Don’t worry mum, I havn’t bought a fast car.

A summarised timeline of Rob goes something like this: ‘be born, enjoy steam engines, go to school, do a load of skating, do a ton of bike racing, have a long term relationship, and get settled into the same job for 5 years’. This timeline took an abrupt turn last year in when I said goodbye to the 5-year job and the 6-year relationship. It was all a bit of a rollercoaster and took a lot out of me through stress, but I’ve since found myself enjoying some renewed independence and sense of self which had gone a bit adrift somewhere along the way.

At some point several months ago I was chatting with a friend about how we would spend our time if we didn’t have to go to work every day, I said I would spend a large amount of time walking in beautiful places and riding my bike. Long story short, I’ve managed to get enough cash together that I’m confident I can survive for four or five months without working, and am giving myself the summer off. I never took a gap year, didn’t go to university, and have been working since leaving school. Right now I don’t have any significant ties or responsibilities, so it feels like the opportune moment to spend the summer really living and taking time to enjoy myself and get some head space to reflect on where I’d like to aim myself in future.

Rather than take one long trip I’ve decided to break this time up into a few chunks, taking on a few challenges solo and also spending good time with friends and family in the most beautiful parts of the UK, the broad plan is as follows:

June: Spend a week exploring the Highlands of Scotland with Gabe, before dropping him on a train home and walking the 100 miles from Glasgow to Fort William along the West Highland way, wild camping and testing my legs and equipment as part of my preparation for September’s challenge. After this, I plan to visit a few friends and family in the north before heading back home for a couple of days, after which I will head down to Cornwall with my cousin Sofie and walk the St Ives to Penzance section of the southwest coast path. She has promised me there will be plenty of ice cream, and I will put less chilli in the noodles this time.

July: The first week of July I will spend in Bristol riding bikes, spending time with friends, and enjoying some summer in the city. After this I’m heading to Paris to visit Dave. I’ll have a few days to pedal about checking out the city on my own terms before we hop on a train to Cévennes for a bit of hiking, camping and solitude. The Cévennes National Park is one of the places with the least light pollution in France. It has also obtained the title of largest starry sky reserve in Europe . Dave is a cycle courier in Paris and will no doubt be glad of the time out of the big city!

August: At the beginning of August I will be cycling broadly from Bristol towards Scotland with Andrew, Sam, and Ayoob. We’d initially discussed a Lands End – John O Groats ride, but came to the conclusion that this was more of a box-ticking exercise than a necessary challenge and that we would rather spend the time and mileage meandering around some less widely travelled areas. We’re hoping to catch some of the UCI World Cup action somewhere in Scotland, and there is some talk of spending a night in a spa hotel in the Lakes. Fancy. I’m glad to be getting a big chunk of bike time in amidst a summer involving a lot of walking!

September: As mentioned earlier I will be walking from Glasgow to Fort William in June, and in September I plan to carry on north from Fort William in an attempt to tackle the Cape Wrath trail, which is an unofficial, unmarked, and remote route from Fort William to Cape Wrath, the most north-westerly point of Scotland. This is around 230 miles and should take roughly three weeks. I have nothing I need to get back for and can afford to take my time if required. I’m under no illusions that this is going to be significantly challenging and I may not make it, but I’m committed to having a good crack. It’s a long time since I’ve really pushed my limits, and I feel like this is a great way to get out of my comfort zone, experience some wild and beautiful places, and get very very boggy feet. I’ve got an exceptionally nerdy spreadsheet together to calculate my pack weight and have already begun thinking long and hard about what I will and won’t be taking with me. I may share some of this nearer the time.

So there we have it, my midlife crisis summer of funemployment. It feels slightly terrifying that in almost exactly one month I’m going to have no job and not much of an idea what I’m going to do when I get back, I certainly wasn’t expecting to be in this position not long before turning 30, but I already feel quite proud of myself for having the realisation that taking a bit of time out is something which I am absolutely capable and deserving of doing, and I’m hopeful that employment opportunities will present themselves when the time comes. Until then, time to get out there and have some great times!

I will update the blog as I go and hopefully have some entertaining stories to share. I also currently have a couple of weeks at the end of August with which to relax and recover before heading for Cape Wrath, so I’m all ears for any suggestions of chill and low-cost getaways!

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