We all find different ways of feeling refreshed and putting a little adventure into our day, something to take you away from it all for a short while, and for some people in this group recently it has been wild swimming!
One member of the YesTribe posted this week that she had said yes to a sea swim despite the less than perfect weather, and I loved this! There are days when the weather is cold, windy, grey, rainy…but we still have that need for a little refreshing activity in nature, and let’s face it – the sun doesn’t always shine.
Of course, I admit, when the weather is what we often refer to as ‘miserable’, I do sometimes decide to have a cosy day indoors and watch the world outside the window! But most often, if I need nature and the weather is less than perfect, nothing stops me and I take myself out to enjoy the elements.
My partner once picked me up from my place of work – an office at the time – after a bad day and he drove me to the beach. We stripped to our underwear as we had no swimming stuff, and raced each other into the water for a chilly swim, then drove home wearing nothing but our massive hoodies which we had in the van as we had no towels either! It was totally spontaneous – he knew I needed it, and god did it make us happy. I totally forgot about my bad day.
Enjoying the elements
I remember swimming in rivers and lakes on so many camping trips as a child, and they were the best holidays! It was so exciting to jump into the water in the middle of nature, or walk down streams just to explore and see where they lead! One of our members, Emma, ended up going for a wild swim this week after being invited by another YesTriber, and decided to take her kids too!
I think this kind of thing is just awesome for kids – there’s something magical about releasing them into the wild, so to speak! The magic of nature, the freedom, the escape, the fresh air and fresh water! I think kids benefit massively from spending time in nature and it’s so great to see them exploring and enjoying the elements.
The kindness of strangers
I read a post this week which was asking members to remember times when a complete stranger had helped them during their travels or adventures.
Sue Wallace spoke of two occasions on her travels where some kind strangers had insisted on helping her – these strangers had invited Sue into their family home when she had been stuck for a place to stay in a different country, and they asked for nothing in return. On one occasion, Sue chose to walk two hours with the stranger’s son to help collect water, and realised the scale of their generosity where a family who did not have much, still shared what they had with her.
People who have little, still give kindness
The truth is, adventures are not always smooth sailing. There are times when things do not turn out as planned or you end up a little stuck. Although we often deal with the situation the best we can and try to smile through it, there is nothing more comforting than the kindness of a stranger to relight your spirits!
When you are stuck somewhere unfamiliar or in a situation where you can’t move forward (we’ve all had a puncture and no repair kit at some point…right?) and a stranger approaches to help you, it just lights you up inside I think. These people make everything so much better at times when we don’t expect it, and at times when we need it.
If you see someone who looks lost, stuck, or even sad – try to offer something, whether it’s a favour or just a friendly smile. You don’t know how much of a difference you could make to that person’s day.