I still can’t quite get my head around the fact that people feel inspired by the things I do.
I am no expert. I get outdoors because I love it, because it’s where I feel safe and it’s one of the very few places my head lets me breathe.
I started getting back into hiking during lockdown. My ex had moved out, I was only working half a day a week because of Covid, I couldn’t go visit friends and family and was therefore forced to be on my own for the first time in my life.
I jumped straight into it, thinking I knew what I was doing when really, I didn’t have a clue. I had a very disastrous first ‘proper hike’ which resulted in an injury, running out of water, my phone battery dying and me ultimately feeling very sorry for myself. Thankfully, I didn’t let this stop me. I learnt from my mistakes, slowly started to invest in better kit and did more research.
I started to immerse myself in the outdoors. I watched films and documentaries, followed peoples adventures on instagram and slowly became friends with the people I’d admired from a far for so long…the people that had inspired me. That feeling of belonging to a community, full of the most incredible, supportive humans, has been one of the best things to ever to have happened to me.
People in the outdoors community (ok not all, but the majority) are some of the most genuine, supportive and inspirational people I’ve met. Thanks to instagram and facebook groups, I’ve had the opportunity to go on adventures with so many people who I most likely would have never spoken to or crossed paths with in ‘normal’ life. Walking and talking is the best kind of therapy and I feel I open up so much in these kinds of situations, I think because I just feel so comfortable and at home.
When people message me telling me that I’ve inspired them to get out and go for a hike or a swim, my first reaction is that they’ve got the wrong person. I’m just me, trying to clear my own head by getting outdoors, I struggle to comprehend that me sharing those experiences can positively impact others. Even when I am aware of the fact that hearing others stories and seeing their adventures inspires me, when it’s the other way around it just seems silly.
I’ve recently been to several events to watch some incredible short films about adventures of people all over the world. One such event was the Sidetracked Creator’s Tour in which was held at the beautiful Kudvah in Cornwall. At the event, we watched Anna Blackwell’s short film ‘Refuge’ about her Arctic Adventure. Anna is someone who I have followed on Instagram for a while and I am in awe of her solo adventures. It was an amazing experience to be able to speak to her in person and find out more about her full time adventuring. I then start comparing myself and feel that it should be people like Anna that these people should be contacting, not little old me.
But then I stop and think about all of the other incredible women who have inspired me to keep adventuring and get to where I am today, the women I am so proud to call my friends. A mix of day and month long trips, doorstep hikes of world wide, balancing jobs, families and adventures. It’s not about where they go or how long they are there for, it’s about their attitude to life that is so inspiring.
People like Luci who has created a wonderful balance between work and exploring in a way which suits her and allows her to go on the most incredible trips across the world in her self converted van. Or Kate, who works full time but is constantly pushing for awareness around Lupus, mental health, the environment and so much more. I could go on and on about the extraordinary, ‘everyday’ women who inspire me daily.
For those who have reached out to me over the past few years and told me how I’ve inspired them or helped them in some way, thank you. It seems those journey’s of self discovery can be infectious and are most definitely worth sharing.
Lisa Outdoors 