I lived an Instagram reel life long before they were even a thing. You know the reel I mean. The one where the person walks up a hill and then the view is a gorgeous valley at the top or the climb over a sand dune to an empty beach or through a forest of trees…all accompanied by a perfect soundtrack and some words of wisdom. That was my childhood and how I grew up, only instead of reels - they are memories frozen in time. All of them left their mark on my behaviour as an adult.
When I think about my childhood, I think about the summers. My mom always filled the car with sandwiches, fruit and water and we set off on adventures. We would spend whole days at the beach making sandcastles and swimming. We climbed up the hill at Chimney Corner to watch the sunset. We walked the Skyline Trail more times than I can even count. We went around the Cabot Trail and had picnics on Ingonish beach. We had a lobster boil on Inverness beach once! We went bike riding…the freedom that brought once I was 14 and allowed to cycle over to the river and meet my friends by myself! We camped and had bonfires. We laid under the stars and worked out what weather was coming next according to some old farmers tales. The summer meant a full day outside from sunrise to sunset.
The winter was not much different; winter just meant more layers of clothes to stay out for longer hours. I had skis and I would go out on cross country efforts across the fields and down skidoo trails. Dad would always tie the GTs to the back and take us over the fields over every bump and snow drift. There were more hours spent on sledding down Uncle Donald’s hill than I can even remember. Cold weather and rosy cheeks just meant hot chocolate and comfy sweaters!
Indeed most of my childhood memories were spent outside.
Perhaps after such a long break with the outdoors (university life and general adulting) is why I always seem to be off roaming somewhere every chance I get, now. I moved to England in 2006 to become a teacher and after finally settling in and seeing all the attractions, I have returned to my routes and walk relentlessly. I would like to think that what I share with the world on my Instagram is worthy of the great outdoors but the view that I have in person and the one I share does not reflect the emotion. There are no words to be able to describe what it feels like to reach the top of a mountain after climbing it for three hours. Or what it is like to hang on to the side of a rock after scrambling slightly higher than you should without ropes. I have also learned that even though everyone thinks England is really wet…it’s not anywhere near as wet as you think! Plus…it’s only rain which is what wellies are for! Peaks and views I can suggest are at the top of Old Man Coniston or Great Gable or Carnedd Llywelyn. The Coastal Path along the shores of Cornwall provide an endless amount of cliff views and beaches. Scrambling is possibly one of my favourite things to do and usually I scare myself (and avoid telling my mother just how dangerous it was). Somehow hauling myself over a rock with a 30m drop or sliding my feet along a ledge with a view of 300m below me is exhilarating. Even when I’m on holiday I’m walking - recently I spent three days in the mountains of Mallorca.
I do not write these things to reminisce or brag but to point out that my connection with the outdoors is potentially my greatest healer. Sometimes life can be a challenge and without explaining or detail…I can say that climbing mountains saved me and brought me back to life. The sense of freedom and accomplishment that you feel when you reach that trig point at the top of a mountain or overcome a massive cliff or finish a 10 mile walk. There is not one other thing that I do in my life that gives me the same sense of peace. The outdoors is a space where I can breathe, live and be at peace with myself. My mom taught me that being outside was the best place to be and my life now reflects exactly that. I have a ridiculous number of hiking shoes, mittens, hats, base layers, jackets, leggings, hiking socks…I love an outdoor store.
Looking through my Instagram, you will find that it does not hold an endless amount of reels or perfect soundtracks but that is because I am out there living. I am breathing in the air, getting blisters on my feet and collecting my memories. Just get out there as much as is humanly possible!
Written by: Cheryl MacLennan