MAKING MY PEACE … with walking in rural France
… walking into stillness …
There are journeys we take not to arrive quickly, but to slow down. My trip to Romilly in Normandy, France, was one of those journeys.
On a recent trip north of Paris, I boarded a regional train and rode out toward Romilly for 90 minutes, a peaceful pocket of Normandy where an aunt lives. The train ride itself loosenedtension from life in the city. The train was new, with Wi-Fi, and views of barley fields outside the window.
When I arrived, there were no taxis, no pickup waiting – but a 40-minute walk through open countryside. My aunt, now 90, no longer drives, so I made the journey on foot. And honestly, I was grateful for it.
Walking through fields in the late afternoon was like a therapy session. Last time it wasn’t because it was winter, later, darker, and eerier. But this time, the afternoon light was good and the pathway ahead was clearly visible.
The air was rich with the scent of freshly cut grass, early summer blossoms, and a whiff of rain in the distance. I walked beside barley that shimmered like water and felt the ground gravelling underfoot. No music. Just the rhythm of my breath and the beauty around me.
Moments like these are reminders that healing doesn’t always come in grand gestures. Sometimes it’s a simple act: walking slowly toward someone you care for, through a landscape that calms the mind.
Making my peace … with walking in rural France, I do the following:
- Walk the last leg of a journey in silence, after a long train trip.
- Observe the horizon and let my eyes rest on the wide, open spaces, to ease previous mental fatigue.
- Give myself space to transition from busy to quiet, from doing to being, before anticipating the days ahead in the country town.
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Rainy Day Healing blogs: “This kind of quiet, honest reflection is exactly what makes Rainy Day Healing such a special space.” Chaz. T., USA
MERCHANDISE
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