I cannot believe a week has passed since I wrote my last blog! Last week, I was sat typing away with the barn doors open on Casper, feeling the warm sun shining through. This week it’s too cold! Currently sat wrapped in my blanket, hearing the wind howl over Casper.
We’re now on the Isle of Skye, currently parked up against the loch, just metres away from the famous Old Man of Storr. I could sit here all day looking at these views. It’s just so pretty! The weather on the overhand isn’t so attractive. We’ve had gales, hail, rain, and sunshine, but cold sunshine. Temperatures have stayed below double figures! I know we are up in the mountains, but it certainly doesn’t feel like we are in May!
The Wolf Has Been On My Side
We’ve both had a great week travelling on the road around Scotland in Casper. Buying Casper was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made! I don’t want to jinx it, as I still have another week out here, but so far the wolf has been my best friend. In fact, my health has been the best in a long time! I’ve been well enough to walk every day, and even climb some pretty tough mountains!
2 years ago when I was in Scotland, it was a completely different story. Mountains were off-limits, and hills were a struggle. Today, hills are a walk in the park, and mountains are doable. It’s amazing how different things are now. How much stronger my body is. This is why I take nothing for granted in life. Today, I can climb mountains, but who knows what I will be able to do in 2 years’ time. Every mountain I climb, I really appreciate and ever so grateful to be well enough to do it. I hope this doesn’t ever get taken away from me again as it did 2 years ago.
I know how lucky I have been this holiday with my health. If this was last month, I would have struggled to climb the mountains I have climbed. Again, this is why I can not take anything for granted. I take each day at a time. Every day I feel well enough to do a walk, I really appreciate it. As you never know how the wolf is going to behave the following day.
This Trip Has Brought Back Childhood Memories
This holiday has brought back memories of my childhood. This was how I always spent my holidays as a child. I never had the normal holidays, going to a beach, chilling in a 4 or 5-star holiday resort. My holiday was always spent up in the mountains, hiking miles and miles each day. Some holidays backpacking with no facilities at all. We would eat dried packet food cooked on a little camping stove. Some days walking for miles in the rain, absolutely soaked through and then having to pitch the tent, with nowhere to dry off or warm-up. Other holidays were spent in a caravan touring the European Alps and the Dolomites or hiring an RV in America, travelling from National Park to National Park. For all our holidays, our walking boots were packed. It was what we loved to do.
20 years on, and my love for being in the outdoors is still as strong. There’s just something about being outside, surrounded by mountains, lochs, countryside that makes me so happy. Going on walks that get up high above the cloud line, seeing views for miles and miles.
I know I keep mentioning it, but will never forget that time, 2 years ago when it felt as though the wolf had taken it all away from me. It left me completely heartbroken. But also, it will hopefully give some of you hope. If some of you currently do not have your condition under control, there is hope if you do get it under control, some of your life hopefully can return, like it has with me.
Give People Hope
Somebody message me the other week. She talked about how she has just recently been diagnosed with Lupus. She follows me on Instagram and see’s all my adventures. She said, seeing what I’m up to all the time and how I’m living such a full-filled life with it, gives her hope. I explained to her that if you can get your Lupus under control, you should hopefully be able to carry on enjoying some of the things you love in life. The hardest part is getting it under control. It can take time and a lot of trial and error, but hopefully, you will get there. After that, it’s more about managing it, listening to your body, and knowing when you need to rest. Ok, before you say anything, yes this is something I still need to work on. I don’t always know when to stop and rest and do quite often push my body more than I should. But it’s a working progress. I also explained there will always be bad days, but you have to accept that and not let it get you down too much!
Anyways, better get off. Got places to explore today and wind to battle before the rain arrives later this afternoon. I think we are going to go hunting for some seals today.
Until next week,
Emma
xox
