Bacon Bandit

After probably 15 years of not eating bacon I find myself in a shop wanting to buy something but there were only three things I could buy and eat. I succumbed to buying bacon. I wanted something different to eat, just something. I got some vegan cheese as well and some coconut milk. The irony of it all.

I ate some and felt totally over it. Most of the pack is still in the fridge and I haven’t got round to eating the rest which I should now throw away. The AIP (auto immune protocol) is meat obsessed and I do at times find that hard particularly as I’d normally only eat meat once or twice a year. I can’t deny that I am feeling better than when I started the protocol. It’s hard to know what’s doing what but in March a 10 minute walk was ambitious and at the weekend with two nights wild camping thrown in to spread it out I managed 10 miles.

I wouldn’t have been able to do this alone, so it was good to have a friend to accompany me. I had to be strict on breaks stopping for 30 mins every couple of hours and a good hour for lunch but it worked. There was some time in the afternoon when I was feeling so exhausted that given the option I would have set up camp right there. We stopped for a break lying down, then unexpectedly the idea of going to the pub motivated me to the end.

We arrived and after 9 months — the longest ever ? I went inside and ordered a sparkling water and lemon (note always ask for soda water in the pub). There was a big sofa with our name on it outside. Even if I’d wanted to I didn’t have the energy to get back, so I am grateful that I am into wild camping so I can just collapse where I am. Not sure how this will play out in winter but I will adapt somehow. Longer term nailing automatic driving and getting a van so in winter I can go for a cheap night away and get more walking in.

I am learning to balance and only do activities that give me energy. So while walking for the day can be tiring, the adventure and wild camping always gives me a boost. Everything has to be very intentional and feel exactly right. I find I need people who give me energy and are generally on it as this helps to boost me and inspire me. People seemingly stuck in endless loops feel draining. I recognise this and I am very intentional now about how I spend my time. Immersed in adventures, however small is how I want to spend my time. Otherwise its not worth it as it takes days to recover.

Nature always gives me energy wherever it appears.