Melody Jacob

Some books transport you to a different time and place so vividly that you can almost feel the sun on your face and the breeze on your skin. A Vast Horizon by Anna Thomasson is one of those books. Published by Pan Macmillan, it reads like a richly woven tapestry of art, friendship, freedom and fear, all set against the storm clouds gathering over Europe in the late 1930s.

Picture this: Imagine yourself in the late summer of 1937, in the South of France. A group of artists and free spirits have gathered for a picnic in a secluded glade, their laughter echoing through the trees. Dresses are loosened in the heat, shoes are cast aside, and a couple share a playful kiss. In that sun-dappled moment, Lee Miller lifts her camera and captures something timeless. This snapshot will come to define the magic and recklessness of youth. That image is where Thomasson begins her story.

Lately, I've been spending hours on my hair, braiding it, slicking it down with gel, and just playing around with new looks. It’s been fun, but honestly, my scalp is paying for it. It’s started feeling so irritated, itchy, and flaky lately.

I’ve realized that as much as I love styling my hair, I have to actually take care of my scalp too. I truly love my hair. I’m that person who is obsessed with her hair because I see every part of my body as a gift from God, and my hair is the one accessory I get to wear every single day.

That’s when the brand Polytar offered me their 4% Coal Tar Medicated Scalp Shampoo, a product designed specifically for people dealing with scalp issues like psoriasis, eczema, dandruff, and itching. I was open to trying it.

Using a quality medicated shampoo isn’t just about clean hair. It’s about restoring the health of your scalp. Polytar shampoo reduces redness, flakiness becomes manageable, and the scalp is soothed. For anyone struggling with scalp irritation, this product could be a game-changer.

At this point, I honestly felt worn out. It felt as if even Google Maps had gone on holiday. I am still processing all the details, but this is what happened today, the day after Christmas.

My partner and I had a disagreement on Christmas morning; you can read about it here. We talked it through late at night and agreed it should not have gone that way. We slept calmly and woke up feeling at peace, ready to embrace the day. With most places closed on the 25th of December, our plan was simple: spend time in nature. We wanted to visit the Cairngorms National Park, breathe deeply, relax, and enjoy the outdoors.

As soon as we woke up, my partner started making the bed, and I joined him. It felt like a small but meaningful reset. We got dressed, filled the car with fuel, and stopped at McDonald’s for breakfast around 10:45 a.m., and then we set off.

The drive was long, about an hour and a half. We kept going, trusting the photos we had seen online and hoping the place would be worth it. Eventually, we saw a signpost for the location. That is where the confusion began. There was nowhere to properly park, no clear entrance, and no visible walking path. Google Maps insisted we had arrived, but all we could see was thick forest and fenced land. It did not match what we had seen online, which showed trails, a castle, and accessible areas.

We drove back and forth several times, trying to make sense of it. By then, I was already feeling frustrated. We reset the map and entered the location again, but it redirected us to a place we had already visited before. That confirmed the directions were wrong.

When we stopped to ask a lovely elderly man for help, he explained that the park is enormous and that you cannot simply enter its general name into the map. You need to search for a specific landmark inside or near the park, such as a castle or trail. The route suggested from where we were would have taken another two and a half hours. At that point, I knew it was not realistic. Reluctantly, I told my partner we should not continue.

We tried once more by driving back to the original signpost to look for another access point, but again, there was nowhere to park and no clear way in. Eventually, we realised we had reached the correct area but from the wrong side. The map had taken us through a back route that was inaccessible to visitors.

On our way back, we decided to try another place, the Scottish Wildlife Trust at Loch of the Lowes. The map showed it was open, and it was only about 25 minutes away. When we arrived, the parking area was closed. The surroundings were beautiful: rivers, open land, animals, two people walking a dog, and a nearby golf area. But once again, there was nowhere to park, so we stayed in the car the entire time.

By then, I was overwhelmed. I had packed hot tea and barely touched it. It was already around 2:45 p.m., and we had been out since late morning without truly spending time in nature the way we had hoped. With winter days being so short, I knew the light would soon be gone.

I started crying on the drive home. I was disappointed that I had missed that quiet Christmas time in nature I had been longing for. My partner stayed calm and supportive. He asked what I needed in that moment and whether I wanted to try somewhere else or just go home. I decided it was best to head back.

He tried changing the music to cheer me up, and after a while, I noticed him moving to one of my favourite artists, Davido. I could not resist joining in. He smiled and said, “Let’s not let the outcome of today linger for long.”

With no restaurants open, he asked if I wanted KFC. We stopped, but the food was poorly cooked and disappointing, so we barely ate it. After that, my partner suggested going to a familiar spot by the water where we often watch the sunset. Before heading there, we stopped at Tesco to buy food to cook at home. Watching the sunset helped. It was peaceful, and we finally slowed down, talked, and laughed a little.

Despite everything, my partner did his best to make sure I felt supported. He reminded me that some days do not go as planned, but they can still be meaningful. We agreed that next time we visit a new nature spot, we will carefully read reviews beforehand. Other visitors often leave helpful details about parking, routes, and which location to enter into the map. Today, we were simply on the wrong route, and time ran out.

In the end, we spent the day together. We made up for the tension from yesterday. We came home, had wine and chocolate, and settled down to watch a movie. It was not the day we planned, but it will be one we remember and laugh about.