Blog - Page 8 of 9 - More Life! More Love!

14/09/2018

What’s so special about Wild Camping?

Part 1 of 2

My friend doesn’t do ‘outdoors’, she likes to sleep in five-star hotels. “Why would you give up the comfort and the warmth of a nice bed to be outside?” she asks me. To be honest if you’ve never done it then, you won’t know. Wild camping isn’t for everyone. It is for those of us that like to feel free, alive and the vastness of the world. Wild camping allows you to connect – connect with yourself and the world on a deep level. The distractions and nonsense have been stripped away, no tv, no hair dryer, no smart phones (if you’re somewhere without a signal). It’s back to just you and nature.

Wild camping with friends is special, you don’t have to be alone. Finding like-minded individuals that enjoy nature and the inner glow you get when you’re a self-reliant team, means you can share your adventures. Stepping off the rat-race, away from the media, the noise and back to the calm of nature. You can slow down from the hub-bub of life. Leave the challenges and step back into the very simplicity of existence – finding or making a shelter, making food and keeping warm. What you choose to use to fulfil these basics will depend on where you go and the conditions. In the UK we have lush green countryside, which denotes the fact that we often need a waterproof shelter.

After cooking a simple meal on my stove out of the wind, at Cow Green Reservoir I stepped outside into the darkness. There’s no light pollution, not a house or street light for miles, just the darkness that wraps you in her blanket. Venus and Mars glowed large and pink, low in the sky near the horizon. When I looked up I could see the Milky Way. The stars were in three dimensions. The big familiar constellations we often see in the sky, vast numbers of medium-sized stars and everywhere millions and millions of tiny stars that you never usually see, making the night sky into clouds of tiny twinkling stars. This view was sublime, its complexity was awe-inspiring. Our little worries and grumbles disappear as our brains try to comprehend the scale and magnitude of our universe and comprehend our emotions as we investigate infinity. Nature puts things in perspective, we feel small and our problems feel small. Wild camping moments like these are why I go. I feel part of something bigger than myself that is infinitely beautiful. Quiet time for contemplation is so important. It helps me listen to who I am and find my way in this complex world.

If you like being outdoors, enjoy being independent and you’ve been camping at a campsite before, then make a small step and go camping without showers and the toilet. There’s a leave no trace principle, so take all litter home, yours and anyone else’s. Follow the rules and camp where it’s legal. The rewards are huge, you feel better, calmer and more relaxed. You’ll also be able to relax and enjoy some of the best views at sunrise and sunset. Do you want to feel truly free? Is it time for you to Go Wild? Ideas and advice can be found on the Wild Camping UK .

If you already go wild camping leave a comment and share why you love it.

04/09/201810/12/2019

Stuck or grow – which will you do?

The trauma of ending a long-term relationship cuts deep. The end of one part of your life allows you to create something new. In this blog I want to share why setting goals is so important to creating the life you want. I hope you will be inspired to set your own goals and make your dreams come true!

When I broke up from my long-term partner, I had to get used to being just me, not part of a couple. It was challenging changing my vocabulary, not using words such as we or us, it was now I or me. So, who was the I without the we? What had I given up to be part of a couple? I looked inside and realised, I’d given up on some of my dreams, to mould myself to be with my partner. Now I was on my own, did I want to follow my dreams? It was a clear choice, stay stuck or grow?

Growth objectives
It’s a simple question, but it applies to every part of your life. When you step back and look at all aspects of your life: work-life balance, career, fun/hobbies, finances, spiritual and mental growth, relationships, emotional growth and health/fitness, what do you think? Are some areas better than others? Parts of your life that you are happy with, that are running smoothly. But are there one or two areas that are dragging you down? You may already know what you want to change? These are areas for personal growth, they are your growth objectives.

Why would I want to have a growth objective I hear you say? It sounds like challenging work and I’ve no time or energy for any of that. I just want to plod along and have a quiet life. Okay, I hear you, but do you want a better life? The path to a better life, is sorting out the problems so you’re happier and more fulfilled.

Get clarity and set goals
Getting clarity about a problem can help you find a route to make changes. Sometimes problems can feel big, overwhelming and frankly impossible. If this is where you are, and you want to make a change, I suggest you get a coach. A coach will help you clarify your thinking. You can get clear on exactly what you want to change and create a goal. Having a goal means you can look at options and decide your best way forward. You create a set of small actions that move you towards your goal. Lists help, make them, do the action and tick them off. You feel good about your progress and this keeps you focused.

Achieving your goals
Do dreams come true? In my case, yes, they do! My dream was to ride a motorbike and go touring on a Triumph in the Dolomites. This was my dream since I was a teenager. I’d let other things get in the way, I hadn’t made it a priority, but inside I still wanted to do it. I looked around at other people who rode motorbikes, they didn’t seem to be any better than me. If they could do it, I could do it.

I decided to go for it! I’d try to get my motorbike license. In my mind this could result in one of three possible outcomes:

Pass my license and I was on the way to making my dream a reality or
Fail the test, but I was proud of myself for trying
Realise that I didn’t want to ride a motorbike to the Dolomites, end of dream nonsense.

Any of the above options was a good outcome in my eyes. I found a local motorbike school that was supportive of women and I booked lessons. It was tough. I had to concentrate, learn and master new skills. It sharped up my road awareness and this has benefited me as a cyclist and car driver. I loved learning, challenging myself and developing new skills. As I made small steps, I was proud of my achievements.

My outcome was option 4! When I went for my test, I failed first time, but I wasn’t going to give up on my dream, I’d invested too much. I took my test again and passed. After years of developing my skills as a rider, I went to the Dolomites on my Triumph. My story is the same as many other people’s, I am not super-special or particularly gifted. I had a dream, I broke it down into steps and I just kept going until I reached my goal. I didn’t achieve it in a week, it took me years. But I can say with my hand on my heart that my life is richer. Motorbiking has given me a sense of freedom, squealing in my helmet, fun, respect and adventure. I’ve met wonderful people, visited beautiful, stop-you-dead-in your-tracks places that make your heart swell. As a teenager I had a dream, as an adult I made the dream come true.

Your time to choose
We all have free will. We all choose the life we want to lead. Which future will you choose? Same as always or doing what you want to do?

Start planning or if you want to get clarity, get a coach. Setting a goal makes an enormous difference when it comes to making changes in your life. The October Business Planning Guide 2017 from Rising Tide Society had a Harvard Study: that revealed remarkable statistics relating to goal setting and success: 83% of the population do not have goals; 14% have a plan in mind, but goals are unwritten; and 3% have goals written down. The study found that the 14% who have goals are 10 times more successful than those without goals. The 3% with written goals are three times more successful than the 14% with unwritten goals. Writing your goals down sets you up to be exponentially more successful. If you want to change your life make a goal and write it down. Be proud of yourself for choosing to change and making your life better. If you want to know what support coaching can give you to achieve your goals, book a free discovery call with me.

Make your dreams come true!

17/07/201809/12/2019

Places I’ve Visited

The world is so vast, it’s bigger than one lifetime.

Visiting a country for a week or more, is like a first date. Honestly, I’m only just starting to get to know the surface of the place and people. I think you need to live somewhere to truly understand it.

My travels have influenced who I am and how I see the world. I will share a few places that have been formative in my teenage life.

Sweden

As a teenager I was very lucky to go on an international scout camp and stay with a

Swedish family. I love Sweden’s outdoorsy culture – walking and canoeing in the summer, cross-country skiing in the winter. Wild camping and fires are natural part of enjoying the outdoors.

I have returned to Sweden many times to go cross-country skiing.

A highlight was a hut to hut cross-country skiing tour in the north of Sweden. Eating flat bread and cheese sandwiches, drinking blueberry soup. We sat on our skiis as the snow was so deep we would sink up to our thighs without them! One of my best bits of kit on that trip was the bothy survival bag – it kept the five of us warm when we need to stop and refuel.

Each hut had a wood burning stove, it was good to get warm after a cold day at -25C!

Click to see more...

Kenya

An expedition to Kenya enabled me to walk through the bush and spend time with the Samburu tribe. At night, we each did a two-hour watch of our camp. The fireflies flash, tiny beacons of light. It’s dark, properly dark in the bush. The stars seem to have more and more layers of stars behind them. The roars and barks of wild animals’ sound very loud and very close in the dark. I told myself “it’s your imagination, they sound closer than they are”, but in the morning, there were large paw prints close to our camp!

I respected our camels and their herders. Treat camels fairly and they are very loyal, they will not put up with abuse. There’s a lesson for us all! And another thing be cautious of hippos. Don’t get between a hippo and its water. They may be big but they panic easily.

Chile

Chile is a huge country with very different climatic zones from the Atacama Desert in the north to the Glaciers in the south.

I was distressed to witness the devastation for the forests due to a fire that was carelessly started. The fire had burned all summer, then smoldered away in the soil through the winter to reignite in the following year. There was nothing left except black trunk stumps, like a cemetery for the forest of the past. Human’s devastating impact on the world was laid bare.

Our expedition was based in Torres del Paine National Park for three weeks as we cut through fallen trees to clear the walking route. The trees are huge compared with the trees I had experienced in England.

Under the edge of the glacier, where it carved away the rock, you could stand and listen to the dripping melt water. Looking up, the light was making its way through the ice. There were the most exquisite blues -dark to light.

There’s no where on earth like it – the intensity of the colour is incredible.

Glacial water is the coldest and most invigorating shower. I remember coaching myself to go for it and brave ice-cream head to wash my hair, brrr! It felt so good to be clean.

For more about places I’ve visited, head to the Blog for inspiration.

16/07/201825/06/2020

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16/07/201810/12/2019

Place I want to visit

I’m going to be honest, there are so many places, I can’t list them all here, but I will share a few that are high on my current list. This list will change as I’m sure your own has over the years.

88 Temples Pilgrimage, Shikoku Island, Japan
This appeals to me because it means travelling slowly. Time to contemplate and marvel at the beauty of the natural landscape. The slower you go the more you see. I haven’t been to Japan yet and this would be an incredible immersion in the history, food and culture.

I can imagine soaking in an open-air bath (Ryokan) after a day on the trail – feeling happy-tired. Proud of what I have achieved and awed by the magnificence of nature.

Click to see more…

Diving with Whalesharks – several options for where
I’ve wanted to dive with Whalesharks since I got my dive card. They are such graceful giants, almost other-worldly. Sharing space with them would be an extraordinary privilege. My heart would pound with excitement and the magnitude of the moment. It would take me a couple of breaths to calm down and take it all in.

The happiest place in the world – Bhutan
I think there’s a lot to learn from Bhutan.

Their views on what’s important in life are worth exploring. Since the 1970s they have measured Gross National Happiness. Gross national happiness means efforts in support of sustainable development, education, health and valuing societal good over economic growth. I respect a country that is maintaining it’s ancient culture. It’s becoming more modern without sacrificing its independence, culture or natural environment.

Walking the West Highland Way -Scotland
Considering the midges, it would be wise to walk in May or September.

Another back to nature adventure. Unwinding and getting back to the simplicity of a long-distance walk. Walking in to the Highlands would be dramatic. Being surrounded by huge mountains puts life in perspective.

Motorbiking and Stained-glass – Italy
I’d like to tour through Italy on my motorbike. I’ll be whooping with joy as I ride along the Amalfi Coast, sweeping round the corners and being blown away by the incredible scenery.

Submerging myself n a stain-glass course under Diego’s watchful eye would make me work carefully and precisely. The challenge and the discipline of the work would be absorbing.

Canadian Wilderness- Canada

I love paddling and wild camping. I have been lighting fires and living outdoors since I was a teenager. Food tastes better with the flavours of wood smoke. I dream of doing a 10-day paddle tour. To be honest, I’m going to have to get better at catching fish if I want to eat fresh food. As yet, I haven’t caught a single fish with my spinner (which I was assured was good for the job). But the Canadians will know how to fish, I’m sure I’ll be able to succeed with their tips.

13/07/201804/09/2018

Exploring Venice

Are you happy to follow the crowds, or do you prefer to do your city breaks a little bit differently. On our trip to Venice I didn’t feel like paying the tourist prices to a single gondola trip, I wanted to explore a bit more and under my own steam, but with a local guide who could show us all the best bits, (as well as challenging us to sneak through one or two tight spaces!)
Venice Kayaks are a lovely local outfit who have all the inside knowledge and kit 🙂
Plan something out of the ordinary on your next visit to an unknown city!

13/07/2018

Sea kayaking on the Jurassic coast

I had seen pictures of Lulworth Cove and Durdle Doors on the Jurassic Coast in England, but had never had the chance to visit. So when the chance arose to head down there for a week, I knew what I wanted to do.
Sea kayaking is rather weather dependant as the tides and winds can put up a definite red flag NO, but we were hopeful for a window of lower winds to safely do some wonderful coast exploring.
On the day of this trip it looked like we would just have to paddle Lulworth cove and poke our noses out to see what the waves were like. Wind was due to drop, but it might still be a bouncy ride. But we could always come back another day.
Tourists thronged the streets and the paths along the cliffs, but out on the water we felt in our element and far from the madding crowds. Waves were just cresting white and the paddling was fun rather than placid, but the wind was dropping and the skies were brightening as we ventured along the coast. Then there was the iconic arch, the sun came out, skies turned blue and it was just perfect!
Further along was bat arch and some deserted beaches and caves to discover before we headed back to our campsite for a camp fire. Exhilarated and happy.

12/07/2018

Camping

I love camping but sometimes it can be hard work especially with my two boys. We have always used a relatively small tent but after several altercations with the other half whilst putting up the tent and the poles breaking we splashed out… Our new and rather ginormous air beam tent arrived last week claiming that you could pitch it in 12minutes!
After 20 minutes it was up and there was no fighting. It’s a Big tent but I am very impressed with the air beams …..I’m looking forward to taking it to Austria at the end of the month, we will have to pack light as it takes up half the boot.

09/07/2018

Back in the saddle

My lesson learned? It really is never too late! We tell ourselves this but do we listen? Well, 20 years after my last motorcycle (pillion) camping trip to Scotland, I finally got there again. Nerves? Loads! But planning, and trust in my driver, added to a spectacular semi wild location for our pitch, woke up my wanderlust all over again – so tiny tent and sleeping mat, prepare to be over used in the 2nd half as 50 and beyond will see me off the beaten track, & under canvas as often as possible.

31/05/201810/12/2019

Scottish islands and highlands

I fell so deeply in love with Scotland, I had a huge grin on my face. It was my first time visiting Mull on the motorbike. Our route to the ferries was glorious, hugging the sides of lochs, the sun glinting on water. Highland cows standing in the cool water up to their knees. As the road breaks away it twists left and right, up and down, cutting through the countryside. I could smell the bluebells in the woods, the trees have new yellow-green leaves. There’s fresh green grass and the countryside is clothed in a beautiful new dress of wild flowers in pink, yellow and white. Scotland looks so beautiful.

I have always loved Scotland and had many great adventures sea kayaking, walking and biking. Sometimes the weather is good and you see the mountains, sometimes she’s shy and hides in mist and rain. This weekend, the skies were big and blue, the colours were clear and vibrant. Just laying on the warm rocks and watching the clouds after skinny dipping in the beautiful clear river was pure joy. What more do you need in life? I was happy to just be in Scotland and I opened my heart to all the beautiful details. I remembered why I loved here and found new things to love about her. I’m looking forward to going back to see her again soon and being delighted by her wonders mighty and tiny.