Today I took a step towards moving forward from something that happened quite a while ago now. It's quite a long story so bear with me.

4 summers ago I was mugged at knife point by 3 teenagers. I was working near Bath and came back up to Edinburgh for the weekend to go to the Graduation Ball, I wasn't graduating but quite a lot of my friends were. I arrived in Edinburgh on the Friday evening and dropped round to two friends flat on the way home. I left their flat with the intention of getting a taxi home but as I couldn't find one I decided to take a shortcut across the Meadows to get home, something that I'd done hundreds of times before. I got to the bottom of middle meadow walk when 3 teenage boys approached me and the tallest asked me what time it was. It was 12.35 and I told him so. He then demanded that I give him my handbag, when I refused he held a knife to my side while one of the other boys snatched my bag. I was then pushed to the ground and all three ran away. A lovely American guy came running towards me, called the police and stayed with me. I spent the rest of the night giving statements to police and going to A&E to get checked out. I got home at about 7am and I had to call my Grandparents who I was meeting for lunch to tell them what had happened. They came to see me straight away and I had to convince them that I was OK. I went to the Graduation Ball on the Saturday evening but didn't stay much beyond the meal as I was exhausted. I headed back to Bath on Sunday morning and the boys never got caught.

This effected me quite badly and I was really uncomfortable walking anywhere at night for a long time. I'm only just getting to the stage where I don't have the need to carry a panic alarm in my hand as soon as I'm outdoors or panic if there's no one about.

Today I started a self defence class and am learning how to defend myself against anyone trying to hurt me again. It may be a small step but I'm hoping that it will enable me to walk alone at night without being scared or my heart beating fast when someone walks towards me.