Thursday 14 July 2011

My walk through wonderland

Today has been quite a beautiful day. After completing my assignment early this morning, I decided to take a solitary walk after dinner, still full of that blissfully satisfied feeling you get from finishing something. So I set off, my battered and beloved Converse on my feet and my hair a disheveled mess. I walked the entire length of the old railway line, set at the bottom of the woods. Maybe it was just because the sun was shining, but to my eyes everything seemed so colourful and picturesque. As I walked along (or skipped when there was nobody around) I didn't know where to look first. There was an abundance of charming fuchsia flowers under canopy of trees and tall bushes that enclosed me. Not a thick, dense canopy that blocks out all sunlight, but just the occasional shading from the sun. Little birds were to-ing and fro-ing just ahead of me, playfully chasing each other. The occasional dog walker or cyclist passed me and we exchanged smiles, sharing the beauty of the surroundings for just a short moment. I gulped in lungfuls of the fresh warm air, filled with the scent of freshly cut grass. I listened to the ground crunch beneath my feet.

To the left of me I caught glimpses of vast, green fields, some filled with grazing sheep and horses, others without and left perfectly untouched. Trees and hills filled the background, creating such a delightful view it inspired me into taking an interest in photography. To me, this seemed like such a beautiful sight, I just wanted to capture it and hold on to it forever. To the right of me, through the occasional peep hole in the bushes, I glanced at the perfectly manicured gardens of a few charming cottages. I passed the back gardens of a quiet housing estate where one family were sat enjoying the late afternoon sunshine with a barbecue, the delicious smell wafted up to me on the walkway. Further along I heard childish laughter and I caught a glimpse of a mother playing frisbee with her two children and smiled to myself. Children always bring happiness.

As I neared the end of the old railway, I slowed my pace, not quite ready to face reality once again. I smiled to myself and embraced the final moment of peace and tranquility before turning the corner and heading across the busy road in the direction of my home. I had enjoyed my little escape and was thankful to be living.

Tuesday 12 July 2011

A day of indulgence

It's currently pouring with rain out and I'm home alone, so I'm sat curled up on the sofa listening to the melodic raindrops and eating copious amounts of dark chocolate. I feel comfortable and content. I'm rereading The Hobbit by  J. R. R. Tolkien and it feels so enchanting to get lost in another world of magic and adventure, my ideal place to be on a day like today. My strong feelings of desire and anger towards him seem to have subsided, just for a while, and in their place lies serenity and peace. Knowing my emotions and how they tend to seesaw from one extremity to the other, this may only last a short while so I'm embracing today wholeheartedly with a meaningful smile on my face. Writing comes easy on days like today.