a mad idea

The best ideas just happen. They aren't things you dwell on and ponder over. They will simply pop into your head and make you take action. Instantly. Without overthinking it. 

It was an idea like that which resulted in me walking almost 200 miles in 14 days.

You see, in January this year I made a resolution to walk more. I had done a few walks along the Cleveland Way the previous year and realised that I loved it. Something about the slow pace, the quiet, the scenery, the adventure, the time to reflect, the fresh air...it was all brilliant. 

So I bought a book: Coast to Coast Path - a Trailblazer guide by Henry Stedman. I hadn't even read it when I posted on Facebook:  'Would anyone like to walk the coast to coast with me?' I had no idea what it entailed. I didn't know where it went or what it involved. It just seemed a good idea. 

I expected tumbleweeds to blow past my Facebook post. But then a surprising reply appeared. 'I'll do it.' That was from my cousin - Lynda - who lives in South Africa. Even by my fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants standards, flying 11 hours to do a walk seemed a little out there, but she was serious. 

It occurred to me then that I probably ought to read the book.

So I did. Some of it sounded faintly alarming - words like 'relentlessly uphill' and 'extremely boggy'. But I glossed over those bits and looked at the nice sounding pubs and B&Bs we could stay in instead. It sounded like a grand lark.

And so I set about booking it.  The adventure had commenced and will unfold right here ..... 

(In my next post I will explain exactly how I planned out our route, accommodation and baggage in case you are thinking about doing this.)