Unexpected Lessons

 Lessons Learned from a Good Walk...

Two months of a complete change of pace while watching my mother slowly deteriorate has taught me important lessons.

Yesterday, I went for a long (17+ miles) walk and as I walked, notes down lessons learned to share with the photos on Facebook. This morning, as I planned my blog, I thought about how my walking notes connect with much deeper learning about how I must change my life - how I can embrace what has made me so happy here despite the personal heartache and missing husband and dogs 🐶 

So, here we go - from my walking notes as posted on social media, to the life connection.  Well except for #8.  That just is how it is!

1. Don’t worry about how the app works, just focus on the map. Bring a charger 🙃 
• Don’t waste so much time, energy, and emotion on being clever - get the basics right first!
2. Pack a spare pair of socks. And a T-shirt. And pants. Heck, bring the whole change of outfit 👖👚🧦Yes, one of the tracks in The FIRST mile got me soaking wet 😳 
• Plan for the unexpected, and learn from every adventure to be better prepared for the next.
3. Keep your eyes open! Lots of vegetation change, and the occasional pony🐴 in a field. Always a surprise for both of us. Oh, and the field of bullocks was a bit unnerving 🐂. 
• 
  Don’t miss life as it flies by. I love waking because you notice things you miss from a car - like an apostrophe on the Bishop’s Hull name sign I spend my life rushing. It needs to stop. I need to breathe & take a walk. I need to watch out for and enjoy the little things. 
4. Put your raincoat on when walking through thick, wet, nettle-laden vegetation. 
• Think ahead. ‘Be prepared’. Remember #2 above!
5. Always stop for a castle 🏰 even if it’s only a fort & nothing much is there. After all, you don’t want to miss anything 🤷🏼‍♀️. 
• When you think there might be something special ahead, make time for it. Don’t miss out. Don’t try to squeeze it in. Let it be special. Life truly is short.
6. Bring a towel to sit on 😀 
• Always think about the tools you’ll need and find a nice spot to sit to watch life unfold. Don’t always stand up.
7. Don’t press stop instead of pause ⌚️, when you stop to eat a sandwich 🥪. 
• STOP RUSHING to do things quickly. Savor the moment. Take your time. Do it right.
8. Road miles are hard on the knees. 
• Well, they are 😂
9. 2 bottles of water are enough for only the first 10 miles  💦💧 
• There seems to be a lot about planning ahead for success here, doesn’t there? But it’s key - as is hydration! Always have water to drink and a kettle to boil ☕️. Have a cuppa at 4pm and give yourself a brain break 🫖. The G&T at 6pm seems like a smart move too 🍸. Just one - after all, “Everything in moderation.” 😂
10. Bring your bandaids 🩹 & nettle sting spray ✅. 
• Sometimes you have to cover up mistakes made when you take the wrong route. Sometimes you make a boo-boo! Be ready to think about how to fix it if you need to - and remember that it’s the mistake that teaches you how to get it right next time.

Going on a 17-mile hike is very different than a 5-mile walk. Wet feet for 16 miles creates an issue. But I learned. Being away from home and not working for 2-months, moving your Mum who has worsening dementia, and living in a relative’s home is very different than day-to-day living as a teacher in Cumming, GA. But I learned. I’ve discovered a calmer and more thoughtful self. I’ve reminded myself how much I enjoy rambling and tramping around the countryside. I’ve reconnected with British habits that I truly enjoy - so what if they mark me as eccentric in the US 🤷🏼‍♀️. They are me. They are my culture. I’ve always tried far too hard to fit in, to be liked. 

I’ve learned to embrace ME. 

        To enjoy ME. 

                To BE me.

Long may it continue.

Nil Satis Nisi Optimum is a good message, but there’s more than one way to do your best!

And God Save the Queen 🇬🇧