MAGIC HAPPENS WHEN WOMEN GET TOGETHER FOR ADVENTURES

                                                

Recently I had the privilege of joining around forty women in the Peak District to have our own solo van adventures.

The Amazing woman ,Hollie Londors, made it all happen. She has formed a group called @these-girlsvan to help and support women who are fearful of venturing out alone in their vans, for their own adventures. Many of them busy mums.

So Hollie organises get togethers. I asked if I could join them on one in the Peak District, to see what it was all about. 

I first met Hollie when we were both talking at the Motorhome show at the NEC earlier this year.  We have spoken since at several other shows. I instantly fell in love with her enthusiasm for life and adventure. She is an awesome young woman who wants to help other women get the best out of life and face their fears. She has so much positive energy and enthusiasm for what she is doing, it just comes across. Likewise she was impressed with me choosing my life in the motorhome after retiring. So much of our ideals about solo female van life overlap. I am a great believer in old and young mixing together to have adventures.

The women who arrived at the campsite near Hope and Castletown in the Peak District, don't want to do full time in their vans but they want the excitement of planning their own adventures, as well as having the luxury of some "me time" which often eludes them in their busy day to day life. 

It was not long before we were all popping to see each others vans to check out what fixtures and fittings they had that we did not have. The vans were all shapes and sizes and I loved how cute some of them were. I had my little notebook handy and made a note to get some magnetic hooks, an outside carpet and some stained glass window covering for my toilet window, you can apparently get it at Wilko for a steal. I also want to get some bright materials and make my own little curtains, to pimp Dora the Explora up a bit.

The first evening we all met up in a field across a little river, adjacent to the campsite and sat around a few campfires talking, laughing and getting to know each others stories. Some of the ladies had been to these gatherings before in other parts of the country. Others, like me, were first timers. It was incredible just how quickly we felt part of the group. I am very pleased to say that lots of the women had read my book RETIREMENT REBEL and they loved it and had recommended it to other people to read. One lovely lady called Laura, hugged me because she was so pleased to meet me. She said the reason she had signed up to the meetup was because my book inspired her. That made me feel incredibly happy. Another lady, ,Sara, had heard one of my zoom talks during the lockdown. At the time she was undergoing chemo. She told me she intended to get a van when she was better and have her own adventures. I felt very emotional seeing her standing there infront of me looking the picture of health and so happy that she had her van.

The sunset, most of the group stayed until well after midnight. Excitedly swapping stories about places they had been to in their vans, or places they had on their wish lists to visit. Once again my trusted notebook came out and I wrote down the places that interested me or the names of apps people used. The ladies thought it was funny that I kept writing things in my little book. 

I put it away in my rucksack, but it was not long before it made an appearance again, greeted with a cheer and laughter from the group, so that I could write down the recommended books that they were eagerly telling each other to read. I love my notebook. I put all kinds of things in it, when ideas pop into my head, even during the night. If I awake and think of something to do, or a random idea for something, I reach for the notebook to scribble it down. Eventually when someone said something of interest to the group, people would call out for me to "put it down in my notebook"

The next morning Laura and Sara came to my motorhome and I made us a brew and we had breakfast and chatted. 

We all gathered to walk to Castletown, about two and a half miles away, across some beautiful fields. 

It was a scorching day,  some decided they did not want to go on a longer hike. They went to the pub for lunch and then headed back to the site. Others in the group took an open bus top tour around parts of the Peak District. Around ten of us decided that we wanted to do a more strenuous hike. Despite having recently done a map reading course, I was happy to relinquish control to those that knew the area and the walk well.     

                                                     

I just concentrated on getting up the hills in the boiling conditions. There was not a cloud in the sky and it was about 21celcius. We made our way up the very steep Winnats Pass. All encouraging each other and stopping to rest in the shade when we could. It was well worth the exertion for the views we were treated to at the top. It was great to look down and see just how far we had come and just how steep it was. We headed back down cave dale, managing to get a bit lost at one point. We had to scramble down a very steep hill, and straddle a stone wall, underneath barbed wire to get back on the right track. It all added to the excitement of the walk and getting back to Hope in one piece. We covered 13.2k which in that heat was no mean feat. The love and support between everyone was so lovely to see. 

later on we gathered around campfires again in the field. This time everyone brought a variety of food. Hollie and her friend Amy from @van_life_family arranged the offerings on a couple of tables, then everyone just helped themselves, there was plenty of food to go around.

For a hard core group it was a late night but I went to bed before midnight. I was shattered after the long hike in the sunshine. It had been a thoroughly enjoyable day with an amazing bunch of people. I could not stop smiling.

If you are wanting to experience the freedom of the road, travel and adventure but you are too afraid to venture out alone ..why not take the first step and join these girls van?

After spending time with the amazing group of women I highly recommend you give the group a go .You will make new friends and have new experiences. Everyone will help you to build your confidence. I know for some first timers the weekend was a life changing experience. They had faced a fear and realised that they actually enjoyed it. T
hey cannot wait to head off again in their vans to see what more they can do.

Thank you Hollie for having such a big heart and creating a safe place for solo female travellers and solo female adventurers.