Insights and Hacks from an English Hiking Adventure

My sister Elizabeth and I just returned from a wonderful guided hiking trip in Northumberland and the Lake District, in partnership with Wilderness England.

We hiked to various summits, we visited museums and gardens, we walked around cities and towns, we marveled at historic castles, we stood at Hadrian’s Wall, we took a ferry across a lake. So many terrific adventures.

Before we left, we read books to help us get in the spirit of our trip—books such as You Are Here, The Shepherd’s Life, and The Hollow Land.

If you want to hear live updates we recorded every day, you can listen here.

Also, along the way, we took notes of insights and hacks that we learned. If you want to hear us talk about these ideas, you can listen to episode 493 of the Happier with Gretchen Rubin podcast.

Insights we gained:Just a few days away from our usual routines is enough to feel like we’ve had a refreshing adventureTaking a vacation really does invigorate the mind and help us generate creative ideasWhen we articulate a dream, we’re more likely to spot a way to achieve that dream“Loose ties” are very valuable, because those people bring us new informationThe quiz for the Four Tendencies personality framework is a fun icebreakerHacks we learned (sometimes the hard way):Wear a bandana; they come in handy in many waysHit the down-volume button on your phone to take a photoWear layersCheck your pockets every night as you put away your layersIf you love a giant cup of coffee or tea, pack a travel mugReally make sure your hiking boots fitTo prevent blisters, try Body Glide Foot Glide and KT Blister Prevention TapeTo prevent blisters or chafing, try Neat 3 B Body Saver anti-chafe and sweat rash creamFollow the recommended-gear listTake photos of place names, restaurants, hotels, or shops, if you think you might forgetDon’t get careless as you near the end of a hike; that’s when people get hurtPack a travel laundry packet so you can wash items overnightRemember that YouTube is a terrific resource for information; I was very happy I’d watched video about how to lace on hiking bootsWhen you’re packing a day pack, don’t pack up the night before, because in the morning, you won’t be sure if you put in X or Y. Instead, the night before, lay out everything next to the pack, and in the morning, pack them inFive-senses portrait of our trip:

To help us remember all our experiences during our sisterly adventure, on our last evening together, we created a five-senses portrait:

Seeing

Hadrian’s Wall—something Gretchen has wanted to see ever since reading The Eagle of the Ninth  and Memoirs of Hadrian Dangerous plants growing in cages in the Poison Garden by the Alnwick CastleFields of purple heather growing on hilltopsThe shadows of clouds passing over Buttermere LakeOur guide Jeremy running up the stairs carrying both our heavy suitcases at once.

Hearing

The baaaaaa of sheepTyphoon fighter jets roaring overhead as they practiced maneuversThe scrunching of rain pants and rain jacketsOur guide Jeremy’s New Zealand accent as he told us about the historical sites we visitedThe sloshing of water in our water bottles in our daypacks

Smelling

Fresh cool morning airVarious sunscreens as people applied more after a few hours of hikingMorning coffee and teaThe distinct smell of the Euston train station in LondonThe sharp smell of vinegar on fish and chips 

Tasting

Elizabeth’s fish and chips and scone—two foods she vowed to eat on the tripVery sweet, minty taste of Kendal’s Mint Cake on the summit of Cat BellsSticky toffee pudding—absolutely deliciousPerfect lattes in a roadside cafe as we approached the Lake DistrictThe Salted Caramel Rum Liqueur that we drank to toast the end of our last day together—we each took one shot

Touching

Springy moss covering rocks and stone wallsWeight of hiking boots and unaccustomed tightness around the anklesThe light, carefree feeling of changing from hiking boots into running shoesVelvety lamb’s ear leaf in the walled garden near Lindisfarne Castle (one of Gretchen’s favorite textures)The pressure of the brim of a sunhat against the forehead and the strap under the chin 

Here’s the quotation we mention:

The fleeting hour of life of those who love the hills is quickly spent, but the hills are eternal. Always there will be the lonely ridge, the dancing beck, the silent forest; always there will be the exhilaration of the summits. These are for the seeking, and those who seek and find while there is still time will be blessed both in mind and body. —Alfred Wainwright,  A Pictorial Guide To The Lakeland Fells: The Western Fells 

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