‘Next time, my fears won’t hold me back’
Melanie Moss-Burton was terrified by the thought of solo walking. But when the #walk1000miles community helped her summon up the courage to tackle a local trail on her own, it left her feeling empowered. ‘I never go anywhere on my own. Solo walking is definitely out of my comfort zone. The thought of walking a specific trail or going to a place I don’t know on my own fills my stomach with butterflies. What would happen if I got lost or needed help? Would I look like a lonely person?
‘I’ve gone past the start of the fivemile Wivenhoe Trail (in Essex) on the train many times. It looks so pretty and it made me want to walk there every time I saw it. I asked everyone I knew if they’d come with me, but people have busy lives. However, the trail was calling my name, so I made a decision to walk it on my own. I wanted to make myself do something that’s hard for me, to challenge myself and grow.
‘I planned to walk it on my next day
‘When I’d finished, I did wonder why I hadn't done it sooner, as it hadn't been a problem walking on my own at all. ’
off work. However, I got nervous and changed my mind at the last minute. I felt disappointed in myself for this, like I was a failure.
‘But I still really wanted to do the trail, and went back the following week. As soon as I started I had no worries at all. All negative thoughts left my head. Even when I went the wrong way at the beginning, I just turned around and thought, ‘okay, that’s a few more steps onto the total!’.
‘When I’d finished, I did wonder why I hadn’t done it sooner, as it hadn’t been a problem walking on my own at all.
I felt I’d accomplished something.
I’d been brave and got over my fears. It’s something that won’t hold me back again – if I want to walk somewhere new on my own, I’m just going to do it.
‘Walking keeps me clear headed. It blows away the cobwebs and it’s great to achieve new personal challenges that I wouldn’t have achieved before starting the challenge. I love the #walk1000miles community – I think it’s the nicest, kindest and most inspiring group on Facebook. The other people in the group and the stories in the magazine have inspired me to do new things, see different places and look for things I wouldn’t normally notice.’