Since moving to Brighton I’ll be honest and say I haven’t taken advantage in the change of location or adventured much outside of the comfort of campus but I have made it one of my, many, goals to do so in the upcoming few years.
Being a student with a very limited budget I quickly got on train line and typed in random places seeing where I could travel to for a relatively cheap price and stumbled upon Arundel. I’d traveled past it on the train previously but all I was aware of was that it was surrounded by countryside and looked rather quaint but nevertheless I decided to jot it down as my first adventure (and for a £7.60 return ticket I could hardly go wrong).
So the journey begun at around 11am, as I was keen to ensure I had all the sunlight available to discover as much as possible. I personally love train journeys when they’re relaxed and calming and I can enjoy a coffee and some reading time (the hustle and bustle of the Underground is certainly less desirable) so the journey and 3 trains there caused me little upset or anxiety. Unfortunately the journey didn’t quite go to plan as a lady was taken
unwell on my train which caused delays and stoppages to my stop (to clarify: i’m not complaining, and a huge well to the staff and paramedic passenger who helped the lady get the medical attention she needed) which resulted in a longer journey and a bit more adventuring into new stations which I can confidently say I didn’t let my anxiety take hold over and ruin my day.
Upon arrival to Arundel I was absolute FREEZING and the first thing I knew I needed to do was indulge in a coffee so off I wandered to find a cute little cafe where I could rest and recuperate. Motte & Bailey coffee shop was absolutely ideal and the staff were super helpful and got my a quiet table by the door and a delightful flat white which I could not fault. I’ll be honest I could’ve stayed there all day; there is something so wonderful and calming to me about reading in new and cute coffee shops and I certainly felt contented.
After such a wonderful beginning in this quaint town I decided to wander around the town
and look into the windows of all the antique shops. I decided not to enter any of these wonderful shops for fear of spending money I certainly do not possess but the temptation was just too high when I reached Kim’s bookshop and I had to indulge myself a little. I could have quite honestly spent hours looking through the large assortment of used, antique and original books they had on their many shelves but after about an hour I realised I had to continue on my wanders or I wouldn’t be able to see all I had planned – however I am keen to return there and if you’re ever in Arundel be sure to check it out.
As the light was fading, as it so quickly does on these winter evenings, I decided my next
stop had to be wandering around the outside of the castle and looking at the surrounding countryside and oh my goodness it was just bliss. I am definitely going to visit the castle itself once it re-opens but just seeing the ducks and the castle structure and the landscape that was so green and spread for miles just filled my heart with absolute serenity and I honestly don’t think I could feel more calmer or content than I do when surrounded by such scenes.
As it was such a blistery day and a Sunday I knew I couldn’t stay too long in the town as I had to be up at quite an early hour on the Monday for lectures but, of course, I just had to get a cup of tea at a recommended coffee shop before leaving – The Moathouse. It was really lovely and I indulged in some chips too – how wonderfully British – before embarking on the train journey home.
I captured the most wonderful sunset and spent the journey reading Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children before settling in to my bed and having a most wonderful nights sleep which isn’t something I usually experience. It was such a beautiful day and I strongly encourage everyone to give themselves days off to do little adventures such as this and especially to embark on trips alone to help soothe the soul and have a bit of ‘me’ time. I’m so excited to see where my next trip takes me.
365 days of Char 
Sounds like the perfect day! 😉
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