Bath, UK

I’m house sitting in Bath, it is one of the most interesting and beautiful places in regard to historic architecture that I have visited in a while. That has something to do with the way the buildings and streets have kept their story over the years and people use, live in and care for the history of each and every building. Tourists come to soak in the infamous Roman baths and explore the curved streets and art of Walcot street, but the more I get out and meet the locals I discover the bits that tourists don’t know about. I also learned that sometimes, more often that expected people come to Bath for a visit and never leave.

This is how I feel today. As usual I went to the local pub – The Bell and while I’m an extrovert according to some people that meet me, I’m actually a very private person and don’t like sharing or talking about myself that much or at all. I’m working on that. Nonetheless I sat on my own for a while whilst watching the comings and going of the locals then decided to meet some.

I went up to a group that looked a similar age to me and asked if I could sit at their table and being the (what I now know is Bath) beautiful, generous and easy going locals they said yes. That one moment of what some might say is out of the comfort zone led me to go back feeling comfortable and welcome the next day and from that it led to being asked to join a group to play for English Boules with the delightful Sarah which I’ve never played before but LOVED, a dinner date, a gym session with one of the ladies who goes regularly and a rose from the ever interesting Richard. Maybe here I should mention I may have met the man of my dreams, no, not Richard…

That decision to go to their table has completely changed my stay here in Bath. If you had told me I would be playing traditional Boules in a stunning local park opposite where Jane Austen lived and wrote her world famous novels I would not have believed you. If you told me there would be a man that I would meet that seems like Mr Darcy I also would never have believed you.

Moral of the story is be brave and step outside that comfort zone when it feels right because the world is full of lovely, kind, generous and thoughtful people that might just make your day.