A Walk Down The Old Railway

Today I took a notebook on a walk with me. What is was written below was done so while sitting here: 

I seem to forget that I have this walk right at the bottom of my road. It's a place where my childhood memories cling to the branches and lie buried under the ever growing weeds. 

I'm not sure if it's here where a love of forests and greenery sprung. I find it so compelling being in and amongst the trees. To have sunlight glowing through the tree tops and making the leaves glow green. It's a beauty I am drawn to and never think to take for granted. Perhaps it's this place. Perhaps its because I associate forests so very strongly with fairy tales and magic. Though describing it as magical itself may be taking things too far. 

It's like I've stepped in to a another world. There is a quiet here that my problems and stress just don't fit in to. I want my brain to calm down so my thoughts can fit in to this place where the only noise is gentle bird song and the whisperings of leaves to one another. As cliché as this sounds: there is always beauty in the world and you have to remember to look for it. Wow, did I just write that? To add to that, perhaps not going for the obvious beauty but something you've overlooked - makes it something more. 

It's easy to go: "Oh look a sunset. Isn't that nice?"
But to see the same sun brush it's way through a leaf and make the spine of the leaf glow a green that even Crayola couldn't capture - well, that's something else entirely. Maybe more satisfying is what I'm going for. 

Whatever it is, within a wood, a forest, whether I'm there by train or foot- being surrounded by something so green and so untouched -for a while it's all I can do to stare admire. I am out of the world and in to my own. 

A Paraphrased Introduction

I'm aware how long that first post was. Sorry.

To summarize:
This blog will consist of writing and or pictures of times when I've felt content. Or if I remember sometimes from when I was younger.

With absolutely no worrying or whining on my part.

I suppose it's a self indulgent thing to do but if anyone happens to stumble across and be inspired by it, that would be great. So, if you have somehow found this little site, feel free to comment with your own stories. Share the love and what not.

OK, I'll stop now. 

A Puzzling Realisation

I am starting to realise just how happy my life is and that realisation isn’t met with the relief you think it would be bring. My initial response is somewhat puzzled.  

You see, I am quite the pessimistic person. I am an over worrier and more often than not I assume things will go wrong. I expect the worst and maybe just a little of part of me hopes for the best. So to find myself on my bedroom floor, looking back over the past three years of my life in the form of yearbooks, scrapbooks and photo albums, something dawns on me that I’ve never quite properly grasped before.

I’m happy.

I don’t mean to say that I am forever your typical whiney teenager of the internet. Yes, I have esteem issues and avoid my reflection and associate the word ugly with myself more often than is healthy. But I am also constantly trying to savour memories for myself and the good things about my life.

My room for my first year of University 

This has happened a lot for me the past year since it has been my first year at university as well as the best summer I’ve ever had. Whether it's the feeling of laughter during pre drinks or the realisation of the fact I am actually a student and made it. The feeling of being in a crowded festival at Portugal, watching Mumford and Sons in the sunset. Or on a beach and the realisation I’ve made two of the best friends – there I would say I could of possibly asked for – but, at the risk of sounding cheesy, if I had asked I think it would have been asking too much.

Optimus Alive in Portugal

I am not a boastful, nor arrogant person (see afore mentioned esteem) but I will forever strive to remember what it feels like to be content. Little moments when I will admit to myself that this is good and I don’t want it changing. This can be anything from dancing to a song in a club, rather drunk and feeling freedom. Or just sitting at home in an evening in with my family, all of us drinking tea and laughing at something stupid one of us has said.

When we all watch Breaking Bad and drink tea

I’m aware this isn’t the most coherent of things but, you see, I’m not feeling quite coherent. I’m beginning to realise how many of those moments I’ve had. Sometimes they’re more than moments, they’re days. Times that I am, put quite simply, happy.

Even so, I still worry and ,yes, things do go wrong for me. Cue mention of having three phones nicked in the space of a month, drunken mistakes and being judged.

I think, what I’m trying to get at, is that right now I wouldn’t want to change a thing in my life. Which is saying something and it's taken me a long time to come to this. Of course, at this moment in time the worrier is me jumps up on my shoulder and with a flourish takes me forward two years down the line.

Out of university.

Debts.

Little job prospects.

Recession.

Taxes.

Responsibilities.

To those points, which I am highly aware will make me cry later in life, for now I argue back with these:

Out of university – those three years were worth it and you know it.

Debts – on a degree you enjoyed. On at least one summer that was incredible.

Little job prospects – write a book and get it published, it’s what you’ve always wanted. Don’t stop trying until you do. In the meantime, attempt with the media or at least pick a nice shop. Or supermarket with nice food.

Recession – the government will always fuck up, you don’t have to.

Taxes – Alright, they’re just a ballache but everyone has to deal with them. Avoiding them would be worse for you in the long run.

I am happy now.

I have been for 19 years.

I have had the sturdiest and strongest friendships as well as family who I love more than anything.

It’s not one of those things where you try to convince yourself you’re happy. It’s a realisation I have stumbled across and that makes it all the sweeter. With writing this, I want to try and maintain this thought process.

Or at least have something to look back on to try and remember what it felt like.