Dr Kerri Andrew's new book Wanderers: A History of Women Walking is a long-overdue work and is a very welcome addition to the canon. Dr Andrew's piece in The Guardian is also very welcome because Dr Andrews's speaks of the value of walking the same route over and over again. Many of us are in lockdown, and we are being forced to walk closer to home – the exotic routes across deserts and mountains and the pilgrimages in Spain and elsewhere are on hold for the foreseeable future.
As worried and fearful as I am about the current situation, I am managing to keep healthy and look after my mental health by walking in and around my town and in the nearby hills almost every day. I never stray more than an hour or two from home. This is a habit I formed during the writing of my book Walking into Alchemy: The Transformative Power of Nature when I walked the same 13-mile route every week for one calendar year.
I can now take solace in repetition because, no matter how extraordinary our lives are, there is a mundanity which rules us: the days come and go. The world revolves and the seasons roll on. One sees new things every time – every walk is the same but completely different. Learning to love and appreciate the same landscape is a gift. I spoke about this at more length in an interview for Talk Radio Europe
We are all in this together, and I am finding that other people's stories are a tremendous help. Since I joined Heather Waring's Facebook Group 1 Million Women Walking I feel that I am connected and although I often walk alone, I am never lonely.
Stay Safe and Keep Walking.
I am currently selling my book to raise money for the Rotary Families Pandemic Appeal and/or the Holst Birthplace Museum (your choice). For more details please visit www.ameliamarriette.com
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