The time has come for the Great Outdoors to take the focus in my daily life.

As a child I spent an incredible amount outside, playing out with friends that lived on my street, playing at the park with my sister, and heading to nearby beaches at the weekend. I also used to walk to and from school every day - something that I don’t think as many children probably do nowadays. Throughout the past couple of years, as a more time-poor adult, I found myself driving everywhere so that I could fit more tasks and appointments in, flopping onto the sofa in the evenings and at weekends because my mind and body were so unmotivated from being sat down all day at work or in the car, and feeling too tired and lethargic to get out and about because “I don’t have the energy to”.

In May 2018, I rather spontaneously decided to head out of a walk around the Tintwhistle area after dropping my boyfriend off at a football match nearby - and that is where the change in my mindset began.
I walked for around 5 hours that day on an 15km route I found on the internet the night before, soaked in all of the glorious views around me, ate a picnic by a Waterfall I found, and got a glorious tan. Despite being a little achy and tired the next day from walking so much further than I was used to - my mind felt a million times more revitalised. I had an energy and motivation that I hadn’t had in a long time, and I 100% put it down to peace and quietness I had while walking through the Peak District. I then looked back to every other time that I have spent a longer period of time outside than I usually would day to day, and I recognised that same feeling of revitalisation and contentness in each memory of those times. And that is what I want to capitalise on in 2019.

Being outside makes me feel more content and happy in myself, and I want to feel that all the time. I want to use it as the basis for exercising, and being healthier, and also getting out there and seeing more of the gorgeous world that we live in. I want to spend more time experiencing, and less time ‘Netflix-and-chilling’ - see things for real instead of on a screen. And I want to inspire others to also get outside more and do the same.

I’m going to be documenting my journey to spending time in the Great Outdoors on here, and also sharing photos and day-to-day goings on, on my Instagram page, @the.outsideproject and my Twitter handle @theoutsideproj - please follow along and let me know if it’s something that you’re also interested in joining me on.

And if you ever need anyone to pop out for a walk with, or dig around at an allotment, or go on adventure with - I’ll always be there to join you.