HOW IT ALL STARTED

The tipping point – New Year 2020, watching Toy Story 4... the final credits were rolling and I sat crying, then laughing, and then wondering as to why I'd been so affected by a kid's film. Really, you need to have seen Toy Story to fully 'get it' but essentially, the main character in all of the films, Woody, always takes on the role of looking out for all the other toys. In the final moments of TS4, though, he made a brave decision to put himself and his own needs first. For some, including myself, this is not always an easy thing to do, but it was the kick I needed to create change.

The build up - Adventure and learning have long been an important part of my life, but slowly I was losing my passion and focus, so I decided to do something about it! For some time, I had been feeling the need for a long walk. In the summer of 2019, I had read two great books about different trails - the Salt Path (South West Coastal Path), by Raynor Winn and Two Steps Forward (Camino Santiago de Compostela), by Graeme Simision and Anne Buist. Inspired, I was ready for my own big adventure - to walk the length of the UK from North to South ending up closer to friends and family.

The decluttering – As I thought about my adventure and what I needed to take with me, I realised how many possessions I had accumulated. I'm no hoarder by any means but I am a sucker for outdoor related paraphernalia! In particular, my canoe which had essentially become a bug hotel. Feeling mildly guilty about the bugs, I accepted that the canoe had to go - along with everything else that was no longer serving me. The decluttering process was exciting and cathartic, both physically and mentally. It was also productive as I ended up funding my adventure through it! A good physical and mental declutter is a great opportunity to look at life through a different lens, which is an essential part of development.

The practice – As part of my research and preparation, I undertook a (much shorter!) practice walk with a friend, the Coast to Coast, East to West. There were so many lessons learnt on this journey, and the arrival of COVID-19 gave me plenty of time to think and plan even further. As lockdown restrictions eased across the country, more than ever I felt the need to be outdoors, in natural environments away from crowds of people. The time to walk had come...

#finding_yourfeet #johnogroatstolandsend