Savour the Flavour

A week or so on from my epic walk-about and I'm left with the flavours of my experiences lingering in my mind like a rich and perfectly balanced meal lingers in the mouth. It was a time that has profoundly affected me in a way that I was not expecting. I was expecting a fun adventure with some amazing views and memorable encounters with nature. Of course I had all of that but what I dared not hope for was a deep and soul-refreshing mini-sabbatical!

The 'wild' has long offered such enriching encounters. Celtic Monks used to seek out wild places in which to get closer to the creator. They would head to places where nothing had a name, no roads, farms or houses. In the towns and villages from which they sought to escape everything had a name which related to a past event or person. In the great nameless wild they felt further from the time and place and closer to God. 

Obviously I didn't go to quite such extremes but the isolation and the hills did wonders for me. It took a few days to find a new rhythm of thought and routine but once in the groove I found a new way of being. Someone close to me has since remarked "Before the walk you were not yourself but your walk has done you the world of good, Remember your wow moments on your hard days. Never forget who Jonny is". So it wasn't just me. it really did make a difference!

So... other than some careful planning and some great weather I have since wondered what were the ingredients which had come together to form this feast for the soul? Some flavours remain a mystery still and I swill them around my mind trying to place them (a closely guarded secret of the master chef perhaps?) others I am able to name. A couple are toil & reward, separation & solitude. 



Toil & reward: walking 20 or more miles per day with a heavy pack was pretty tough. My feet were bruised, I had blisters, my knees ached and so did my hips. On each of the days there were moments of questioning why on earth I was doing it, moments were I thought I couldn't take another step. What I found beautiful though was that the level of toil put in was linked directly to the level of pleasure and enjoyment at reaching a camp site, resting, preparing a meal and perhaps being given a beer. So on the very same day that I'd wanted to throw in the towel I'd later be resting with a meal and a tent in the most beautiful surroundings feeling that I must be so blessed to be on this the holiday of a life time! 

Separation & solitude: It took several days for the windmills of my mind to slow and stop but stop they did. My thoughts were absorbed with the route, the view and the surroundings. In my everyday life I am constantly asked questions, all day long. This is fine and is a result of choices I've willing taken but it takes it's toll. To me apart from all of this was bliss. It brought a peace and calmness that still lingers now. I now know how to find that again and will be planning some mini escapes to the 'wild' and perhaps another long walk in the future. the West Highland Way perhaps...