A few days ago, the eleventh of November, to be precise, it was my birthday. And, you know, I spent the day completely alone. Nobody called. Nobody dropped by. And, apart from a minute or two of conversation in the evening, just because I happened to cross paths with someone, I didn't speak with anyone.
And so, for a few days, I have been in a funk and feeling really shitty . . .
The Ouse Valley Way
This long distance walking route stretches from Northamptonshire all the way to Kings Lynn, on the coast. And, perhaps I have mentioned this before, I have a bit of a desire to walk the whole thing. It wouldn't be the greatest hiking achievement of all time, but it would be mine.
One thing that keeps me from taking off on this walking adventure is a lack of funds; a long distance journey like this is going to mean needing a place to lay my head at the end of each day, and stopping for food and water. And, seeing as I have just had to endure a lonely and miserable birthday, I am inclined towards thinking that, rather than practising generosity, I would spend a little extra money on that little adventure!
Walking and dreaming
I grew up in the countryside and, being an awkward and introverted type, I found joy in wandering the footpaths there. They were a place where all the expectations and wants could fall away. They were a place where I could find a little peace and joy.
From that love, and from my being a dreamer, came the fantasy of taking off and drifting footpaths for a long time. Weeks or maybe even months. But I never did it, partly because of the lack of funds and partly because I was afraid. And there's always something sensible and joyless to do instead.
The route
I might just start from where I am, Bedfordshire, and make my way along the route as far as I could go towards the coast.
I'm not sure exactly how far I could get on £5,000, but I imagine I would get quite far. Maybe even do the whole thing, and a bit more, if there are some cheap and not quite so reputable establishments that'd take my money for a bit of food and a bed.
I've walked quite a bit of the Ouse Valley Way in my own county. The route has taken me through villages, fields, woods . . . And I have seen foxes, birds, amphibians . . . My love for walking is a love for nature; the two are the same thing for me.
One of the things I have noticed about nature lovers is the variety of ways in which their love finds expression. Some are activists, some are walkers, some are watchers, some are painters, some are writers . . . Of course, many are a combination of at least two or three of all of the above.
The primary way in which I immerse myself in nature is just through taking a walk. I push my body up hills and down muddy paths, embarrassed for myself because of my aching legs and lungs (I am fairly certain I should be a lot fitter than this!), and I am rewarded by birdsong. Yellowhammer have caught my ear as I've walked along hedgerows at the edges of fields. I catch sight of a fox on the path before it turns and disappears into brambles, its brush tail the last thing I see. Yes, these are the rewards for taking to the footpaths . . .
If I had an extra £5,000 in my account, yes, I think I would take to the footpaths. And I would make plans to stay there for a while. I'd sleep when I was tired, I would stop for food when I was hungry, and I'd turn around and make my way back when the money was running out. It'd be self-indulgent, but the fantasy is making me forget my miserable birthday for a while.
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