Same Path, Different View

It feels good to be back here, tippy-typing away about anything & everything. You may not have noticed but it has been a couple of weeks since I lasted posted on here, that doesn’t mean I haven’t been walking nor does it mean I haven’t got several post ideas percolating in the background. All it means is that I’ve been too distracted to find the time (or the energy) to fire up the laptop and transfer my ideas from brain to blog.

The reason for this distraction was a potential job opportunity, a job which I thought I was perfect for, everyone I spoke to thought I was perfect for but ultimately the decision-makers decided I was almost perfect for. At first I was disappointed but now I have accepted it simply wasn’t meant to be, there was nothing I did wrong. I was honest & never pretended to be able to deliver something I couldn’t and so now we move forward on our seperate paths.

I realise now that during the process I was in a state of limbo, wondering what my future was going to look like. In this state I lacked the wherewithall to plan ahead or to write. So while the outcome wasn’t the one I had orignally hoped for at least it is done and I can move on. All be it on the same path I started out on rather than taking my first tentative steps on to a new path.

Ok at this point you may well be thinking: “Path analogies aside, how on earth is Charlotte going to pull this post back to walking?” First of all thanks for sticking with me this long and secondly how could you doubt me? Tee hee. Actually you are about to discover that all this talk of paths is both metaphorical and literal.

I find myself metaphorically walking the same familiar path but given the potential of a new role, I find that I’m looking at this old path with a fresh perspective. Not just the job itself but everything surrounding it, the old work-life balance conundrum. And with a fresh perspective comes a renewed appreciation. No it’s not perfect but I have a lot to be grateful for and one of those things is having the time to blog, also there is a clear distinction between my work and my hobbies and I think I was risking blurring that line.

Ok Charlotte, that’s a lovely sentiment but this still has nothing to do with actually walking. Good point, well in addition to methaphorically walking a familiar path with a fresh perspective I also literally did this. You see last weekend I returned to a woodland trail that I had walked before on my own but this time I was accompanied by my two favourite people – my partner & my mum. While the views were familiar, it was a very different experience.

When I walked the trail by myself I was fully engaged with my surroundings, delighting in the sights and sounds of the wood, frequently pausing to take photos or to simply breathe it in. It felt like a long walk but a satisfying, therapeutic one. Second time around the views were no less spectacular, the sights & sounds of the wood were just as soothing. But this time that was not the main reason for being there, this time it was all about spending quality time with my loved ones, sharing the experience of being surrounded by trees and taking it turns to call-out ‘bluebell’ as we spotted these little beauties. Another key difference was the decision to alter the end of the route so that we came out by the cafe/bar instead of the exit meaning we could enjoy a drink in the sunshine.

At this point I feel I ought to try and come to some sort of conclusion, although some of the best walks meander along with no clear stopping point so I could model this post on one of those walks but no let’s see if we can find a definitive destination. I guess my point is that while new adventures can be scary but exciting sometimes all we need is the possibility of a new start. Chasing a dream can be invigorating even if we ultimately wake up in the same bed we fell asleep in. The possibility of a fresh start may be all we need to set foot on the same path but with a new perspective, just as walking a familiar route with loved ones instead of a solo stroll is a different but equally enjoyable experience.

That’s how I stroll.