“We wander to confirm that we are alone. Not simply to be reminded of our aloneness, in those prickling moments of neglect when we recognise the indifference of trusted acquaintances. No, to wander alone is to be completely immersed in the feeling - to be separate and accepting of isolation, to step in from light rain to the deluge beneath broken guttering.”
The South West Coast Path covers one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline, filled with a history of global travel, literature, art and film. We are drawn in by the promise of heading into the sunset and escaping the confinement of city life. But it can be treacherous even on a calm day.
Why do we choose to wander? We may convince ourselves that we are walking towards a clear horizon, that we are choosing a different path, taking a route which others have not. Turn that thought on its head and we are walking from something, escaping the life and place that threatened to trap us and extinguish what was left of ourselves. The nature of this Path, though, is that at some point your direction must turn east and begin moving back to your beginnings. There is so much distance to cover alone that you will have time to dwell on your reasons. At some point your motivations will become clear, or at least clearer. Perhaps you just want to know you are alone.