My Year in Walking … and in Books

We’re almost at the end of 2021. Christmas has come, but not yet gone (the Twelve Days of Christmas), though Team Spain departed yesterday, leaving a big hole in the lives of two very debilitated grandparents who had long forgotten how exhausting a delightfully energetic eleven month old could be.

It’s time to review the year- two bits of it anyway.

I kept my resolution to walk every single day, whatever the weather – a promise that will not impress the dog owners among you, who have no choice in the matter. I reached one target, then another, and have finished the year with more than 1536 miles (2473 km) under my belt and still one walking day to go. I’m quite pleased.

I walked, sometimes in company…

… or alone …

This isn’t me. I don’t do selfies.

… at times accompanied by a Virtual Dog ..

… or other curious onlookers …

Back at home, I kept my promise to myself not to let Lockdown Lassitude interfere with my reading, as it had in 2020. I didn’t precisely set goals, but I aimed to read far more literature in translation, and more non-fiction that wasn’t Nature related. I managed that too. Here are the 101 books I read, as recorded in Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_in_books/2021?ref=yyib21_strip

My top reads of the year?

Cal Flyn: Islands of Abandonment; Nadifa Mohamed: The Fortune Men; Javier Marias: Berta Isla; Ingrid Persaud: Love after Love; Douglas Stuart: Shuggie Bain

My header photo illustrates walking and reading combined: a stroll along the Regents Canal, where you’ll find a floating bookstore with, if you’re very lucky, a musical interlude as well. This isn’t a photo from 2021. Perhaps such treats with be part of my life again in 2022.

Author: margaret21

I'm retired and living in North Yorkshire, where I walk as often as I can, write, volunteer, and travel as often as I can.

52 thoughts on “My Year in Walking … and in Books”

    1. Oh, I do hope so, Peter. They’ve been an important part of keeping me sane in the pandemic, and I’m guessing they played a big part for you too. All best wishes for 2022.

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  4. I’m very impressed by your commitment to walking every day! I do try to do a bit but I confess I miss some days while others are rather short walks. Glad to hear you had fun with Team Spain too 🙂

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  5. Your walking tally is impressive – I’m afraid walking has been very low on my list of achievements this year (more like high on the list of non-achievements), but I do aim to do better. Wishing you peaceful remaining days of Christmas and to lots of adventures in 2022.

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  7. What a lovely and positive review. The house must feel so empty but am sure the peace and slower pace is welcome!

    We’re going to see ours tomorrow, they’re moving in here for a while as we depart. So busy childproofing in between packing, PCR tests and passenger locator forms!!

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  11. I love walking along Regent’s Canal, although it can get quite busy, when the weather is nice. Don’t recognise where the photo is taken. Congrats with your daily walking, wish I could manage that. Also, a very impressive number of books. Well done!

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    1. Thank you. I wasn’t too far from King Cross Station in that photo. It’s my usual stamping ground when waiting for my train to spirit me back Up North. I may not manage the same achievements, either in walking or books next year. Let’s see! Happy New Year to you!

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  14. I’m impressed with your reading capacity, Margaret. I rarely get through a book in a week. Your recommendations always sound great but I seldom get to read them. Sad that the family have gone, but happy you got to play host. Bom Ano Novo!

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  17. Spectacular achievement! Not all dog owners walk in the pouring rain and ankle deep mud especially if they have low slung white dogs! Happy New Year

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  18. Hi Margaret, I’m impressed, too. Your resolutions are much like mine. My goal was to walk 7,000 steps a day, and I had some interruptions. But I’m not unhappy with my walking this year. My reading can’t hold a candle to yours. I haven’t kept track. Great resolutions.

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    1. My tracker doesn’t count steps, so I don’t really know what 7000 steps represents, but it sounds a lot – no wonder you had breaks. And I bet your reading was impressive too! Let’s compare notes at the end of 2022!

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  20. I can’t quite get my head around that number of miles, Margaret. Wow! Having a puppy limited me a bit, but I would still never have got to that kind of mileage! And the number of books is impressive too. Wishing you a similarly active 2022, plus added travel and family visits.

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