An unexpected trip to Rydal
I couldn’t have been less prepared for this trip. I didn’t bring enough clothes, I only brought two books, my mind wasn’t ready for a weekend away. Once I arrived though, my mind started to relax, the anxiety subsided. It felt like a burden was being lifted. It no longer mattered how little I brought with me, I would be able to enjoy the trip wearing the same clothes as I did yesterday, there was no pressure as nobody was there to notice.
The first thing I would do on waking up is open the bedroom window wide, so that I could listen to the birdsong. I would first lie in bed with my eyes closed, then I might stick my head out of the window and take a deep inhale. The air at this time of year was wonderfully fresh, there were hints of wood fire, wet leaves and cow manure.
My first morning walk took me down the lane from where I was staying towards Rydal. I noticed a little gate and path leading to some woodland off to the right and of course I had to see where it would lead. It took me down some steps through woodland and to another gate where there was a lovely view towards the river.
Woodland near Rydal - November 2022
The path followed the river and as I was enjoying the peace and sound of the river flowing I was struck by the most beautiful view that was slowly opening up before me and widening as I rounded the corner. I didn’t realise Rydal was so close. The view was so unexpected and that’s what made the experience so much more special. I had to extend it somehow. I saw a clump of trees close to the waterside and decided to sit down there for a while to take in the view. This became my regular spot that I would return to almost every day. I would just sit there, listen to the gentle lapping of the water, the ducks splashing about and allow my thoughts to wander. This to me was such a luxury! I love how in these moments memories are triggered. For me, memories of holidays we would spend in the Lake District with my gran. I was reminded of how she bought me a woodland creatures drawing & colouring book with water colour pencils. It was the combination of a particular bird song, smell of woodland and the sound of running water that brought that memory back. It’s during these moments I feel most inspired and I thought of my dream of living in the countryside. My heart aches for it sometimes, to have beauty like this on my doorstep, to enjoy every day. But as I was observing nature, I realised it will always be there, patiently waiting. I thought, if nature can wait, so can I.
View of Rydal - November 2022
Notes from the present: I wrote this back in November 2022 and I remember feeling stressed and anxious a lot of the time. I so desperately wanted to move to the countryside and it didn’t seem to be around the corner. This weekend got extended spontaneously as the people that rented out the house had the property available for a full week and I remember feeling so grateful! My daily walks in nature during this time turned out to be really revitalising and kept me going for a long time after I came back home. It was not long after, in May 2023 that I ended up moving to the Lake District. This was also when I first had the idea of a blog so it’s appropriate that I post this as my first blog post.