I’ve been doing alot of ‘eeking’ recently. Not in a ‘saving the last square of chocolate’ sort of way, but in an ‘Arrrrrrgh!’ sort of way. Think rabbit in headlights, or maybe pheasant in headlights – a bit dappy still, not sure what’s going on, careering left and right in a crazy sort of fashion. Then said pheasant or rabbit bouncing/skipping into the hedgerow to sit quietly for a moment before the headlights fly past again. Dazed and confused, the rabbit/pheasant creature has to breathe deeply ready to face off the percieved monsters again.
This frenetic, dazed and dappy creature is me. I am still feeling very disconnected with land life at times and there seems to be a little imp running around in my head, pleading to go back out to sea or a lovely peaceful mountain where I can see the stars and not feel hemmed in. So tomorrow I am, and Bonnie- my lovely one-eyed pooch – is coming along too: weekend in the Peak District helping out with Duke of Edinburgh teams from my old school. Happy days. Maybe I’ll even put on shoes for the first time in months and do some real hill walking. Both pooch and I are very much looking forward to it.
As you can see, since my last little despatch decrying the craziness of land life, not much has changed. I have done dazed and confused in Rutland, Oxford and London with a trip to the Birdfair, various interesting meetings and PR bits, signed with a new book agent, started chipping at my ‘to do lists’, done some chilling and catching up with friends and tried to resist my urge to run off for quiet space and try and reintegrate with fellow landlings.
Next week however, I have actually scheduled in some real resting and am putting a cap on crazy stuff and other people’s demands and deadlines. Maybe we should give it some capitals: Real Resting. I cannot wait… This last couple of weeks’ crazy stuff has had to happen though, so it’s all good really.
Meanwhile Dippers is still somewhere between Mauritius and Felixstowe, on her way back home. More info to follow.
Still dazed and confused, but making progress,
Outey Toot Toot x
PS Most painful sports massage of my life today – brilliant, in one of those ‘pain is a good thing’ moments. More knots in my back than in a Knot Shop.
PPS Still working on t-shirt quotes.
PPPS Does anyone in Rutland have dry storage space where they wouldn’t mind housing a lovely little Dippers from late September, for a wee while? She’s on an 8m trailer, very well behaved and has a good few tales to tell. ‘Say hello’ if you think you might be able to help.
Still loving your tales.
Hi Sarah,
The “dazed and confused” stage at the end of the voyage was only to be expected, everybody else who has completed a similar feat has experienced it. It makes one understand why people want to become hermits, doesn’t it?
Have a complete rest and recharge those batteries for what will be another testing time over the next few months, even though there should be less chance of turning turtle, and there will be friends and family instead of the tweedles.
Very best wishes
Steve RPYC
Hi Sarah!
Pleased to know you’re back in the comfort of home and family, bet your Mum loves having you back! Please give her my best wishes.
We’re still folowing your reports here in Fremantle, the adventure still continues for us.
Kelly was looking to link up with you and hopefully get you to put an item tgether for the “In the Wind’ mag for the Club. She can be contacted on marketing@rpyc.com.au when you can find the time.
Best wishes, enjoy your R &R you’ve earned it.
Clem and the gang at “The Annexe”.
Hi! I’ve missed your daily news update!! I am glad you are with your loved ones, been busy and enjoying yourself – even if you’re in a dazed state after all those months alone.The readjustment must be major and its a good idea to get back to nature with some hill walks.I just finished my first book last weekend(true story – sailing adventure)that I have been working on for 3 years.-I hope yours won’t take that long to come out because I really am looking forward to it. One tip for writing that helped me was to print out daily and read it on the page – it looks and sounds different there! Good luck with the writing and solitude it gives you -plus all the amazing memories you get to relive while doing it. Best wishes, Linda Morison, Bunbury Western Australia
Hey Sarah,
happy to hear that you still busy, i send you a good day an also copied what i wrote on facebook so that you put a candle for us
may god bless you all on this sunny day and a special though for those who are on the Indian ocean banks.
hello…
hi sarah,great to hear from you again,suppose it sounds a bit obvious but might they have a spare shed or somesuch at rutlands reseviour?it’d be quite a coup publicity wise for them to store dippers for a while…..by the by is she doing any interviews when she gets back?it’d be lovely to catch up on her solo adventure!
hope you have a great “relax” and get back into your regular headspace,i find it impossible to imagine how odd this all must be for you.
very best wishes for some jolly times
ian
Duke of Edinburgh awards trekking, the stuff of nightmares (for mums that is).
You Do realise that it is a Bank Holiday Weekend, in the Peak District!!!! Sounding old and daft now, when I was at school in the Midlands, our Geography trips were A L W A Y S to the Peak District and it
was A L W A Y S Raining and cold and windy, and as we were poor daft school kids of little sense, we trekked off in our UNwaterproof Caggys and UNwaterproof Plimsoles with a packed lunch bag (empty because we ate it on the bus on the way there!) and groaned at all the stuff we want now, as proper adults, to rush off and see, especially at a BANK HOLIDAY!!!! Have fun….. Susie
Hi Sarah,
Hang loose and free wheel for a while – you’ll be fine.
Thanks for the news.
Have a good weekend and enjoy your rest afterwards – rest as long as you can.
Great to hear your news,
Steve Whitehead
(R&M listener and avid reader of your blogs)
Well Sarah!
God is in his heaven,all is well with the world.I was pleased to see your blogg EEK!.I began to wonder if you were taking a little longer to adjust to dry land then expected.Like many of your blogger friends are saying ,have a COMPLETE REST and recharge those batteries. Let the mind body,and soul get caught up,
Take care
Grandma Barb
Hi SARAH
Great to hear you are winding down .go and have a good break & get rid of all your tension .You,ll be great when you settel down & do your own thing . TAKE CARE & ENJOY A BREAK CHERRIO TERRY B!!!!!!!
hi sarah
steve rpyc said it perfectly.
we still think of you every morning, booting the computer and pulling up your blog.
have some good long walks, as quiet as they need be. and don’t forget the mars bars.
cheers
dick and maggie
Dear Sarah, It must be so difficult for you to adjust to life on terra-firma! Life must be so different – and hectic – I feel that life on the ocean with all the natural elements for company must have truly been food for the soul. You have endured and come through a lot and I admire you so much – your Dad must have been one special person.
I do hope that you are ‘allowed’ to really rest – body mind and spirit. I wish you every blessing for the future. June
Hi Sarah- I did VSO many years ago and had the same sense of being apart and from another place. You have had such an all encompassing experience whilst ordinary life was going on here and people can’t really imagine it except the few who have done similar things.
Sounds like you have some very good things to do- especillay time with the one eyed hound. Just be kind to yourself and take REAL RESTING as your job for the next few weeks. Best wishes Diana
On hard massage;
“pain is just weakness leaving the body”
Hi Sarah, still keeping busy…..about the t shirts, we would love to buy a couple, Just let us know when u need the sizes!!!!!keep well, and look forward to read you blog!
Hi Sarah
I guess ‘normality’ is unlikely to return this side of Christmas, if ever. Your adventure will have changed your life in ways that cannot even yet be predicted. Having been immersed (literally!) on the exquisite side of the raw-nature/normal life boundary, your perspectives on the latter will inevitably have changed.
As any Military PT Instructor would cajole as you hobble off the field:
“It’s only pain – your body loves it !”
There is a second sentence to that admonition, but you will have to ask me privately.
Code Flags “Bravo Zulu” a HUGE well done for all that you have done. CU at the Boat Show.
HiSarah,
your reaction to land life afresh,must be a natural one.However what you are looking for is within your heart,that’s beauty and peace.
By the way,did any of your fellow passengers recognise you.on your flight back to the UK? Good Luck with your future projects.Bye for now.
HEYA!!!
Well everyone seems to of missed your daily blogs even though you are now back in bonnie england!
I have been to the world champs for techno and raceboard (types of windsurfing kit) and back home for a couple of days enrolling at college then going back for rs:x world champs still safety crew but this is the olympic kit and the kit I have so going to be very busy learning yay for me!!! Hope to talk and see you soon! BTW my mobile was somewere at the top of Portland near an old battleground and cliff onlooking the sea!!!
Oh what an interesting life us rutlanders have!!! Charly XOX
btw inspired by your happy sock stories i now own a seperated toe black and yellow socks that say ‘rave your sock’s off!’ I hope you approve and have fun at the peak district!!!