Solo Long-Distance Walking In England With Holly Worton

“Man’s real home is not a house, but the Road, and life itself is a journey to be walked on foot.” Bruce Chatwin Walking for a longer-distance can bring clarity of mind, a reconnection with nature, and a sense of well-being that does not emerge with a short stroll. It takes time to settle into your physical body, and walking an ancient path can help take you into that deeper state. In this episode, I discuss our mutual love of long-distance walking with Holly Worton. Holly Worton is the author of 17 nonfiction and self-help books around business mindset and personal growth, as well as long-distance walking and the wisdom of nature. She’s also the host of the Into The Woods Podcast. Show notes * How long walks help us disconnect from our wired world * Planning and navigating the South Downs Way * Bucket list long walks * Tips for avoiding hiking mistakes * Preparing for all kinds of weather * Dealing with fears and having the right mindset * The restorative powers of nature * Recommended books about walking You can find Holly Worton at HollyWorton.com Header photo by Cat Bassano on Unsplash Transcript of the interview Joanna: Holly Worton is the author of 17 nonfiction and self-help books around business mindset and personal growth, as well as long-distance walking and the wisdom of nature. She’s also the host of the Into The Woods Podcast. Welcome, Holly. Holly: Thank you for having me. Joanna: It’s great to talk to you. Tell us a bit more about your travel background as you have lived and worked all over the world. Holly: Yes, I have. I’ve lived more than I’ve traveled, because I went to these countries and lived there for many years, but didn’t necessarily travel that much. I grew up in California, had never been outside the United States until I was 21 years old and I went to study abroad in Spain. And that was when I went, ‘Oh, my goodness, there’s this whole world out there.’ It’s like I knew it was on the map, but I hadn’t experienced it. I fell in love with Spain and I just fell in love with… I’m getting chills as I tell you this, I just, I loved it. And when it was time to go back to California, I didn’t want to go. And I did because I had to finish school. And so I finished university and then between my undergrad and grad school, I went to Costa Rica and I taught English. Then I went back and then I studied abroad in Mexico when I was in grad school, and then quit grad school to move back to Mexico where I ended up living for a total of eight years. Then I moved to Argentina for five years and now I’ve been here in the U.K. for 10 years. Joanna: Wow, that’s kind of crazy. I love Spain as well. I feel such an affinity with Spain. Even though I’m English, obviously, I feel like the English culture is quite a long way from Spanish culture. Like Spain, the U.K. is quite different culturally. How do you find it here as someone who’s lived in Mexico and Argentina? Holly: I love it here. I had never been here before we moved here. We just sold everything and packed everything up and moved, as one does.