The first 3 weeks went by in a sleepy haze. I was restless and unfocused and slept like a log each night. The last month has been predictably flat as I gradually got back into some sort of a routine, but punctuated by moments of exhilaration as memories came back of people and places along the way. It took a while to get all the sponsorship money in and I was delighted and humbled by the generosity of friends and family who contributed to the final total of £960 - far more than I dared to hope for. My most moving moment (among many) was when Helen and Ian presented me with an exceedingly generous cheque which included a legacy from Toby to be used for a charity of their choice. It still chokes me up to think that they chose to use it to celebrate my achievement!
So what do I make of it all? Firstly I was convinced I would barely scrape through the first week - yet I never once thought of giving up once I had begun - perhaps it has taught me that I am physically fitter and mentally stronger than I believed. More importantly the act of plodding on day after day, through beautiful scenery but in some very uncomfortable conditions brought an incredible sense of peace, which is still with me. Mary, my wise friend, called it something like 'meditation through movement', which sums up the experience perfectly. I was for the first time living 'mindfully' and in the present, with no headspace to think about the past or to worry about what might be ahead of us. I hope I will never lose the memory of that sense of oneness with my surroundings and with my companions, Sue and Mel enhanced by the spontaneous kindness of strangers along the way.
In a sense the walk mimicked the course of my life which started in London and the southeast and brought me here to the Cotswolds (very reluctantly) in the 1980's. Arriving back in the Water Parks I realised that I had truly come home and had finally left the southeast behind emotionally. So perhaps that's why it's so difficult to draw the line - walking the Thames Path was a wonderful experience but one which didn't end, just opened up new opportunities, new bridges to cross.
When we arrived back at the Thames Head it struck me how far I had travelled in my life since 2000, my lowest point, when I was faced with reinventing myself as a single person. Apart from Ed, everyone in the welcome party was part of my new life - and what a rich and rewarding life it has turned out to be!
Acknowledgements
To Toby who inspired me with his courage, intelligence and passion for fundraising
To Helen and all the family and friends who supported me and sent words of encouragement along the way (especially the mantra from Thomas the Tank Engine)
To Sue without whose determination, enthusiasm and commitment Mel and I would probably never have got round to doing the walk
And to Mel who organised most of our accommodation, read the maps more accurately than I could, lifted my rucksack and above all made me laugh
