Hey there 👋🏼
Jake here. Welcome to the Working Order podcast, where I share my conversation with the athlete from last week.
Shall we?
Introduction
If you didn’t read my story from last week, you can check it out here. Before we dive in, it’s best if you have some context of what we’re talking about today.
There's an iconic scene in The Hobbit where Bilbo decides at the last minute to join 13 dwarves on their quest to retake their homeland.
Bilbo frantically gathers his belongings and sprints out the door. He jumps over fences and cuts through fields in a dash to catch up with the rest of his company.
Just before he leaves the Shire, a fellow hobbit shouts, "Mr. Bilbo, where are you going?" As the music crescendos, Bilbo responds, "I'm going on an adventure!"
It's a beautiful scene because it encapsulates a basic human truth: we crave the wild and unexplored. Whether it's investigating an imaginary world as a kid or watching the latest mountaineering documentary, we yearn for adventure.
Fortunately, protecting Middle Earth isn't a prerequisite for adventure. There are still untamed places in this world brimming with possibilities. Take New Zealand, for example.
Backpacking, or tramping as the locals call it, is essential to New Zealand culture. Thanks to an extensive hut network, backcountry hiking is accessible for all ages and levels.
Alice Milne, our guest today, grew up tramping and skiing in the deep south of New Zealand. Now, she writes a popular blog on all her tramping experiences, hoping others will embark on their own adventures.
We talked about
Tramping in New Zealand, the benefits of getting outside and into the wild.
How tramping builds confidence and why this confidence helps in all areas of life.
How to prepare physically and mentally for a backcountry hike.
Why Alice brings her family on all her adventures.
Links and resources
Key takeaways
1. Adventure is closer than you think.
Everyone has at least one adventure in them, but not everyone seizes the opportunity when it arises. If you keep telling yourself you can’t do it because of X,Y, or Z, you reinforce the false belief that your adventure is beyond your reach. In reality, it’s but a stone’s throw. Find a challenge. Sign up. Start training.
2. Take your fitness outside
Don’t confine your fitness to the gym. Unless you’re a bodybuilder, powerlifter, or Olympic lifter, the gym should not be the end-all-be-all. It’s a tool that helps you use your fitness in new, creative, and challenging ways.
3. You don’t need to go to New Zealand
You don’t have to go to New Zealand to find adventure. Take a different route. Turn left instead of right. Drive to a new trailhead. Adventure is everywhere, but it won’t come to you. You must seek it out.
We’re done here
And that’s a wrap, folks. A massive thank you to Alice for taking the time to chat with me. Whenever I speak with a Kiwi, I get more excited to visit New Zealand. Before you go, take a few minutes to check out Alice’s blog. Even if you’re not in New Zealand, she provides loads of valuable information on backcountry hiking.
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