We walked over 30 miles in three days. I know it was along the Thames, so it was mostly flat, (there were actually some really steep bridges every so often), but I was really proud of myself. Always the last mile was tough, and on the last day, the last 2 miles hurt but by then there was little choice but to put one foot in front of the other.
There are some lovely pubs along the way, where we had some wonderful lunches and one day an amazing cup of tea! I know, but honestly it tasted sooooo good! On the middle day we were accompanied by kites, such elegant birds. We also saw Canada and Greylag Geese by the hundred, Egrets, and a pair of Goosanders, which were rather fetching. On the last mile, coming into Oxford, we saw a kingfisher, quite close and very still for quite a while. So often they are just a flash of iridescence and then they’re gone. There were many other feathered varieties but you’d have to ask Mike about them. The sky was big, the weather kind. I was really nervous about being able to manage it, but you don’t know until you try. To be fair, at the moment, I’m nervous about a lot of things. Post Covid, Ukraine horror etc, so I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised and I’m sure I’m not the only one. I’ve always struggled with the fear of what might happen, my mind leaping to worse case scenarios. All those wretched risk assessments for the youth work over the years. Still, I’m not giving up, but am learning to live in the moment, and trying not to worry about what might happen, instead to enjoy what is actually happening. Honestly, that pot of tea really hit the spot. It’s the small things.
And the book… well, sales are not exactly booming, but I won’t give up on that struggle either and next week I really will get on with a bit of editing. I will! I will! I will!
