The set up
It is New Year’s Eve, the last day of 2018 and I’m happily sitting on my sofa in my little castle, having just finished watching an old girlie movie “What Women Want” and thinking how once Helen Hunt’s character was how I wanted my life to be – an accomplished independent career woman who gets to be top Director at a very reputable advertising agency.
Having just returned back from Athens yesterday after two weeks of being pampered by my parents and topping up on sleep, rest and eating, I found myself strangely longing to be back to my independence and warmth (or lack of) my UK flat and life.
And while waiting for evening to come to spend it in London with a special friend, I’m happily thinking back to everything that happened during the year and feeling content and happy. It’s been a roller coaster year and very far from the picture and expectations of Helen Hunt’s character, yet I can detect certain similarities that I have achieved…independence, a career, creativity, beauty and a top floor flat even though it is not mine!
It somehow feels that this blog should be dedicated to a snapshot of my walks throughout the year!
January: The start of the year found me walking through the traditional British January blues for the first time ever since I’ve moved to the UK. On the one hand that meant full integration into my adopted country’s behaviour and therefore I shouldn’t mind it. On the other hand, walking through the blues wasn’t easy and at times it felt worrying that I was experiencing it. In terms of physical walking there was barely anything happening due to the freezing cold!
February: Summer came in February this year with my amazing trip to Australia to visit my brother in his new home after over a year since his departure from the UK. The month was full of walking adventures in the wonderful places we visited in Victoria and Tasmania including the 90-mile beach, Strahan’s steam wilderness railway trip, Freycinet’s honeymooners seascapes and the Penguins Parade on Philippe island. It was the perfect remedy to cure my January blues and an unforgettable trip. Seeing my brother truly happy and settled having discovered his paradise on earth was worth walking all the way to other side of the world…well to be factually correct it was flying rather walking to the other side of the world!
March: A roller coaster month as far as I recall in terms of walking experiences of any kind. A hope of rekindling a romantic endeavour with a Frenchman that, at the time, I truly felt I was falling in love with, was dramatically shattered. Our mutual attempt to give us a chance to resume our relationship at a romantic level ended up in an emotional disaster for both of us. However, as we both couldn’t walk away from each other a friendship offer was made which we timidly accepted.
March was also marked by the beginning of a very intense exercise of job hunting, with me filling in and sending lots of applications and cover letters. In this “hunting walk” my best friend was my truly patient and constant companion in checking and amending each application I was making. I cannot thank her enough or ever repay her for enduring my requests on a weekly basis to check and proof my applications but most importantly, for never letting me lose hope or be upset after each rejection.
April: The month was about exploring new avenues in life. Job hunting was very prominent with a couple of interviews taking place that involved hopeful walking expeditions in London to impress hiring managers, followed by frustration when I heard nothing back from them. While this was going on, I spent a weekend in Marylebone doing a coaching workshop considering that it might be my next walk in life and become a professional executive coach for companies. Given how much I enjoyed my coaching course at my work I felt that perhaps a re-invention of my career might be what I needed. I thoroughly enjoyed this weekend because if anything it helped me re-discover how much I love marketing and that this is the only professional walk that I want to do in my career!
April was also marked by the beginning of my tango lessons in Covent Garden. When I arrived in London 45 minutes early for my first lesson, it was a grey Friday evening, yet there was still light at 6:00pm and I decided to kill time by walking around Covent Garden and discovering what’s around. Despite the prospect of tango I felt really lonely on that walk and it seemed to me that I was the only person walking alone when I looked around me and everyone was either in a big group or in couples. I didn’t know how tango was going to work without having a dancing partner and I guess that affected my feelings at the time. By the end of the evening though all of these thoughts were a distant memory after my first lesson and the magic of tango dancing. Lesson included dancing with every available male in the class, hence why there was no need to be with one. After the class we went out for a drink with the new people I met there which made me part of a group too in Covent Garden and no longer the only person on their own.
May: The month started with a lovely weekend visit to Leicester to meet my dearest friend and his family. It was the first of the warm weekends of the year with sunshine throughout and so we did some nice walks in Blaby and Beacon Hill. Quite a refreshing weekend break, especially as his little son was a marvel to be with and some of his young endless energy was passed onto me.
During May I also started thinking seriously about buying my own place and putting roots and so after figuring out whether I can do so or not I started house hunting. Not sure how much my heart was in this…I only really ever saw two properties in Hertford none of which were any good in terms of either price or space. The rest of my search was online and at times I wished there was a Tinder app for this so that I could easily swipe away! To my defence though job hunting always took precedent over spending time looking for properties and as multi-tasking is not one of my key skills it was left behind.
Tango on Friday evenings and drinks afterwards was the perfect switch off throughout the month. My walks before the lesson (I always got 45 minutes early as I didn’t want to be late or miss a lesson because of train delays) were always cheerful and some of them quite costly when I ended up in Zara, H&M or Arket on Covent Garden High Street! All visits absolutely necessary, because how can you tango without a lovely new dress or getting the right type of high heels?
June: A celebration with my good friends marked my 11 years in Blighty and it was wonderful to be in good company on the day of my moving into UK anniversary. A walk down memory lane of those 11 years reminded me of how full my life has been since I made the move to the UK.
However, despite the sunshine and wonderful weather during June, walking through continuous rejections from employers was quite hard. Tango was my only enjoyment and switch off from my frustration with the height being the graduation day at the end of the month and walking out of the classroom with my beginners diploma, new friendships and the memories that were formed of the past six weeks of dancing on Friday evenings.
Reuniting with my old university flatmate and friend after 14 years since the last time we saw each other with a walk in Knightsbridge made the end of the month a little bit more cheerful.
Images (left to right): January, February, March, April, May, June
July: A very hot month in actual temperature and on my social calendar as well. There was not that much physical walking as it was too hot to do so. Instead I did a lot of cycling during the weekends and on the evenings after work.
The highest moment in the year took place in July – going for the first time to the Royal Opera House and seeing one of my favourite operas La Boheme. This was an evening I will never forget. I went with my special friend and we had a very indulgent and luxurious dinner in the Royal Opera House’s restaurant before the performance. The opera itself was magical and unforgettable. This evening will stay with me for life in the same way that I still remember my evening in Amsterdam at the Concertgebouw seeing a performance of Rachmaninov’s Pathetique and a bit later than that in the, newly built at the time, Megaron another performance of the Pathetique with a different orchestra and Dimitris Sgouros at the piano.
The end of the month also finished on a high with a visit to the Royal Albert Hall to see BBC proms with my Greek best friend who visited London for a few days. During her stay we had some lovely walks together in London showing her around Notting Hill and Covent Garden, the V&A and Tate Modern.
August: Romance was the main theme as I went on quite a few first dates. Strange coincidence when I look back at how they all took place on the same month! A passionate Sardinian was the one that captured my heart and mind in the end and took over most of my thoughts during August. A very sweet first date and courting afterwards which unfortunately ended with tears at the end of the month. While it lasted though it was really lovely to walk through the excitement and butterflies that you feel when you think you are in love.
September: A well deserved break back home took place at the beginning of the month. It was a switch off from rejections, break ups, frustrations and lack of new house options helped by the sunshine and summery weather, shopping and spending time with my best friend at the seaside and in a special roof garden top overlooking the Acropolis.
Another interview took place at the end of the month.
October: Tango started again, job applications were sent one after the other and of course it was the month of my birthday. A sunny day spent on my own out of choice, with a lovely gin & tonic and sushi lunch, walking by the river and an enjoyable dinner with candles and good wine.
A reunion lunch at Primrose Hill with two of my university friends and flatmates at the end of the month was a wonderful sharing of our lives’ journey since we last saw each other which was about 20 years ago! What a memorable day and occasion.
November: A walk at the Pergola in Hampstead with my special friend was one of the highlights of my walking. The various autumn colours of orange, red, yellow, brown and green were all mixed throughout the walk in the trees, bushes and on the leaves that have fallen. Although I missed having my camera with me, my phone one took quite a few remarkable ones and luckily I didn’t annoy my companion with stopping all the time to take in the view and photos.
The best walk of the month though undeniably has to be my walking through 3 interviews one after another and in the end walking out with an offer for a new job in London. Hurray! At last my job hunting walking was completed with a wonderful end destination. While it seemed a long and frustrating most of the times walk, reaching the end point was worth it.
December: A festive month. What made me most happy was buying and wrapping presents for my friends and family. Each one I wrapped gave me such a warm feeling as I was thinking of how the recipient would react to it when he or she would receive it. Totally unlike me, this year I had no wish for a specific present myself. I think starting a new chapter in my life with my new job probably was the gift I needed – it just didn’t have a ribbon around it!
Holidays were spent in Athens after God knows how many years since the last time I’ve been at my birthplace for Christmas. Walks in the town centre revealed a mixture of lots of seasonal decorations and cars parked all over the place resembling a little bit a Diwali celebration rather than Christmas.
A day to recall from the trip was my last one with my best friend who took me to the new Centre of Culture by the Niarchos Foundation near the seaside. We were joined by her brother and her niece and it was a beautiful sunny day in a truly exceptional centre which houses the National Gallery and National Theatre.
Images (left to right): August, September, October, November, December
My farewell to 2018
The last day of the year found me back on my little castle in Blighty with my suitcases unpacked and all my goodies from home stored neatly in their place. I enjoyed a lie in and then went to stock up my fridge with essentials as it was empty after being away for two weeks. Feeling carefree, happy and hopeful I got ready in the afternoon in my little black dress and new fashionable tights and travelled into town to spend New Year’s Eve with my special friend. He was the perfect host and we had a wonderful evening at his shoebox of a flat and when midnight stroke we watched the fireworks and welcomed 2019 with champagne and macaroons.
Thank you 2018 for all the ups and owns you’ve thrown at my walks but mostly for all the wisdom and strength I gained through them. I look forward to the new walking adventures that 2019 has in store for me and which I hope to be writing about them.
Walks and Smiles 