It was a rainy and miserable day on Saturday, a little bit windy and generally a day to stay indoors. My husband was catching up with a friend, and as I had decided to do a 7 day challenge where I walk for at least 30 minutes, I wanted to get outside and just walk, the weather wasn’t going to improve but really, it didn’t matter, a walk can be equally satisfying in the rain often more so.
I pulled on my welly boots, put my waterproof jacket on, grabbed my hat and was ready to go. At first I went into the woods which are at the back of our house. It was so quiet apart from the rain, the wind and the leaves rustling. I walked along and the ground had such a beautiful carpet of orange, yellow and brown, I wish I had taken a photo as it was beautiful.
I continued to walk through the woods right to the end, and surprisingly I was all alone out there. It was a surprise as so many people walk their dogs, ride their bikes or just do as I do and go for a walk. It was lovely and refreshing to be outside in this wet and windy weather.
I got out of the woods and walked along by the water for a while before heading back into another wooded area. There had been a lady in front of me, all wrapped up and wearing a yellow bobble hat, she stopped to look at the view and I overtook her, saying hello, further along I stopped and she passed me by. There is a lovely viewing point, which the lady stopped at and just as I walked up the steps and caught up with her, she turned around and spoke to me. We chatted about the weather, how we must be crazy to go out in it and that it was a beautiful view despite the rain and the low cloud.
We walked along the path chatting, she was saying that she just needed to get out and get some alone time as her husband had newly retired and was essentially under her feet all the time now. We had a laugh about it and how it’s good to have your own space and be on your own sometimes, she has been married for 42 years and they have two girls, both of whom are grown up, one married for 10 years and the other with her partner for 12 years. The lovely lady said that both her girls liked to go for walks to get their own space and be alone and we both found that being out for a walk in the rain can be lovely for our soul and therapeutic more than a walk in warm weather.
Although we were only chatting for around five minutes, the wind and rain had picked up, i was heading one way and she said she was going to head back to her car, containing her husband who was reading a newspaper and having a cup of coffee. So we parted ways and we wished each other well.
I walked on and thought about my encounter with the yellow hat lady. We all need space, we all have our own way to be on our own. We love our other halves but having time to ourselves can give us the mental freedom as well as the physical freedom to work on our thoughts, our plans, our dreams and ideas, uninterrupted.
It gives us time to reflect on life, it could be we ponder over the last few hours or days or we think about how we have grown over the last wee while. Being alone means we that when we are with others we tend to appreciate them more. As they say, ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’!
People often view being alone as being sad or not having friends but for many of us, it isn’t like that, being on your own can open your mind, help you to work through problems, give you the space and time you need to just be you and get your head around things.
So the next time you are out for a walk whether alone or not and you meet someone else, don’t be afraid to say hi as you never know what interesting people and conversations you may have!
Maybe you prefer to do your reflecting or thinking when chatting with your friends when you see the benefit of talking things through. It could be you go over things when you are in the bath, that’s a pretty good place to relax and reflect! If your someone who doesn’t like being on their own and prefers to be around others, then that’s great, you need to do what works for you.
Have a lovely week and enjoy spending time with yourself! Take care and look after you!
Love Emma xx
Wellbeing with Relaxing Lavender 