Every now and then, when you travel, you find a place that feels just like ācoming homeā. It doesnāt necessarily make logical sense – it may be a sensation of having visited before or, perhaps, an ease at being in those surroundings. It may be an indefinable gut sensation of familiarity – a sigh of contentment on arrival or an affinity for the landscape.
For me, there is a distinct type of landscape that always swells my chest with emotion and inspiration.
As soon as I get into a landscape of rolling hills, where roads begin to twist and turn, I feel it. To be blunt – flat places leave me …well? – they leave me flat! But give me a curving river valley and I am a happy girl. It doesnāt have to be overly dramatic or high in altitude, but it has to roll and fold! There have to be unexpected moments as vistas burst into view along winding roads. Better still, there needs to be woodland or forest. Then, when I come to a village, my heart will truly sing if it is made up of stone cottages and walls. Bright flowers against golden warmth. A dry stone wall just floats my boat!! The more that I have ventured out in the world and explored different climes, I have started to notice this pattern in my sense of belonging.