Taking on the Challenge Walking the Pennine Way for Mind….

Hello lovely people.

 

This is not your usual escort blog post, but then again I am not your typical escort either…

I have taken on the challenge to walk the Pennine Way for Mind, taking 3 weeks in August to set about this challenge.  I will be walking just under 270 miles, maybe more depending how many times I get lost. I am doing this alone and self navigating, using map and GPS.  Walking through some of the most remote parts of the UK including the Peak District, Yorkshire Dales and Northumberland National Park.  This really is a huge challenge or me, bit it is not just about me it is about raising some money for Mind a charity very close to my heart. Given the recent 18 months there has been a huge increase in individuals suffering from mental health.  If you add to this that the Government have been underfunding mental health and the NHS for years and pulled all the funding for basic treatment to advanced therapies such as schema therapy late 2019.  I will share with you that had it not been for them advanced therapies being available on the NHS I would have a family member that would not be here today. It saddens me and scares me that this funding has been cut in a time when it is going to be needed the most, coming out of this pandemic.  I am sure most of you out there have been touched or know someone touched with mental health challenges.  Well this walk is for them and helping mind continue to do the good work it does that should be done within the health system.

To be honest with you and between you me and the next walking stile I am terrified.  Nervous and excited but non the less terrified.  I know the body is capable, but it is the mind that is running away with itself coming up with thoughts.  I will share some of these with you as I know that this nervous excitement chatter is what some people go through when they visit me. Have I committed to too much? What if I let myself down and everyone else down? Am I fit enough? What happens if it rains all the time? What happens if it is too hot? What if my boots randomly fall apart halfway through? Am I good enough? What if I get lost? What if I cannot walk anymore? What if I get blisters?

Now you don’t need to tell me, I know these thoughts are ridiculous, imagine if I acted on them I would never have the courage to face the challenge, so the essence is just to notice them and not take action on them, and be in the moment and if anything happens which no doubt it will deal with it at the time.  The noticing is about recognising how these thoughts would stop me if I listened to them the voice of the inner critic and self-doubt are very powerful. The courage is seeing past the tricks my mind plays on me and listen to my body instead.  I have done a lot of work on the inner critic as part of my shadow integration course which I have been doing to say it has blown my mind is untrue. I have gone from making excuses such as I cannot go to the Cheviots today as I don’t know where to park, to getting lost up the second highest hill in the Cheviots to walking on my own half way across the UK.  Its noticing how our inner internalised narrative can control our lives and that is not freedom so breaking free to push the boundaries way out of my comfort zone now that is the road to freedom.  

So back to the walk I am looking forward to the challenge, I am looking forward to whatever it throws at me and I am looking forward to the surrendering to the adventure and just being in the experience, developing my resilience and facing my resistances.  So as much as I am terrified, I am also excited.  I know I will come out of this a better more developed person than when I went into it, that is the essence of an experience.

About the walk itself, I will be walking un-supported from Edale to Kirk Yetholm in the Scottish borders, over challenging high-level terrain, walking along the back of the Pennines.  I chose the Pennine way as I have always felt connected to the Pennines being brought up in Yorkshire, they form an important part of who I am and where I grew up.  Looking at the overview of the walk most days are about 15 – 18 miles and take between 7 and 8 hours. It takes in Cross Fell the highest hill in the Pennines, Pen-y-geny, Cauldron Snout Waterfalls, the highest waterfalls in England and Hadrians Wall and of course the Cheviots an area I love, to name a few. There will also be some long lonely days walking across bleak moors and peat bogs.. I will be carrying a state-of-the-art GPS system and satellite communication so I have the peace of mind that if anything goes wrong, I can communicate with my designated support and call the emergency services.  I also have the right kit for this don’t worry I won’t be walking in my high heels and lingerie... Although that would be quite a sight lol.

So here I am in a moment of madness following a conversation with someone who said we should the Pennine Way, and a few friends and family telling me to just do it…

If you would like to follow me on this walk please drop me a message and I will give you my Instagram page for the walk as I won’t be tweeting the majority of it, although I will be doing the odd tweet but the whole walk and videos will be on an Instagram page specially set up for this.  

If you would like to donate to mind it would be much appreciated, and I have enclosed a link below. 

https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/KristinaJ

Here’s to the challenge… Its not the destination its the journey…

Kristina J Huddersfield Escort