A Remote Week on Border Towns
Half of the work is deciding what to leave out. A paper map invites conversations that a phone never does. I packed too much, as usual, and wore the same jacket every day.
In practice
The remote part is hardly ever the hard part; consistency is. We arrived after dark and only understood the view in the morning. I tested the local version first. It did not last. There is a version of this that is much more complicated. This is not that version. A friend once described modest islands as hushed work, and the phrase stuck.
The result is not perfect, but it is truthful. The trick, if there is one, is to leave sufficient room for missteps. The train was late, which turned out to be the best part of the day.
What I kept
I am still not sure I have it right, but it is closer. Nobody spoke much English, and somehow that made it easier. Here is what changed, and what stayed exactly the same. It took me twelve attempts to see the pattern. It is effortless to overthink travelling by train. It is harder to just start.
I keep coming back to harbours, largely because it rewards patience. A friend once described long walks as hushed work, and the phrase stuck. Off-season towns are quieter, cheaper and far more truthful. It is effortless to overthink keeping a journal. It is harder to just start.
Modest, repeatable steps beat big plans nearly every time. Thanks for reading, and for the kind notes that keep arriving. The first ten weeks were largely about unlearning.
What changed
It took me six attempts to see the pattern. A friend once described mountain villages as hushed work, and the phrase stuck. The best advice I got was just to slow down. A paper map helps, but it is not the point.
- Note the date and the weather
- Revisit long walks after a week
- Give packing light a full autumn
- Stop before you are tired
A few details
It is effortless to overthink getting lost. It is harder to just start. The local part is hardly ever the hard part; consistency is. I keep a short list of things to try next; keeping a journal is near the top. I keep a short list of things to try next; getting lost is near the top.
I wrote most of this on a hushed Monday morning. I keep coming back to ferries, largely because it rewards patience. You can get surprisingly far with a rail pass and some patience.
I wrote most of this on a hushed Friday morning.