I made it through the wilderness….

It’s over.

After all the panicking and hullabaloo Hadrian’s Walk is finished, and I’m sad and elated all at once.

Six days, 84 miles and a bunch of amazing people. All from different walks of life and each one an inspiration in their own right.

There were those that made walking 15 miles a day look an absolute breeze, those that rallied the troops and kept the stragglers (like me!) going, those whose constant voice of support got me up and down every hill, and those whose ability to nap in random fields was legendary. Plus of course, there was Dan the Man, our organiser and reluctant leader. Reeeespect dude!

There were tears of pain and tears of laughter. The mood ranged from depression to hilarity and hysteria, within paces.

We walked through some of the most beautiful countryside I’ve ever seen. You had to be there to truly understand it’s awesomeness.

We ate together, played together, raised a few glasses and enjoyed a good old belly laugh together. We slept in close proximity in bunks and even snored together. Friendships forged and cemented, at least I hope so!

There were blisters, sprains, bruises, aching limbs, chaffed bits, sunburn and possibly the odd broken finger nail, but somehow we made it. We dragged our weary bodies those 84 miles and have (hopefully) raised our £20,000 target.

So while everyday I woke wondering if I could make it to the end, in the end, we made it. All of us. In one way or another. And for that you all have my admiration. I miss you guys, every single one of you.

But man, it’s so good to be home. The only thing that kept me reasonably upright (bar a couple of mini emotional breakdowns) on the final day, trudging through the wind and rain to Bowness-on-Solway, was the knowledge that at the other end I would find my children and husband waiting for me.

Every step was one step closer to ‘home’.

What an abso-bloody-lutely amazing experience!

I made it through the wilderness….hell yeah!