March 2nd 2020: Move out of London Flat
It turns out after 3 and a bit years of living in the same flat you accumulate a lot of ‘stuff’. With a minimal year ahead of us, it was the charity shop’s lucky day but the whole process of choosing what to keep was surprisingly satisfying.
Lesson 1
Every now and then review your ‘stuff’ if you have not worn it, used it, wondered where it is in the past 2 years, you don’t need it in your life. Donate it to someone who does.
March 5th 2020: The US Border
We arrived at LAX, went to the passport machines to register our arrival and then got separated into 2 different queues to see the border police. Tom was through in 20 minutes, I queued for well over an hour and then got grilled because; border control’s first impression of a single woman, travelling on her own to embark on what most people would consider a pretty ludicrous journey was very suspicious.
Lesson 2
It seems despite equality being a hot topic over the last couple of years, and it has been recognised over and over that women are just as independent, strong and capable as men, when entering the US, go through the process with a male if one is available this will prevent you from having to waste the minimal energy you have left after a 10 hour transatlantic fight, justifying your existence to a sexist *****.
March 5th – 16th 2020: California
We stayed with Richard and his partner Patsi for our first 10 days in the USA, we were prepping for the hike but also spending time with them, getting involved in their day to day, and embracing the California culture. We also got to spend some quality time with Tom’s sister and her fabulous family as well.
Lesson 3
If you have family that live abroad and you think that you know & understand them from afar you don’t. Just like in nature the only way to get to know someone truly is to explore their habitat, understand their environment and the experience first hand the challenges that they face every day. If you ever get the chance to do this you must, there is no better way to connect.
Lesson 4
The idea of driving a manual car from the passenger seat on the wrong side of the road is terrifying. In reality it’s not, have faith, your perceived conscious incompetence may actually be unconscious competence.
Lesson 5
In California, it’s perfectly acceptable to go for a run around the block, get in the car for a drive through Starbucks, bring it home to enjoy and then go back out again for lunch at In-N-Out Burger. Embrace, Embody, Enjoy
March 17th – 20th 2020: The PCT
We set off on our 6 month thru hike to Canada, and as you all know this only lasted 4 days, however when I sat and thought about it I did learn quite a lot. Here’s a quick round up of what I learnt from spending not quite 4 days on the Pacific Crest Trail;
Lesson 6
Don’t have a spicy Thai Curry the night before you leave for the trail, hopefully no further explanation is required.
Lesson 7
There is no such thing as a waterproof glove, but 2 pairs of wet gloves are still warmer than no gloves at all.
Lesson 8
1 baby wipe has 2 sides, can be split in half and should be prioritised for the 3 F’s. Face, Feet, Fanny.
Lesson 9
It does not matter how cold, wet or snowy the weather, when you have got to go, you have got to go. For now at least I will never know if it will get any worse than being on your period, digging through 6 inches of snow and trying to squat with all your layers on.
Lesson 10
To increase chances of staying married, when wearing the aforementioned 2 pairs of gloves make sure they are out of shot when taking rare photo of husband. It helps if the horizon is level too.
Lesson 11
Make all the snacks accessible from the start of the day and come to think of it all through the night as well. It’s perfectly acceptable to snack trail mix at 04:00 because you are too hungry to sleep.
Lesson 12
Looks can be deceiving, even if you pack a wet tent away it will still keep you dry once it’s back up.
Lesson 13
Your toothbrush can be too small and the state of your hair is the least of your worries, but do think twice about shaving an undercut in your in-laws bathroom, I am not convinced it was worth the mess.
Lesson 14
Spending 10 minutes filming a Gopher digging a hole could be the highlight of your day.
Lesson 15
Reading fun messages in the sand and writing them back in the snow really does bring a smile to your face.
21st – 31st March 2020: Love, Laughter & Respect
We spent the first few days off trail in denial, angry and bitterly disappointed, but time provides us with the ability to learn more and understand that the world we are so desperate to explore needs us to respect its state at this point in time. It helps us put our situation into perspective and support those who need and love us the most through positivity and laughter.
Lesson 16
You don’t realise how much a hug means until you are not allowed to dish them out freely.
Lesson 17
With time on our hands, a GoPro & limited access to a pool comes creativity.
Lesson 18
Don’t look up to your parents in a completely alien situation thinking they will have dealt with it in a mature and sensible way.
Lesson 19
Being told by the PM that you can only part take in one form of outdoor exercise per day has resulted in me running every day and attempting to recreate my HIIT class before re-entering the house. A regime that up until now has only got as far being planned out across January in a new diary as part of a well intended new year’s resolution.
Lesson 20
In a time where everyone is living by the same rules, no one is certain about the present or can predict the future society is more equal than it has ever been before. This level playing field has provided me with the most honest, emotional and laughter filled conversations with my nearest and dearest; something I hope will continue when Covid-19 is in the history books.