A month-long pledge for the Venture Round Scotland campaign turned into something longer-lasting than expected for our wonderful Outreach and Support Worker in Edinburgh, Louisa. Read about her inspiring experience below…
8 months since our Venture Round Scotland campaign, and I’m still walking.
I set out to walk to and from work every day to get my miles in just for the month-long campaign, but after a few weeks, I got quite used to the routine of getting up a tad earlier and walking into the office each day. I tend to struggle in the winter months with the shorter days, to the point where I considered asking for different working hours last year so that I could come in later in the day when the light was a bit more prominent.
Doing the VRS challenge helped me build a habit with a purpose; it was good to have a goal for the month at first, which then became just part of my daily routine and has now felt really worthwhile for my mental and physical health.
Walking in the morning has helped me feel refreshed and energised for a day’s work, quite often by the time I’m in at 9am for work, I feel quite elated and ready for the day, I’ve reflected with staff in the delivery team that sometimes I feel so motivated walking in I have to refrain from the urge to high five strangers on my commute, especially on a Friday morning when I’ve got that Friday feeling!
Even though the weather has been atrocious some days, with rain coming in at all angles and wind blowing crazily, it’s been nice just getting wrapped up in waterproofs (jacket and trousers) and walking boots, trudging through the city, getting the fresh air I need for the day. On rare occasions, I got the bus in and quite often regretted it, looking out the window feeling a little icky in a stuffy, foggy windowed bus full of school kids, and commuters with their heads in their phone screens.
I’ve also had some beautiful mornings and evenings, catching a lovely sunrise over Arthur’s Seat, or seeing the sun shining on the castle on my way in. Because of where I live in relation to the Venture Scotland offices in Abbeyhill, there are a few routes I can take, so it’s been nice having the option to a go a little more nature based, veering more towards Holyrood park and along the bottom of the Crags, but I can also divert right through the centre of town, through Cowgate and Grassmarket and do some window shopping and people watching as I’m on my way too.
I’ve used the hour to and from work to do different things too. Some days I just go phone-free, looking about, overhearing conversations around me, taking in sounds of birds tweeting and feeling part of the hustle and bustle of the city, getting ready for the day or evening. Some days, I phone my mum or sister for a catch-up chat and debrief of the day. Other days, I listen to a podcast* or audiobook. I’m not one for sitting and reading much, so having 2 hours a day of listening is a handy use of time. I’ve managed to get through a fair few books and podcasts that way.
Overall, I’m very happy and proud to have gotten involved with Venture Round Scotland in this small but long-lasting way. I shall have to start thinking up another way of getting my miles in for this year’s pledge. As for now, I look forward to the lighter mornings and longer evenings walking to and from work, it’ll be nice making the most of living in this beautiful city and being part of its changing states moving into summer!
*Just to note, I would highly recommend ‘Strangers on a Bench’ – a podcast where the presenter approaches strangers on benches, at first in London, then all around the country, for a ‘light touch’ interview, but it can quite often turn into a full-blown story of the person’s life, with anecdotes of quite personal, touching and relatable experiences. I’ve had moments of laughing, smiling, and even crying while listening to this podcast, which has been a cathartic and humbling way to start and end my working day!
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