The other day I was asked this question. I hadn’t really thought I did much to ‘relax’ or to help me stay sane in any day. Turns out I was wrong. Once I got thinking about it it would appear that I do quite a lot every day to reduce stress, little things like pour myself a cup of tea, leave all screens behind and sit alone in my sitting room for a few minutes. Or stop regularly for a moment and relax my shoulders, only then do I know I was uptight.
However the best thing I do is something I’ve done for many years. I go for a walk. This isn’t just your everyday walk, this is a walk less than a mile from my home which might as well be a million miles away.
I rarely go alone, sometimes Daniel’s mum is with me, or his aunt or other friends. Occasionally it’s a the whole lot of us. It can take an hour or hour and a half. Can you imagine the stories and events in our lives we have shared on that road over the past many years?
On Tuesday I walked it alone, thoughts of Daniel, life and death very much on my mind, as well as being thankful that at the moment all that matters is good in my life. During my walk I took a few photos. So why not come along with me?
If we go the shorter route we skip a very large hill and begin at a lovely quiet stretch.
Even if I am by myself I am never alone. This poor fella ran out of patience waiting for the gate to be opened and made his own way across the road.
After a while the views are obvious and the silence broken only by our chattering, although we do try to stop every now and then to appreciate it.
We are nearly on first name terms by now!
Look carefully and you’ll see who else was keeping us company.
These are the newest arrivals on our walk, so not yet too happy to see us.
Finally we reach the bend for home, ready for the day ahead. Troubles have been shared, many laughs have been had and depending on the length of the walk we even come close to solving Brexit, Trump and other major world crises.
Life can and has thrown much at us over the years but as long as we can travel this road together I think we’ll do just fine.
My thoughts on a page. 
When you look at that walk aren’t we so lucky to live in Ireland? Gorgeous, as were the animals that watched as you passed. Im not sure that I relax enough, there’s the odd time I sit in front of the fire and don’t do anything and think its been too long since I did that, I always seem to be moving or planning!
You have young children. I didn’t get much time for enjoying these walks until my gang got a bit older. But I do think some time out is very important.
i love walks, both alone and with others. thanks for sharing your zen route, i love your cow friend, and please keep walking to come up with a solution to trump. we need you and your team to focus on this )
Haha. How selfish of us. I’ll pencil it in for more time on tomorrow’s walk.
Thanks for the walk Tric. The air and the sights did me some good.
Toyed with walking this with you when you came over.
Maybe next time 🙂
You are fortunate to have a walk like this close to where you live.
Indeed we are we have a lot of beautiful choices of places to walk close by.
I live in a built up area in north Manchester UK.
Lovely! I need to get out and walk more here, although Massachusetts can’t hold a candle to your views!
We really are spoilt for choice here. I’m no gym bunny but I love walking.
Beautiful. Thanks for taking us on the trip with you.
Glad you enjoyed it April.
Country walks – or even better coastal ones – work well here too – thanks for sharing your favourite x
Thanks Candi. I was up there again today. Batteries recharged.
I think you’ll do just fine, Tric!
I think you’re right.
Ace!
since I retired I’ve been fortunate to acquire a new partner and several new friends so most days I’ve got something on
I like to keep one day a week, though, as ‘me’ time – where I don’t go out, I don’t meet up with other folk, I just spend the day cooking, which I find relaxing and satisfying
[I usually cook several curries, pakora, samosas – enough to feed me for about 2 weeks – and store them in the freezer, so there’s a practical benefit to this exercise as well]
P.S. of course, I cook better when I’m drinking a
bottleglass or two of wine so by the end of the marathon cooking session I’m usuallycomatosevery relaxed!Duncan I like your style. I suspect you may live to be 100!
I am so thrilled you have a new partner. I have wondered many many times how that all went.
I have taken a step back in life this year too and while it takes getting used to it’s not the hardest adjustment I’ve ever had to make and all adjustments are much easier tolerate with a glass of wine.
Walking is great medicine.
It sure is.
Nothing like the right walk on the right trail. I like yours. 🙂
Thanks OM. It’s close to perfect, for me anyway.
I like this post a lot and enjoyed your photos too! I have always though that a walk is such a good opportunity to clear my mind, since I was very young. And now being a university student, after studying for hours on end I like to take a walk down the highstreet and just escape for a bit! Granted it’s not as picturesque as your pictures, ha but still worth it x
I don’t find anything clears my head as well as a walk somewhere.
Good luck in your uni course. What are you doing?
Agreed. I’m studying psychology, currently in my second year and loving it!