Now this photo is misleading for several reasons. Firstly, I have only read two chapters so far and secondly my title suggests I might want to alter something medically related; not really. Aside from that, it is the background to this post.

I decided to purchase a Campervan a few weeks before I planned my trip. I have friends in Denmark and Sweden so wanted to combine a few quick hellos with a journey that would challenge me and freshen me up for the year to come. I’m used to travelling, I can’t remember when I started, we didn’t travel as a family when we were kids but I have got used to being away and have never let being on my own stop me. I’m going to start a fresh post for this topic as it is something entirely different…see next blog post.

I had wanted to visit Moominworld for many years, we (my Swedish friends and I) would discuss it, then Summer would come and go again and as the park closes (with the exception of a brief Winter event) at the end of August; I would then miss it for another year. For reasons I have already explained, this year has been one of my hardest yet. It was time to make Moominworld happen. No more procrastination. The rest is fresh history for all to read in other posts. I am so very pleased I took the plunge.

Now onto the book, another (much younger than me) cancer sufferer recommended this to me when we met briefly on a meet-up – these are fabulous things, this one was organised by Shine and was in Norwich and they allow younger adults with cancer (yup, I still just qualify ) to feel normal for a few hours and share thoughts, fears, frustrations and more. I can’t bear the cover of this book, the design or the colour (a not quite right yellow), even the format of the book bugs me (I know, you can’t please some people) BUT we know what they say about not judging a book by it’s cover/size/colour so I have dived in.

So far, it makes sense. It is not designed for cancer patients, in fact it is much better read by a nice healthy person who can avoid being in this position altogether but some of the core principles so far (and more later if there is more to share) really resonated. I have spent much of my adult life in a state of adrenaline-fuelled activity – not parachuting from ‘planes but pushing my body to the limit to build a business, make myself self-sufficient and make the most of my time on this Earth.

It never occurred to me that although I was able to get results quicker this way, it might have been doing me harm. Now we don’t know this, none of us can explain our illnesses with any accuracy but I definitely create ‘panic mode’ in my body far too often.

So, as I’ve now restructured the business with the help of an amazing team 😊, I can dial all that down a little but it’s not that easy! Once an adrenaline junkie obsessed with the next achievement; always one! More of life purpose later in the series.

It was clear as I was reading this book that I had a ball of worry in the pit of my stomach and that I was dreading the last three days of the trip – not the driving anymore, driving is scary full stop, I am not going to worry about that, just try and be sensible.

I was dreading the weather (possibly very wet and chilly), the massive extra physical effort of moving and re-tying the roof boards each time we moved (now they are damaged) and worrying about how to leave the dogs (especially in the rain) when I needed to do anything. So do you know what, I thought about it. I did what I came here to do, we have camped in a number of countries successfully and I have dealt with several issues (maybe more to come, who knows!) with Kitty and we have been OK, I’ve caught up with friends and seen some of their wonderful homes. I made it to Moominworld and had a blast. Now, I just need to relax. So we’re staying in hotels on our way back to The Netherlands to catch the ferry home. Phew. Ball of tension gone. Holiday saved. Again. 🤠

Never fear, this was a very specific trip, meant to be a bit bonkers and Kitty will be back in camping service very soon once we fix her back up. My last few days will be a little more sedate now but with a few surprises no doubt.

My camping tips would now be:

• Ideally you really do need two people to make it relaxing, it is a lot of physical work for one person no matter the length of trip. You need a bit of help (one of my common conclusions this year) – if you do go alone, don’t take as much with you!
• If you want to take dogs, staying in one location where you can set up an awning/windbreak might help but really again you just need another pair of hands or a nice remote and empty campsite.
• There is a reason people camp for longer than one night! It is exhausting packing up every day and driving on somewhere else. So I will do shorter trips or longer stays in one or two places from now on.
• Driving is tiring! I know, you’re all rolling your eyes at this ones. This was a tough trip to do any other way as I was going so far but I would definitely throw in some more ferries next time to take the pressure off.

All that said, as I said in another post, I have experienced so many different environments, so much gorgeous scenery and so many human behaviours that I wouldn’t have had I not done it this way, so I do advocate pushing yourself at least a little and then just reining it in as soon as it becomes too much or you are ready to stop. I’m not good at admitting any kind of defeat but changing a plan isn’t giving up, in military strategy that’s what it’s all about. It’s a marathon not a sprint (unless it is a sprint and then you’d better get going).

I have to get better at feeling the tug in my belly. One tug for yes, more than one tug means no.

Bringing calm into a hectic life isn’t a one step process but a journey in itself. You can’t change how you are wired but you can breathe a little more and slow the pace down a little, reading and writing your way through would-be active periods. I think. I hope.

Now back to the book…