all started with a broken ankle. For the first time in many years I was housebound, trapped in a non-supporting cast, looking longingly at the outside world and yearning to be out there. But it was winter, wet and cold and apart from an occasional hobble around the cul-de-sac where I lived in Somerset I was stuck.

Now I’m not grumbling. During my enforced retreat I had a choice – fight it or accept it – so I did the latter and took the time out as a much needed retreat in which to reassess life. I was in a failing relationship, a dead-end job and, as I discovered at the hospital, surprisingly overweight. So I took stock, learnt to meditate and listened to my heart. And all the time it was telling me what I already knew – I loved to walk. I loved to be outside in the open air, discovering new places to venture and to bond with my natural surroundings. Only now, the feelings were intensified ten-fold. And no, it wasn’t just because I couldn’t do it – it was the message I’d been ignoring for some time. It had taken many years to realise that when I was out walking, with my beloved dog, Buster, by my side, that I was happy –truly happy! As soon as the cast came off I persuaded my partner to take me to the nearby beach at Berrow. With its wide expanse of hard sand it was the perfect playground for re-training my foot. It felt so good to be moving again and to feel the fresh breeze on my face and to cast my eyes across the open landscape. A priority was to make sure the foot began moving naturally again and regained its strength and flexibility, and what better than soft sand dunes to aid that very purpose? Combined with swimming and a conscious effort to be out and about again it wasn’t long before I started taking regular walks around Cheddar, Priddy and Glastonbury with a couple of good friends and my faithful dog.

“Great!” I hear you say, and so I thought. But here I am, a year later, facing a greater challenge – that of an aspiring hill walker, eager to learn but seemingly isolated. “Why is this?” you ask. Well..it goes something like this.

The relationship which was failing, well, failed. The job which was dead-end – ended and my beautiful Mendips were replaced with the flatlands of Essex. In a space of a few months my whole life had been turned upside down. I lost my home, my job, my hills and my best friend – my mad mutt, Buster. But what I did find was that my passion for walking, my dreams of reaching the summits of Snowdon, Ben Nevis, the High Atlas and countless other places were still as strong as ever. But how does a suddenly single, 30-something, aspiring hill walker get her first foot on the ladder, or, should I say, ascent?

Now, I could book onto a holiday, but as you will all know, independent living is not cheap and limited leave time from work means that many of the trips I would like to join are not within my budget or time-scale. I will, I am sure, be able to join one such group a year and although I’m sure it will be great fun and beneficial, much like fast food, it will only fill a temporary gap and leave me wanting more.

I’ve checked out the local ramblers, but sadly many of their walks are on weekdays, and the occasional weekend walk always seems to clash with something else, and previous experience of other ramblers groups seems to suggest a ‘full steam ahead’ approach with little time for enjoying the surroundings. I contacted the local hill walking group but received a less than motivational response which was kind of along the lines of ‘we are for serious long distance walkers’ – i.e. not overweight novices.

So, what to do? Like so many aspects of my life so far, I am faced with a choice. I can either ignore my passion and wait until I find someone/a group which will take me along and have the patience and understanding to help a novice or I can take the plunge and go out there and do it anyway.

And guess what – that’s exactly what I’m going to do. Over the next few months I am embarking upon a journey of discovery, experience and fun. I’ll be building up my walking experience, increasing distance, traversing different terrain and taking appropriate courses to ensure that I remain safe and healthy.

Each week I’ll post a brief update on progress including a look at related books I might have bought/read, exhibitions or lectures attended and maybe even TV programmes which may have inspired me or thrown up questions. Each month I’ll give a full update of my adventures as I move closer to my dreams.

I’m out there now – will you join me?

Posted by Admin @ 9:21 am