The Quiet Arrival of Spring in Cornwall

And a bit of brain dumping.

Many of us impatiently watch the calendar days passing to mark the end of winter, but the calendar I am using is the one in which there is a gentle unfurling and awakening of the soil, spotting the colour gradually returning to hedgerows day by day.

I watch the rain sodden earth either side of the river for emerging wild garlic, deep brown tones shift to a carpet of green and the scent of herby garlic fills the air. I spot the patches of crocuses beneath the trees alongside roundabouts on my drive to Truro. The fields scattered with daffodils that remind me of a night sky, each yellow star stark against their green stems. The tiny market stand near the dock in Falmouth has popped up with their buckets of daffodils, replacing the woman with mistletoe just a few months prior.

I hear the chorus of Fulmars along the cliffs in Cornwall, settling into nooks and crannies, finding a home to begin nesting. Even humpback whales journeying across the horizon in search of food is a sign of longer, warmer days drawing closer.

Living in a van brings you closer to those elements, I find the smaller inside space with less distractions seems to only make me notice these hints of spring more. My evenings recently have been spent rewatching Bridgerton and working on my first knitting project (the infamous Sophie scarf for other knitters wondering).

We’ve been parked down in Falmouth this week on the south coast of Cornwall for a change of scenery. I’ve been relishing the novelty of being able to walk into town from my home, yesterday afternoon I did just that and found myself perusing in the Falmouth Bookseller book shop for a while, they have a really wonderful collection there- particularly the mythology, folklore and natural world areas. It’s always lovely to be able to take Nellie in with me too, Cornwall is pretty reliable for dog friendly shopping.

It’s not all necessarily picturesque, as much as I enjoy writing about those things. I have had a healthy dose of imposter syndrome and self comparison recently, frequent accompaniments to working freelance it seems. The thoughts remain pretty subconscious until they come up in conversation or out on paper, I’m never hugely aware of the impact of the negative self talk until I vocalise it or write it out. Acknowledging those patterns seems to stop them in their tracks fairly well, identifying that I have consumed too much on social media and taking steps to move through what I am feeling as a result. Something we all find difficult I imagine.

I kept thinking I had to write Substacks regularly for the sake of the algorithm, growing the platform etc etc. I realised my habits from other platforms are leaching into how I use this one. I would much rather write in it when I fancy, unearthing the depths of my mind (within reason) and ridding my brain of the scribbly mess of thoughts that often get tangled after a busy week without pausing. Getting thoughts out externally seems to be fairly effective in gaining mental clarity. It’s a bit of an ongoing battle with AuDHD as there’s a consistent back and fourth in your mind, constantly. Writing is a breath of fresh air, a tonic for the mind in a way.

I would love to know what you’ve noticed outside that hints at the promise of spring nearly arriving?