Member-only story
Walking All the Way to West Wales
Looking for “home” among the purple mountains
When I lived in the tiny, picturesque countryside village of Compton Dundon in Somerset, South-West England, volunteering at EarthSpirit Retreat Centre, I remember leaving a plaintive voice note for a friend who used to volunteer and live there alongside me. She was the friend I moved to EarthSpirit to be close to — then she moved away only a couple of months later when things soured between her and her partner, leaving me to solitary walks again.
Don’t get me wrong. As an introverted autistic person, I love my solo walks. Still, there was something beautiful about being able to share some walks with her and her adorable little dog, who despite me being more of a cat fan than a dog lover, had become a “favourite person” of mine.
My voice note went something like this: “I just feel like I’m not looking at the landscape I’m meant to be looking at. It’s all wrong.”
The surroundings of EarthSpirit, itself a little spot of paradise with its quaint colourful walled gardens and Celtic tree circle, were beautiful. Accessible walks, hills with pastoral views, gorgeous sunrises and sunsets. But it was starting to feel increasingly mismatched.
