We’ve just come home from the best weekend camping in North Yorkshire… no screen time, no social media, no TV – just loads of fresh air, exercise and quality time with solid friends. It’s reminded me of the importance of taking time out to enjoy the present with the people you’re surrounded by. Whilst I have learnt to become a lot better at living in the present since leaving the 9-5, I still find it very easy to get caught up with day to day life and concentrate on where I want to be rather than where I am.
I'm horrendously bad at sticking to plans so this weekend was, as with most things, completely unplanned. My inability to stick to plans is something that drives my family mad – I don’t think it’s just me though, I think it’s a generational thing. I think it comes down to an inability to commit and with communication being so instantaneous it’s pretty easy to cancel on plans at the last minute nowadays. With no plans, we ended up on Saturday morning in Nidderdale, an AONB just outside the Yorkshire Dales NP and after a 15 mile walk we finished in a great little pub with a very drunk barman, a few mad regulars and luckily an adjoining campsite. Slightly dodgy facilities but compared to some of the places I've been to on my travels it seemed like 5 star luxury – you can hardly complain when you get a hot shower and a flushing toilet.
Besides living in the present, this weekend’s also made me realise how insanely beautiful parts of the UK which until now, I’ve seemed to overlook. And so in the spirit of living in the present and embracing the UK there's a new challenge – over the next 12 months we want to do all of the National Parks in the UK. There are 10 in England, 3 in Wales and 2 in Scotland so with 15 in total (good pub quiz knowledge), we’re averaging 1 a month.
We’re not exactly sure what we’ll do in each one – maybe walk, maybe kayak, maybe camp, maybe air bnb but I’d really love people to do this with too – anyone and everyone – family, friends, strangers – either for all 15 or for 1 offs. With an inability to plan there is obviously no idea of when we’ll be doing each one but we’ll try and set a date at least a week in advance. I have no doubt that in the middle of January when it’s freezing cold, pissing down with rain and I need the toilet in the middle of the night I won’t have quite as much enthusiasm for this as I do now but at least it’ll just make me appreciate the sunny, dry weekends like this one even more! Lets #embracetheUK
Let us know if you'd like to join us for a #socialadventure into a National Park - see our Events page for upcoming events or email us at info@above-water.co.uk for more information
