I am somewhat spontaneous. But I still need that extra push.

When Anna-Claire invited me to ride the famous [Harry Potter] train journey from Glasgow to Mallaig, and take the ferry to the Isle of Skye, though, I said yes straight away.

That’s because I had promised myself a trip to Skye this year as part of my Birthday List. In my mind it was first in my list of new places in Scotland to visit, but without The List I probably would have hesitated. So good thing for birthday lists.

One of the coolest parts of this trip was that it was centred around the journey. An excellent metaphor, for as Steven Tyler and Ralph Waldo Emerson say, “Life is a journey, not a destination”. We read books, took blurry pictures through the windows, and listened to Taylor Swift. I also fit in my writer’s retreat, journalling up a draft of my next book.

We hit the balance of planned outings and spontaneity perfectly. AC spotted Armadale Activities early, so we knew axe-throwing [and Survivor China-esque star-throwing] would be on our schedule. Good addictive fun.

We also knew that walking was a must, but didn’t plan out any paths in advance. Good thing, as we stumbled upon this one:

And these guys:

!

When adventure calls, say yes.

P.S. Last chance to sign up for Letters from Jane Austen! Are you in?