The Joys Of The North York Moors

North York Moors

18 Feb

I never knew such remoteness could be so soothing

This is the second draft of this blog post, the first was titled 'Working on your own from home can feel pretty tough at times but honestly after I'd written 300 words I thought sod this. You guys don't need this rubbish so I thought I'd have a blog post showing you the North York Moors. What I've discovered after living here for fifteen years but have been blind to until this last year, shame on me.

I'm hugely lucky because the area I live in is beautiful but what if I told you that it's the first time this year that I've walked up to the top after a snowfall. I just couldn't believe the beauty of the blue skies and snow and it was the stillest of days. It opened my eyes that the steep hill outside my home is a hill to be conquered and not to be feared. After a tough walk up I'm rewarded with a sense of freedom I've never felt before. Just me and Ted walking is the best time of the day, I love the solitude the moors brings.

I moved to Great Fryup Dale way back in 2005 and I soon learnt to fear snow and to dread the mornings when it magically appeared. All those years ago I worked at Pickering over eighteen miles away and in all honesty, my nerves were at all-time high worrying if we'd get stuck up on the moors. I think it tainted the landscape for such a long time but this last year I've come to revel in its beauty and the changing colours in every season.

I sadly lost my collie dog Edison last year and his favourite place to walk was the moors. Even though he was still poorly the moors brought him to life. After he passed away my little Ted suffered from grief but if we ventured up to the moors it seemed to reset him and his mood lifted and so did mine. The moors have become my reset button. No matter how heavy a day becomes or even if it's filled with joy the moors brings me back to myself. I never understood people that said spend time in nature it's food for the soul but I've learnt that it feels like home to me and whenever I'm feeling unsure or need some space it's often just the medicine I need.

Here are a few photos of our adventures.