Leeds. baa ram ewe.

The view from the top tier of the bus to Leeds offered a unique new perspective of Yorkshire county. The hills and plains stretching along with the roads could go on forever. At some point there was a new housing development which seemed extremely out of place having just followed aged stone farm houses. The highlight was my sighting of the Samuel Smith’s brewery in Tadcaster which is just this tiny little spot on the map.

Then we reached the city. Sad, grey, depressing… I could handle grey days elsewhere but I felt almost immediately uncomfortable there. The feeling actually only got worse for some reason. The one thing that kept me motivated to be there was the very vibrant shop waiting for me up the hill. Then after missing my stop on another bus I trekked back down the road towards Chapel Allerton letting the overcast sadness get to me. I was completely wiped out, although thrilled, when I had my first glimpse of baa ram ewe just ahead of me.

The ladies at the shop were so lovely and welcoming to the visitor “all the way from Oregon.” This is how I made my introduction while panting at them and dropping my bags to the ground. One of the shop owners, Jo, was just about to skip out the door but offered a fantastic greeting and shared her appreciation of The Websters before leaving. I was then directed to the sweet sitting room and took temporary residence on a sofa with a cup of tea, at ease with having finally reached this beautiful creative space. I was introduced to a Yorkshire Ginger Parkin to really… sweeten the deal. I stayed there to explore the shop and sat in on the weekly knit night which had an incredible attendance in the cozy space. So the day was successful and I want to recognize Rebecca for her ultimate hosting status. She not only gave me keys to her house, but let me stay on for days while I dealt with my ridiculous cold. Thank you!!

So basically my days were focused on healing my body and a moment where I completely fell apart in the bus station, followed by an uplifting Skype call from a dear friend. I made a brief visit to Skipton on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales for a bit of nature and inspiration and that was it. If Leeds was good for anything, then it was something to do with showing me you have to experience alllll kinds of varying emotions while traveling. And that it’s all totally OK. And my time at the yarn shop was brilliant!

So in need of some serious re-centering I packed up and moved along to the beautiful landscape of the Dales…