Sometimes I think it’s easier to think of oneself as we would like to be, not as we actually are.  I’m a bit of a dreamer in that I’m always thinking of things I’d love to do, adventures I’d love to go on.  Often though I never make it from dreams to action.  In a previous post I’ve mentioned the Banff Film Festival which now tours the UK annually, with two programmes that highlight some of the best films to come out of the main festival that takes place every November in Canada.  You cannot fail to be inspired when you watch the films.

In 2015 I did a couple of short walks along part of the South Downs Way and it planted a seed.  So last year when I watched the films at the festival, I started to think about whether I could walk the whole of the South Downs Way.   The SDW is designated as a National Trail and it runs all the way from Winchester to Eastbourne, 100 miles to the east. It’s on my doorstep now, so why not?  Well, as much as I love the outdoors (when I’m in it), and I love the thought of spending time exploring the countryside in earnest, I still haven’t really turned that dream into reality.  I think that I’m someone who would undertake this task, that it’s very ‘me’, but the reality is i’m not a walker, and I’ve never done anything like this.  However, that’s not to say it can’t be me.

As we all know, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.  So to that end I’ve started to actually move along the curve from dreaming to action.  Realistically I’m not fit enough (and don’t have enough time) to do it this year, but i’ve earmarked a 10-day period towards the end of March 2018 for the trip.  I’ve spoken to a couple of people who have already walked this route before, and I’ve learned a few handy tips and pieces of information already.

Now it is time to plan it out in more detail, and I’ll talk about that in another post.  There are lots to think about, and I’m excited about delving into the details.  One of the best bits will be walking the route this year, but over days and weekends.  I want to cover all of it this year before embarking on a continuous trip.

So time to turn the dreams into reality 🙂