Stepping out

Wow! It has been a while since I was able to sit down and write a blog! Still, I have been very busy.
For example, Monday was the “full test” time for us. We packed our bags again making sure we had everything we were going to take or an equivalent and set out. Our aim was to walk for twenty miles or so and see what happened.
We walked to Kingston from New Malden then followed the Thames Path (northern side from Teddington) to Putney and then on a bit.... We also tried to swap one of our new sleeping bags as we have two right handed ones and want a left handed one so we can zip them up. We had not realised they were right/left until after we bought them. No luck sadly but might be able to sort it out before we go.
I’m afraid that it’s still work in progress to some extent. My feeble feet started to show potential signs of a blister between eighteen and twenty miles – one on the edge of the ball of the right foot ... classic pressure blister. Not sure if I should increase padding (different socks, two layers, etc.) or what. I feel that the arch on my left foot has gradually lowered and that my right foot is taking some of the strain so I will get that checked out at the docs asap. It could just be that my left foot is a bit old and does not move as well as it should... Hmm, difficult but not as bad as it looks, I think.
Alison’s backpack rubs on her hip. We encountered this a bit on the last trial and adjusted (we thought) the bag to address this. A bit more adjusting might solve this, too.
I spent today with string, lots of maps and a note book and have refined the route south from New Malden to Portsmouth. It should be a good walk!
So, we just keep plugging along, trying to prepare as much as possible while dealing with lots of life along the way.
I said to Alison that I have been too busy to even do the usual thinking about Student Cross. By now I am usually checking out the long term weather forecasts and thinking about things to prepare for the coming pilgrimage but my mind is on what follows this. I expected her to agree but it appears she has been doing all that thinking and worrying. Perhaps she is doing mine for me.
My lack of focus on the coming week of Student Cross is also unusual because we are walking a new Leg this year (well new to us; it is in effect one of the oldest Legs). So I have not checked up on the route we will take, Have no idea what the lunch and night stops are like and have not thought about music, etc. The one thing I have thought about is that we will meet two of our daughters during the week as Kettering Leg (our Leg) will meet up with Midland Leg (our daughters’ Leg) in Wisbeck and share the night stop. It will be the first time we have been on a Leg that meets up and spends the night together with another Leg for many years.
It transpires that Alison has thought about and worried about all of the above, which is OK, really. I can’t get to grips with where we will sleep for the first month or so of our walk so am happy to let the Student Cross week lift me up and carry me along (metaphorically speaking, of course). Alison is a person of stronger faith and believes that it will all work out OK in the end – we’ll do what we can and put the rest in God’s hands.
This is why we feel we can walk in solidarity with the homeless and badly housed and can spend our time reflecting on hospitality...
In the mean time, I’ll keep plugging away at things and try to toughen up the soles of my feet!
Peace to you all 