Mentally still wet.

I may have dried out physically but definately not mentally - the scars and cold of last weekend's Isle of Wight experience is still with me. The East End Girls were meant to be doing the last part of the Capital Ring Walk tomorrow but after many people telling me that they couldn't come and doing checks on the forecast, I have postponed it until September. Interestingly there were sighs of relief all round.

I've had quite an office based week and it has been very welcome after all the travelling that I've done recently. It's also been nice to be warm and cosy when, quite frankly, it has seemed like October outside.

On Thursday though I had the first of my birthday celebrations - yes, I believe in making the most of it. Elaine, my very good friend, fellow walker in Peru and successful PR business woman and I share a birthday in all but three days so every year we get together to celebrate with some great food and wine. This year we chose Rhodes 24 in Tower 42 and thankfully, as it didn't rain, were able to enjoy fantastic views over the city. The food was pretty tremendous too and as usual we spent hours chilling and catching up.

Here is Elaine and I on the Inca Trail. You'll be pleased to know that we were more suitably dressed on Thursday lunchtime.

I am now heading off to prepare for another feast, this time for some great friends who will join us for dinner. Still working on the balance in life, it has become my watchword for the month.

Drowned rats had nothing on us.

I and three fellow walkers have just returned from a long weekend walking round the coast of the Isle of Wight.

Now in June, on a weekend that is the longest one of the year you might assume that the weather would be good - wrong!! I have never been so wet in all my life.

Things started well and the journey was in glorious sunshine although a short walk along the front that evening did mean waterproof jackets. That was just drizzle though and I, in all my optimism awoke to shades of blue and grey in the sky and hopes of a sunny day. Unfortunately by the time we set off the rain was on again but only lasted for an hour and the rest of the day was great. We ate lunch outside in Cowes while we watched the place prepare for the following day’s 'Round the Island Race'.

Day two was beautiful and we walked in shorts and strappy tops, through woodland, along the coast, a bit of beach and into picturesque Yarmouth where we met up with Teresa. Clearly she thought we needed dampening down as we did have a shower then but again it was short and a little further along the coast we had lunch watching wind surfers and boarders as we ate, outside again, in the sunshine.

Day three, the rain never stopped and for miles there was nothing but long expanses of cliff top and walks around inlets – ‘chines’ in the Isle of Wight. On one, we all performed intricate ballet steps in the mud as we slid all over the place trying to negotiate the path. Finally at about 3.00 we stopped for lunch dripping water everywhere and soaked through. After a comforting lunch, no let up in the rain meant we were reluctant to continue so we called a taxi and moved on to our over night stay in Ventnor. So wet was it that once warm and dry, not one of us ventured out for a meal and I for one was in bed and asleep by 9.30.

'It cannot possibly be as bad as yesterday' we figured over breakfast as grey and blue fought in the sky for dominance and even as the rain started just as we set off, we really did think it was only a short shower ahead. The terrain was more varied, no endless cliffs and walking through woodland sheltered us. At one point the sun looked as if it was about to shine but no longevity. The rain set in again, harder than ever and after deciding in Sandown to push on, we reconsidered after another 5 minutes of torrential downpour.

It was madness so we caught a bus back to base, dripped into a trendy coffee bar and then headed back to the hotel for a shower and lunch and decided to head back to the mainland.

Did we have fun? Yes, it was great and we met some very interesting people. Would we do it again? Ask me again when I have thoroughly dried out.

Grab each moment and enjoy it to the full.

Last year I dedicated my Breakthrough Breast Cancer Walk to many women but two were singled out, one was Roo whose wedding I attended in France a couple of weeks ago and the other was Bev.

Sadly, very suddenly and unexpectedly Bev died last night and I have just found out.

Everyone deals with cancer differently and for a long time, although I was in regular contact with her, I did not see Bev - it was what she wanted. However, her battle did not always run smoothly and when she had to have more treatment she invited me to visit. Her shoulder length auburn hair had fallen out and was now wispy, short and grey but she still looked the 'beautiful Bev' I had always named her. She told me that getting back to everything being perfect again might take longer than she hoped so she had decided to stop punishing herself and see people. We spent a wonderful 3-4 hours together laughing, reminiscing, eating pastries and enjoying each other company.

I did not see her again but I am so glad I had that time with her. Bev would be the first to say, enjoy each moment so for my dear friend, please do.

The journey continues.

What is happening? I am even calmer and more laid back than my daughter and three times in the space of a couple of hours, my husband commented on my calm state. I love it.

Alan arrived back from 5 days in Dubai so we took the opportunity to go out for lunch as tonight he will be exhausted. We should do it more often or perhaps it is because we don't do it too often that we appreciate it. It was a lovely way to spend some of Friday though and with a long walk tomorrow and a chilled out Sunday, it is a weekend I am very much looking forward to.

It all keeps the balance in mind too. How are you getting on?

The balance journey.

I have been investigating the balance issue and looking to learn from the recent past as to what has brought about this relaxation and calm. For me, I feel that will be key in helping me retain it and I hope it will also be of help to you in terms of your creating your own calm and balance.

When I sat down at my computer this morning, the first thing I saw was my 'balance' card and it really is a great reminder. Just before starting to blog , I found myself thinking about how I felt and whether I was retaining balance.

I must add though that balance is always in flux and it is important that you know this. It is not static, well not over a long period of time anyway as things in our lives are not constant. The challenge is to make sure that overall we have the balance we want in our lives and need.

There will always be times when life is hectic, fraught with tasks and things to do and at times like this balance is hard. If this is for a short period of time, we can cope and we can catch up later but if it goes on too long that is when the problems start.

So what do you think? How are you on all of this? Do you need to make changes? Do you even know what balance means to you? If not, spend some time over the next week or so just noting when you feel good and what causes that. What is happening when things flow and you feel in control and able to get things done? Then what happens when the reverse is true?

In the photo above I can recall very easily how I was - relaxed; calm; grounded; at 'one' with the world; in control; doing what I wanted; in the company of lovely people; had just achieved a great goal; had been able to have a shower etc.

It's interesting that when I first went to find a photo of me relaxed, I went to look at beach photos and although I am relaxed lying in the sun, this one fits so much better. I use my walking to relax me and to ensure that I get balance in my life. In fact over the last 2 years walking has revolutionised my life.

Well back to where I started and the factors that have brought about my calm and relaxed state of mind and therefore enabled me to work more easily on my balance. In Peru where I chilled out I was :- getting a good nights sleep; in the fresh air most of the day and all of it when I was on the actual trek; exercising regularly and eating healthily. In France, I was :- getting lots of sleep, relaxing and doing what I choose to do - even though the dishes, shopping and gardening still needed doing; in the fresh air as much as I could; exercising through gardening and some walking and eating well and healthily.

In France the healthy eating did tail off a little towards the end of the week due to wedding preparations and the day itself and the sleep was well eaten in too but both those things I have been careful to deal with since I came home. I could have let it go but I know how feeling this way benefits not only me so I have worked at it and catching the demise early is always easier.

I hope there are insights for you. Let me know.

Where has the last month gone?

Well of course I know, but I cannot believe that so much time has elapsed since I last wrote. It seems no time at all that I was in Peru and I have been in France since then too.

First and foremost, yes, I did it, I walked the Inca Trail and so did the whole of the wonderful group I was with. It was a great experience and I have to keep looking at my photos as already the reality of it is fading as life just moves on.

Here is a photo of our group on the morning that we started the trek. We were on our way by coach to Km 82 and we got out to take photos at this wonderful spot.

Some of the peaks seen here were with us on the entire walk and that was very comforting. This photo was taken about 7.00a.m and it was still quite cold but as you can see very beautiful.

There is so much to tell you and share with you about the trip and the only way I am going to be able to do it is bit by bit so please bear with me.

Although the clear focus of the actual trip is fading, the one thing that I brough back with me, which I still have, is a great feeling of calm and relaxation. I have now maintained that through a week of working and a sometimes hectic half term week. I plan to keep it as it feels really good and I have not raised my voice once or got angry since. Quite amazing really. I am exploring the whole issue as I want to take the lessons and pass them on to others. I have to say that I feel great.

Just one last thing to share and that is that the word for the week is balance.

What am I talking about? Well, a number of years ago a friend and fellow coach bought me a pack of cards with different words on them. There are many ways to use them but I tend to pick a random card and then work with it in the way that seems relevant and beneficial to me. Today I picked 'balance' which felt a really good way of working on maintaining the balance that I currently have and am enjoying.

It is placed beside my computer and is reminding me of the need to have that balance all through my day. It's made me ensure that I take a lunch break, something I do not always do, and I also made sure I fitted a walk in today even though I could not do my first thing in the morning one.

If your word was also balance, how would it work for you? What could you do to ensure that you had balance in your life? What would balance be like for you? Have a go and see what you achieve.