I’m not one that travels alone often but with a lot of spare time and an itching to go and do something new, I decided to take a day trip to the Lake District by myself. I have travelled alone before but usually I end up meeting a friend when I reach my destination so I’m not used to being completely independent. But in this trip, I learnt to enjoy going at my own pace, moving in silence and having the confidence to make choices alone.
The Lake District (also known as The Lakes or Lakeland) is a mountainous National Park in North East England. I travelled by foot in the towns of Windermere and Bowness. The lady at the information centre was very helpful and pointed out to me the different viewpoints in the Lake District and I spent my day going between these. Being alone meant having to navigate completely by myself. Thankfully iPhones were invented so this allowed me to figure out where I was going without getting too lost. The towns in the Lake District are very classical English countryside towns: no busy high streets and tall buildings but lots of nature, small shops and narrow winding roads.
There was a lot of hiking up hills, but it was definitely worth it when you were treated to some spectacular sights. I had to be very careful when I was hiking up because as I was alone, if I tripped and fell, there would be no one to help me. But I took my time, calculated my steps and took it at a leisurely pace. And as mentioned, there were some terrific views of the beauty that is the English countryside so the hiking was definitely worth it. Another positive of travelling alone meant taking as long as I needed to take photos of the scenery without having to wait for any impatient friends.
If I had more time, I could have taken a boat ride, or hired a bike and seen some other towns. But even if it were only for one day, I would definitely visit a day out in the Lake District if you end up in the North of England.
