I was desperate to find someone to come hiking with me, too afraid of the unknown to go out into the wilderness alone. It would hold me back from doing a hike, leaving me frustrated that an opportunity was missed to do what I love.

One day, I finally built up the courage to go out and do a short walk alone. I still remember this exact hike. No backpack, no first aid kit, I didn’t tell anyone where I was going, not even a map or a plan as to what walk I was doing. I just knew I needed to be outside. In hindsight so much could have gone wrong on this day. I remember seeing the biggest kangaroo I’d ever seen in my life and running the entire way back to the car. Since this moment and many more questionable decisions, I’ve learnt from my mistakes and now feel complete at home me in the wild alone.

Read on at the WildEarth Blog