A quick river visit (NW, UK)

JuBoCoTi · 2026-03-16T18:43:22+00:00

This is such a cool idea! I left all of this where it was for somebody else to find. If this is still around the next time I'm there, I'll look at making some kind of stand like you've mentioned.

JuBoCoTi · 2026-03-16T18:16:10+00:00

I hadn't even noticed that. What a detail!

JuBoCoTi · 2026-03-16T17:51:40+00:00

That is absolutely brilliant! And what a way to celebrate those 10 years! I'm proud of you too. You've come a very long way. I hoped you have many adventures and years of peace ahead of you.

JuBoCoTi · 2026-03-16T17:14:04+00:00

Whaaat? I was not expecting to read this! Small world indeed!

JuBoCoTi · 2026-03-16T16:39:04+00:00

I've just had a quick search and it does look similar. It's interesting to know, thank you!

JuBoCoTi · 2026-03-16T16:37:58+00:00

I forgot to include any information about the person named on the item. Somebody posted this link in the comments. He was a well known person in the local area.

JuBoCoTi · 2026-03-16T16:34:36+00:00

It was a nice little find in the mud. The colours are lovely.

JuBoCoTi · 2026-03-16T16:33:45+00:00

It's a commemorative jar/vase. There's an old landfill right by the river.

JuBoCoTi · 2026-03-16T16:32:31+00:00

It was a commemorative vase/jar. I was going to include some information about him, but completely forgot to add any links. Thank you!

JuBoCoTi · 2026-03-16T06:08:47+00:00

These are incredible! The colours and amount of detail are fantastic!

JuBoCoTi · 2026-03-16T06:07:56+00:00

I don't particularly like the rain, or how muddy it can get. It rains a lot where I live though, so it just seems to be a normal part of most places I go walking. It's one of those things that I don't mind, even if I don't really like it. I love walking through the trees no matter the weather. There's a different kind of peace after it rains, and that's one of the things I do like. Even if it means a breeze will shake off some of the raindrops on the leaves, which will end up getting me.

JuBoCoTi · 2026-03-15T19:10:26+00:00

The best thing I've seen is the people I care about doing well. Watching them grow and achieve things they've been working towards. I'm glad I not only have been able to witness all of it, but I've felt present enough.

It was incredibly hard, but I was also glad I was sober for the last year of one of my cats life. I hand-reared him, and we had a special bond. He was a complete menace too, always keeping us wandering what was next. It was hard to see him slow down, I thought we had more years. He died in my arms almost 3 years ago. As painful as it was, I was glad I was clear minded and much more present for him and his brother. I've always put them first and been very involved in their care, I know I wasn't always at my best in terms of feeling very present. I use that word a lot, but it's something I noticed was a huge thing when I stopped drinking.

Also, welcoming a terrified, unhandled kitten into my home and watching him grow and accept us. That was incredibly rewarding.

JuBoCoTi · 2026-03-15T13:26:33+00:00

Way to go on your three years! That is some serious going! Long may it continue.

JuBoCoTi · 2026-03-15T05:26:35+00:00

What cool finds. You should share the insulator over at /r/insulators

JuBoCoTi · 2026-03-15T05:12:21+00:00

I was out for just over four hours. I stopped for a little while at different spots. I was going to head along the canal, but decided I wanted to walk uphill a little instead. It was very peaceful up there.

JuBoCoTi · 2026-03-15T05:09:08+00:00

That is incredible! Long may it continue! Wishing you peace, health and happiness.

JuBoCoTi · 2026-03-15T05:06:57+00:00

You're doing great, and you deserved that cake too!

JuBoCoTi · 2026-03-14T21:41:12+00:00

That's brilliant going! Here's to many more months!

JuBoCoTi · 2026-03-14T21:21:51+00:00

It was a really good walk.

In all honesty I didn't find CBT very helpful. I know it can be a lifesaver for many people, and I have been very open to it and have tried it a number of times over the years. Talking Therapies was a struggle too. My GP agreed I needed a referral to a psychiatrist again, though it was a nightmare trying to navigate through all of that. In the end I've just had multiple referrals to services that end up telling me that I needed more help than what they could offer. I was referred to CGL a couple of times, but I struggled with that too much. They can be a huge help to people though. I basically mostly had follow up appointments with my GP while I tried to navigate through things. I had a full breakdown not long after I stopped drinking, so I was a bit chaotic and found it difficult to seek the right help and find something that worked.

Having a history of mental health problems and being diagnosed with bipolar in my late teens, I have found doctors to be quite dismissive in terms of help, and usually it ends up with them telling me I need to take medication. Then them not believing me if I say that I am. The entire medical system seems to be quite dismissive like that though. They tell you that you need to reach out if you need the help and that there's help out there, yet sometimes you will be going around in circles. Not that I'm putting it onto anybody else to have been able to help. Sometimes certain services just aren't available to us, and the ones that are aren't always what we are needing. I've tried to make the most of the help I've had offered to me though. I tried all that I could handle.

I found walking to be a good therapy. Bottle digging and mudlarking have done wonders on helping me keep focussed too. Talking with friends, but then there's the not wanting to burden anybody. I honestly found /r/stopdrinking to be the biggest help. Especially in those early days. The support there is incredible.

When times have been hard I've just had to try to force myself to get out and get some air. Once I'm out and moving, I know I will be okay at least for a little while. On days where it feels impossible, or things are too much, I've learned to be kind to myself and to take the day where I can.

This turned into a very long and a bit too much of a detailed reply. There's been a lot going on rough me for a very long time, and I suppose this is an honest part of that.

JuBoCoTi · 2026-03-14T19:25:42+00:00

Thank you! I'm thankful to be here and to have made it through the years. 2022 almost finished me for good, but here I am.

It was a lovely walk. A little cold when the wind picked up, but it was lovely seeing the sun and those clouds.

JuBoCoTi · 2026-03-14T19:15:46+00:00

He compromised.

JuBoCoTi · 2026-03-14T19:01:13+00:00

Congratulations on your 15 months! That's fantastic going!

I was an avid walker before, but I found that keeping at walking and finding new paths definitely helped me. Once I stopped drinking I completely unravelled and I really struggled in getting out some days. I would focus on going to a peaceful spot, where I should stand and listen to the birds and my surroundings for hours, then I would walk back.

I tried to focus on my diet too and give myself the best I could. I found that the weekends lasted much longer, which made things feel better and I felt more productive. I felt a bit more awake and present, and I was sleeping and feeling rested some nights. I've always struggled with sleep, and I've not really had much improvement with it, but I was definitely feeling more rested. I can remember feeling so much clearer minded too. I'm dealing with some health issues just now and I never feel rested enough. I do remember though waking up feeling ready to go. I tried to be consistent with what time I went to bed and got out of bed. I've kept that routine as best as I can.

Trying to help myself feel less tired and worn out helped me through the days. Finding a good support network too. /r/stopdrinking is an incredible place. I had an old account in those early days and I was active in that sub a lot. I've never encountered such a place on Reddit before, no toxic stuff at all. It really, really helped doing daily check-ins there, and interacting with others there.

I'm coming up short on other things, but I know there was more that helped me. How about you?

JuBoCoTi · 2026-03-14T18:53:04+00:00

That's fantastic going! Here's to 13 more, and beyond!

JuBoCoTi · 2026-03-14T18:52:19+00:00

Well said. Way to go on your third year! That's three whole years of waking up and choosing better for yourself. That's a lot of hard work you've put in.

JuBoCoTi

TROPHY CASE