From the door
Setting out from home to cover ground by bike or on foot brings a precious bit of adventure into my everyday life – and not just while I'm on the trail.
I enjoy travelling to explore new places, seeking new paths for my boots or bike tyres to tread. But I also feel the need for adventures that start from home.
I wrote previously about a midwinter walk I took along the Malvern Hills. Back then, I argued that setting out from the front door like this is ‘a subversive act that sees you walking or cycling against the tide of the mundane and everyday’ to connect with the place you call home.
Because home isn’t just four walls and a roof. Home is community and environment. Home is where your body can take you from your door, whether on foot or by bike. It’s the connection you make with your surroundings by immersing yourself in them.
From As I walked out one midwinter morning
On reflection, I think there’s more to it than that. Yes, it’s about establishing a deeper presence in my home ground. But it’s also about travelling seamlessly from the familiar to the unfamiliar, and then bringing some of this adventure back home.