An Ode to the Outdoors
The outdoors, quite literally what lies in front of us out-of-doors and in the open air.
Sometimes I think we miss the beauty in getting outdoors over the colder months. Winter doesn’t always lend itself to walking through rain, wrapping up against cold wind or watching your step on patches of ice. If anything, other than during rare snowfall, most people tend to hibernate inside in the warm and dry, and completely ignore the world around them as the nights darken and the temperature drops.
I’ve always gone a bit stir crazy if I’m cooped up for too long.
Despite the weather, winter is a very beautiful time of year to appreciate. The quiet and slow and unhurried months as life rests and recharges ready for the next year ahead.
When I lived in Cornwall, winter was often my favourite time, away from the tourists spattering the streets all summer long, hidden from view amongst misty moors and indigo sea. There’s nothing I love more than stomping along an empty beach, wind whipping your hair from under your hat and just listening to the roar as waves meet the sand. That and the quiet hum of the forest as the dewy leaves mulch down under your feet and branches form vertical mazes above you. Sarah’s recent post Tales from Goonhilly Downs explains my thoughts on Cornwall in the winter perfectly.
Winter is the time to make the most of the outdoors, without the rush of people to interrupt the calm. We would row all winter long, training for the competitions ahead, heading out after breaking the ice from the top of the gigs, quietly cutting through water with just the sound of the clacking pins.
Even now when I have to spend more hours under strip lighting, staring at an illuminated screen, I relish the time in fresh air. Trips up to check that my trial is still warm enough, visiting the horses on the farm for a quick pat and a polo. Having spent my whole life living in the countryside, I can’t imagine what it must be to not appreciate the darkness, the quiet. Upon visiting London, I am almost instantly drawn to the park to wait for a meeting, rather than the inevitable coffee shop frequented by most commuters. I chose to ignore the Tube and instead spent the evening wondering through the crowds on foot. Though noisy, bright and polluted, I’d still rather be outdoors.
These photographs are from a Saturday afternoon spent at RHS Rosemoor. After enjoying their Autumn celebrations surrounded by visitors, we wondered for a while in the trees, only occasionally passed by families, enjoying the dappled shelter provided by the canopy above. A wonderful day filled with autumn colour and family.
The outdoors cures a whole manor of life’s stresses. Just heading outside, going for a walk, finding a patch of green somewhere is guaranteed to boost your mood, even in the lowest of times. We do not appreciate the power of this enough.
| Top – New Look | Jeans – F&F | Boots – Primark | Watch – Shore Projects |
