We share tales to inspire those we meet
Last Monday, while enjoying a heatwave day off from work on the shores of Loch Lomond, I met a lovely lady from Dorset. A stranger really, soon connected over the fact we were both on our Plan B journey back to Glasgow. Since Scotland, and the UK in general, grounds to a halt in any extreme weather. The temperature wasn’t even over 30 degrees, and we were now operating on survival mode.
After the train station announced they were unclear when, if any, trains would be running back to Glasgow, I hunted down the bus stop that appeared on my map app, and was soon sitting perched on the front row of the express bus, next to the lovely lady.
She was meant to be on a train from Fort William to Glasgow, but had also encountered the impacts of a Scottish heatwave. We naturally started to chat. That is when I felt that feeling, that nothing is by chance. We were meant to ‘bump’ into each other on our plan B journey.
After chit-chatting back and forth for thirty minutes, I turned and announced how much I enjoyed our chat, how inspiring she was and I would definitely, one day, walk the West Highland Way. That is what she had just accomplished. A lady, perhaps in her 60s, who had walked solo, over four and half days, from the North of Glasgow through the highlands finishing in Fort William. She was super lovely and very tired.
During our chat, we smiled, laughed, shared, and listened to each other. Strangers with one thing in common, we love an adventure.
I told her I had taken the day off work to enjoy what I labelled a ‘heatwave holiday’ and as I was back to work on the Tuesday, I planned to max out the rest of Monday. As I stepped off the bus she shouted ‘enjoy your bike ride’. I knew I would. Like I said, we are both here for an adventure
Like most ‘chance’ encounters, they are opportunities to listen and learn. Here is what I learned.
Life Lesson 1. Plan B is OK. It isn’t Plan A. But it will support you to reach your destination. Just a different way.
We had both planned to jump on the train back to Glasgow and were both now on the bus. As I stepped off the bus I confirmed to myself, in my mind, ‘Plan B was actually ok after all, I even got to chat to the lovely lady’.
She had finished her walk that day, after being told there were no trains, rather than panic, she found a bus that took her back to Glasgow retracing her steps from the window seat! Perhaps a more scenic journey than the train.
I think once you let go of expectations, life gets a little less stressful, and you experience more from it as you’re not stuck in a negative ‘can you believe there is no trains’ thought loop.
Life is a journey, things will happen, good and bad, it is how you react to them that is important. Breathe, let go of plan A, reset and get back into experiencing life – care free.
Life Lesson 2. There is no need to rush, take your time
It took the lovely lady 4.5 days to walk the Great Highland Way. When I asked if this was the average, she shook her head sheepishly before admitting most people take 6 to 7 days. And when I asked what would she do differently she said ‘Not rush it’. She continued by saying, ‘If you can take the time, there is no rush and you will likely enjoy it more, as some of the days are long and you have your head down grinding it out.’
Life doesn’t need to be a competition with ourselves or others. It is simply an experience, to be, well, experienced. When we rush, we get too focused on what is next rather than what is all around us – the present. So, whenever possible, slow down a little.
Life Lesson 3. Plan ahead so you can relax and enjoy the journey
She explained that her route and timeline were influenced by the accommodation options on offer. As 50% of walkers are from outside Scotland they book their accommodation way in advance so you need to plan ahead and map out your route, to break down the overall route into manageable chunks where there are overnight options. There are times in life where you can wing it, but whenever possible atleast have a mini plan to you are not spending your precious time on the journey planning and grovelling for a bed.
Life Lesson 4. Travel light. We don’t need all the material possessions we cling to dearly.
As she sat in the clothes she had hiked with, she explained a key hack to enjoy the hike is to travel light. With a small bag and a couple of changes, she didn’t have the burden of walking with lots of ‘stuff’. Stuff weighs us down, and can distract us. We need very little to feel happiness. The lighter we are, the freer we feel, and the happier we are.
Life lesson 5. Use the energy and camaraderie from others to spur you on
As she recalled her longest day when she walked 11 miles, starting at 8am and finishing at 7pm, she gazed ahead and described how mentally tough it felt. She had ‘hit the wall’ as she sat on an actual wall at 3pm, ready to call it quits. Soon to be joined by a couple walking not to far behind, who lifted her spirits and walked the next four hours alongside her – chatting and keeping each other in high spirits. ‘Without them, I would have quit that day’, she expressed.
Life Lesson 6. We are always capable of more.
It was the best chat I’ve had in ages. I felt energized and inspired. A gentle reminder that life doesn’t need to slow down as you age. It will, naturally, evolve and change. You and your experiences will match your values and where you are in your life. She was a grandmother, but to me, she was super strong in mind, body, and spirit. There is something empowering about being around a strong, independent woman who knows what they want from life. It is like a compass, showing you that we are all capable of some big achievements and that age shouldn’t be a barrier.
Life Lesson 7. Life is full of duality.
Duality teaches us that every aspect of life is created from a balanced view of opposite and competing forces. They are opposites but complementary. I asked how she felt to have walked the West Highland Way, she simply replied, ‘tried’. How she felt when she reached the finish line, again she replied, ‘tried’. And how she felt when she knew she was approaching the finish line, another ‘tired’ response. I kept smiling, as I knew in a few days, once the tiredness and soreness subsided, she would feel a contentment that is only earned when you keep moving forward, pushing yourself, into a life-changing experience. Without feeling all that life brings to us, we could miss out on feeling alive.
Life Lesson 8. Get inspired by the stories shared by others
As we chatted, she explained how she only heard of the West Highland Way through a friend who visited Scotland and passed on the news of this iconic walk. She didn’t think many English people were aware of it, most of the walkers she encountered were from overseas or Scotland.
I explained I wasn’t sure how it compared, in terms of exposure around the world, to the Camino De Santiago which is a pilgrimage where you walk for 30 – 40 days across Northern Spain to reach the shrine of an apostle found in the Cathedral.
Back in 2018/2019, I met a man on a rooftop bar in Malaga who had, literally, just completed it. He glowed as he shared his tales, my eyes widening by the minute. I mentally added it to my ‘list’.
There is something about enduring these relentless, and at times, brutal experiences. Once the tiredness subsides, you realize you’ve had one of the most enchanting experiences of your life. And that is why we don’t give up when we feel tired. One day we will only remember the highs and will share tales to inspire those we meet, for them to step forward to retrace our footsteps. To have their own experience.
One day, I am pretty sure, I will experience the West Highland Way and the Camino De Santiago. What about you?
“[A] journey becomes a pilgrimage as we discover, day by day, that the distance travelled is less important than the experience gained.” ~ Ernest Kurtz