Reasons to be Cheerful – A Change of Scenery

I’ve always said everything looks better in the sunshine, myself included, but to be fair the views I got to feast my eyes on last weekend didn’t really need much help on that front!

Last Friday we headed off for a long weekend in The Forest of Dean with friends and I’d been really looking forward to getting away. It’s so easy to get dragged down by the hum drum of everyday life sometimes, and a little trip was just what I needed. As much as life is really good right now, I’m working really hard, putting in a fair amount of overtime and still living in my parents spare room, and there are times when all of that gets on top of me a little. I’ve been feeling a little weary in my bones lately – I’ve been struggling to sleep properly and I’m craving a holiday chronically, but with some big projects going live at work this Summer, we just can’t commit to some proper time off until Autumn, so instead we’ve planned in a few little trips like this one to keep us going. Even if it is only a day or two, getting away from it all makes such a difference and can really help me feel refreshed and back to my normal, positive (ha ha) self. Sometimes a change of scenery is all that’s needed to blow the cobwebs away. And I certainly got scenery! And then some!!

We were staying in an old pub which has been converted into a holiday rental which was right on the River Wye, and our room looked right out onto the river and surrounding parkland. Waking up to that view every morning would have been enough to calm my busy brain on its own, but on top of that we had glorious sunshine everyday, and made the most of it by spending as much time outdoors as we could. On Saturday we decided to take a walk into nearby Symonds Yat, a beautiful village spilling down the valley alongside the river. The walk out was a gentle stroll along the river, taking in the peaceful sights of the rolling scenery. After a picnic lunch and a quick pint in a local pub (of course) we decided to take the more adventurous route home by climbing up the viewing point to see the valley in all it’s glory. I’m not the fittest, as you know, and it was a bit of a slog to get to the top, but we were rewarded by the most spectacular, panoramic sights at the top, so it was well worth the effort. The rest of the walk home was a bit of an adventure, trekking through woodland, rescuing lost lambs and having to make some executive decisions to climb over barbed wire fences to get back on route, but we made it back in one piece and ready for a session in the hot tub!

I shall write more about the weekend itself in my monthly round up post, but for now I’ll leave you with a few of the prettiest shots. I got far more than I ever imagined out of this trip – I can happily say I didn’t think about work for a minute, and despite an early rise on Monday to get back to the office, I felt the most refreshed I have in a long time (which meant Monday was a bit of a write off, productivity wise, but still, totally worth it!). Thanks to all that lovely, sunny weather and stunning waterside scenery, I actually felt like I had had a proper holiday (read here if you aren’t sure what my definitions of a holiday versus a trip are!) and for the first time in a long while I was well and truly relaxed. So relaxed, in fact, that I originally intended to post this upon my return last week, but to be frank, I just couldn’t be bothered. And I mean that in the best way possible!

Love,