The Salt Path

Imagine standing at the threshold of a life you have built over decades, only to find the door closing behind you forever. There is a moment when the past, with all its memories and security, slips away, and you are left with uncertainty and fear. This is the beginning of a story not just about loss, but about the remarkable resilience that can emerge when everything familiar is taken away. The journey starts under the stairs, hiding from the pounding knocks of bailiffs who come to take away not just a house, but a sanctuary of years. The legal battle had been long and exhausting, a three-year saga fought without the support of a lawyer due to reforms that pulled the safety net from beneath many like them. Without legal aid, the couple became just names in a courtroom, struggling against a system that seemed designed to overwhelm and exclude.

As the eviction notice was final, the weight of it settled like a stone in the chest. The house that held the laughter of children, the sweat of rebuilding, and the quiet moments of peace was no longer theirs. In that instant, the loss was not just physical but deeply personal, shaking the very foundation of identity and belonging. Yet, in the midst of this darkness, a seed of possibility took root. With only a small rucksack and a guidebook found in a box, the idea of walking the South West Coast Path emerged—not as a plan, but as a lifeline. It was a way to keep moving, to find purpose when everything else had been stripped away.

This first step is more than a physical one; it is a leap into the unknown. The path ahead is daunting, stretching over 630 miles of rugged coastline, but it offers a chance to reclaim agency and hope. The journey is both literal and metaphorical—a walk out of despair and into light. As the couple walked through the front door, hand in hand, they left behind the certainty of their old life and embraced the uncertainty of what was to come. This moment of transition is the foundation upon which the rest of their story is built.

From here, the story unfolds into the realities of homelessness, illness, and the healing power of nature. But it begins with this raw, human experience of loss and the courage to face it. It is a reminder that even when life unravels, the threads of resilience and love can weave a new tapestry.

Let us now step forward together, into the challenging yet transformative journey that lies ahead.