If there was one word to describe the realisation that I had been in an emotionally abusive relationship, that word would be shame. It would quickly be followed by the word weakness. How did I not realise I was in an emotionally abusive relationship? How weak was I to get into this sort of relationship … Continue reading Why I’m fundraising to tackle domestic abuse
Adventure
How to take a leap into the Great Unknown
“So, how are you feeling about your big sailing adventure?” That’s the question I’ve been getting as the countdown to the start date of the big sail around Great Britain gets closer – just nine sleeps now! And my answer? Excited but scared. Excited because of the challenge and the adventure and all the cool … Continue reading How to take a leap into the Great Unknown
My three big fears of sailing around Great Britain
Four months with my partner Mark on a small boat, sailing approximately 2,000 miles clockwise around the coast of Great Britain. Think wildlife, cute coves, spectacular sunrises and stunning sunsets, picture postcard views of the dramatic British coast, four months off work. What’s there to worry about? And this is where I take my rose-tinted … Continue reading My three big fears of sailing around Great Britain
Sailing round Great Britain route
It's getting real now! Under three weeks until my partner Mark and I set off sailing clockwise around Great Britain. This is a map of the tentative route but subject to change, depending on weather, tides, time. Putting it down on paper is when it starts to feel real. It's no longer up in your … Continue reading Sailing round Great Britain route
Adventure alert: I’m going to sail around Great Britain
I’ve spent no more than a handful of days in a sailing boat. I don’t know if I will get seasick. I forget my port from my starboard. And the toilet is a bucket with a toilet seat. Yet from May 1st 2022, this will be my life for four months onboard a 28 foot … Continue reading Adventure alert: I’m going to sail around Great Britain
Volcano number 24: The Munro volcano
It’s late September 2020. I’m in Scotland and I’m about to climb my first Munro – a Scottish mountain over 3,000 feet (914.4m), of which there are 282. It also happens to be a volcano and the UK’s highest mountain. Ben Nevis stands at a glorious 4,411 feet (1,345m) and is beautifully imposing. It is … Continue reading Volcano number 24: The Munro volcano
Volcano number 23: The private volcano
April 2020 was spent in a yellow motel room in the small tourist town Te Anau in New Zealand. That first Covid lockdown put paid to my #WalkNZ adventure – just seven days from the finish line in Bluff. Once things opened up in New Zealand, and the rest of the world was still on … Continue reading Volcano number 23: The private volcano
Learning to sail – the baptism-by-fire way
I can count on one hand the number of times I have been on a sailboat – and that’s with chopping two of my fingers off. I know nothing about boats. I can’t remember port from starboard, stern from bow, gybe from tact (opps I mean tack). I have no idea if I get seasick. … Continue reading Learning to sail – the baptism-by-fire way
Ten things I learnt walking Hadrian’s Wall Path
A couple of weeks ago, I trod the Hadrian’s Wall Path in northern England from the east coast to the west coast. All 135km (84 miles) of it, walked in six days, passing through two cities, Newcastle and Carlisle, and following sections of ancient wall that had been built some 2,000 years ago to keep … Continue reading Ten things I learnt walking Hadrian’s Wall Path
Days 66-70 of #WalkNZ part 2 – The Motatapu Track
Calves screamed. Lightening strips of pain burned up the back of my legs. My lungs were in meltdown trying to support my muscles that sucked up the scant oxygen in my blood, while my heart seemed to be in its death throes as it attempted to keep up with the relentless uphill movement of my … Continue reading Days 66-70 of #WalkNZ part 2 – The Motatapu Track