A Short Walk

Today we were out for a walk. A seemingly mundane thing but actually the first time we’ve been out for a walk in three weeks due to the cold that laid us both low.
Jan photographed up towards the house, past the colourful lupins, and from the same spot I photographed down, towards the forest floor.
There’s such a riot of growth at the moment, and everywhere you look there is new greenery and flowers.
On a sunny day it is hard to look at all this and not feel optimistic.
We do live in a nice place!
Jan also wrote about how unlikely it was that she, with her upbringing, would have ended up here. I feel exactly the same. My life has been so enriched by the experience of emigrating to another country, not because there was anything wrong with the old country, but because of seeing the world through the new filter that comes with the new country.  Looking at my own culture from the outside, through different media and (eventually) a different language. Slowly learning about, and to some extent becoming embedded in, a new culture.  It hasn't always been easy, but it has always been interesting.
I'd always assumed that it would steadily get easier and easier for younger generations to have these sorts of adventures and experiences.  I hope I was right to assume that.