Frozen pipe dream

8 days without running water and the journey it took me on.

Saturday morning, I turn the tap on to wash up my morning pots (and probably some of the night befores)…

 No water!!

Look outside. It’s been frosty for I don’t know how many days running.

Photo by Zoltan Tasi on Unsplash

With living in a holiday home, the washing machine lives outside, and I’d already discovered that had frozen when I went to put a wash on the day before.

“Bring your washing to my house. I’ll do it for you” said my life-long magical friend when I told her.

Phew, what a life saver, nothing to worry about. All will be ok.

As luck should have it, I was heading over that morning anyway. I took my washing round. Minus 2 it was outside at 9am.

By the time I came back later Saturday afternoon, the pipes had defrosted.

Brill, no dramas! I can live with that I figured, as I realised that once the temperatures are back over zero all is good.

When they froze the next day, I didn’t worry then either. Only they didn’t thaw out this time.

My friend and sacred soul sister had checked in with me days before, to see how I was getting on living without central heating and plummeting weather conditions.

I’d just been saying how well I’d been doing.

I’d heard it was brutal living without central heating in a holiday home, so I prepared!

• Got myself used to cooler temperatures when I first moved here in March. It was cold (but not freezing) and I intentionally kept the heating off despite being able to see my own breath.

• Brought in extra heaters in the summer and autumn ready for winter

  • An oil filled radiator for my bedroom

  • 2 plug-in the wall heaters that kick out heat

  • An extra hot water bottle

• Prepared to layer up with hoodies, fleecy pjs, dressing gown, slipper socks and blankets

I was flying high so far. Totally got this!

Thought I had it all figured out. Then. Frozen pipes. One half day turned into day and night. Day and night turned into day 3.

Suddenly, it became just that bit more challenging.

Right. What are my needs? I sat down and thought about them.

I need to wash my clothes. One load down, I’m fine for now.

I need to shower. Let me ring Kay and ask if I can use hers when I walk Milo tomorrow.

I rang and asked. I never pick up the phone and ring and ask for something I need. Not unless I’m beyond desperate and sometimes not even then. This feels a first.

I need water. So, I got my bucket out and rang neighbour, Life of Riley Paul. He has central heating and his pipes have been lagged!

“Can I come over for some water?”

When I got there, I asked him if he had a bucket I could borrow too.

Two buckets of water a day saw me through the washing up, filling the water filter, flushing the toilet, washing hands and cleaning teeth.

Everybody needs good neighbours, I thought. And I chuckled to myself as I remembered the program I watched religiously in my youth. Couldn’t miss a day without it.

“Nip to B&Q, buy the 13mm piping and I’ll come and lag your pipes for you” said Life of Riley Paul.

How fortunate am I to have such a community of good friends and neighbours around me I pondered as I waddled back to my van with two water-filled buckets.

If there’s one thing I’ve learnt on this healing journey is that community is essential. At my illest, the one thing I needed the most was support. It’s the one area I’ve struggled the most with in life due to lack of it.

Gone are the days of figuring everything out on my own. Telling myself that there is no one around to help me or that no one has time for me.

Photo by Shane Rounce on Unsplash

8 days in total, living without running water, no washing machine and no central heating in up to minus 8 degrees wasn’t the easiest situation I’ve ever lived with. It wasn’t all the fun of living in a holiday home in the peak of summer that I had become accustomed to.

I was reminded of the quote I’d heard for the first time recently, “commitment is staying true to what you said you would do long after the mood that you said it in has left”. I really understood what it meant.

I’ve made a commitment to this lifestyle for the benefit of my health and whilst in full pursuit of living the life of my dreams. And the downside is a washing machine outside, days for clothes to dry in the winter and frozen pipes when it hits minus degrees.

When I ask my older clients who are in their 80’s all about their life, what they’ve learnt, overcome and about their biggest achievements and successes, I’ve recently started asking if they believe we were happier then (even though times were hard) to how we are now.

After moments thinking about it, they always say happier then.

And I check in with myself. Living without running water in the freezing cold with a limited amount of heat isn’t easy. But I am happy.

Add to that, I’m finding it easier to reach out to people. Ask for help when I need it. Something that I’ve always struggled with, dare I say it, is becoming more natural to me. Normal even.

A few more days in and my sacred soul sister (even though she’s Indian British and I’m white British, a gentleman actually thought we were sisters earlier this year, because of how we were interacting with each other) leaves me another voice note along the lines of:

“Amber, I’m checking in to see how you are because I’m concerned at the thought of you living without water on top of no central heating”

Up until recent years, I’ve never really had – or ever connected with – anyone show such genuine concern for my wellbeing before. Never had anyone check in with how I’m really doing – I mean really doing.

And, for the first time in my life, I felt loved. Like, really loved.

Photo by Mayur Gala on Unsplash

Now it’s not to say that I’ve never been loved in my life – or that they aren’t people around me that love me. But it’s that I’ve never FELT loved in quite the same way as I did in this moment.

Wow, I actually feel loved I thought. It feels good.

Who cares if I have no running water or washing machine when I’ve got love?!

It’s surprising what little else matters when you truly feel loved.

There’s a warmth in it that central heating and hot water just cannot give you.

And I realise…what could’ve quite easily been a hell on earth experience turned into one of the most humbling of my life.

Photo by Kyle Johnson on Unsplash

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