No quitters allowed!

For some reason I was sharing with my dad this story from my trip to Scotland earlier this year and it inspired a new blog post...

My first hill walk was in Falkland where Mr. Moreland took me up to Craigsmead car park via Maspie Den, then to Maiden's Fort and back to Falkland via the Bruce Monument. Thanks to an Instagram post with these details, I'm able to map out that walk for you. Anyway, it took us a good 4 hours to walk it -- probably take Ross less than half the time if I wasn't lagging behind! -- and by the end of it I was knackered! Pretty damn good experience though and at the end of the day I really enjoyed it. But that's where I learned that you should never trust a Scotsman when he says, "it's just up that wee hill" because that "wee" hill is more like a mountain for a city girl like me! Anyway, I managed to survive that and I also managed to come out alive after Old Man of Storr on the Isle of Skye. Not that I was all of a sudden an expert outdoors(wo)man after those two experiences, but since I was still in one piece I thought the Lomond Hills would be a breeze.

Maspie Den

I heart snow!

It was the day before I was flying out and Ross wanted to take me hill walking one more time before I left. So we went back to Falkland and geared up for a little walk up East Lomond (also known as Falkland Hill). Ross pointed out the hill and it didn't look like it would be too difficult so off we went. It started off quite flat and I enjoyed walking past the sheep chewing on the grass and admired the snow-covered Scottish landscape.

Just chillin'

East Lomond

We came across an old lime kiln and learned that the Lomond Hills are made up of limestone, sandstone, and volcanic rock. Some 150 years ago the limestone was quarried and the existing paths are the same ones the people back in the day used to transport the limestone. It was pretty cool walking down the paths and imagining exactly what used to go on there. It also offered some awesome photo ops!

The Lomond Hills are made up of limestone, sandstone & volcanic rock

Sharks in the hills?!

Old lime kiln

Sitting on top of an old lime kiln

My view from on top of the lime kiln

We continued on our walk and began our climb up the hill. As usual, it started off quite nice and flat but gradually became steeper -- as it would since it's a hill! -- but I didn't know just how steep it would get. The climb up to Storr wasn't even a match! Mind you, everything was covered in snow and parts in ice so it was proving to be a little more difficult for inexperienced little ol' me. If I remember correctly, we were around halfway up and I was already imagining my fall (roll?) all the way to the bottom. I'm usually okay with heights but this time I was actually scared -- I didn't know whether it would be easier to go back down or keep on going. However, when I looked down towards the flat land, I realised that I wouldn't even know where to begin descending apart from jumping and hoping for no broken bones. As usual, Mr. Adventure himself was making it look like gravity didn't exist. I admire his patience because at some parts he actually had to drag me up while reminding me that once we reached the top I'd get some nice hot tea and tea cakes! Food... yes, it kept me going!

Here we go!

The view below

Mr. Adventure Man has no fear

I can't remember how long it took us but we finally reached the summit and I had to give myself another pat on the back for surviving yet another wee Scottish hill -- all 424 meters (1,591 feet) of it! We found a little spot to sit on and admire the views below and beyond and, as promised, Ross made us some tea and whipped out the delicious tea cakes.

I made it!!!

And of course Ross did too!

Enjoying my well-deserved tea and tea cakes!

After a while I'd noticed a group of young kids -- they couldn't have been more than 8 or 9 years old -- coming up from the other side of the hill. Full of energy and bouncing around, didn't look like they even broke a sweat! I was thinking, "Damn! These Scottish people really are all about the outdoors." Anyway, we finished our snack, packed up, and got ready to head back to the car. I was already so tired from the climb that I'd momentarily forgotten that the walk down would probably exhaust my final bout of energy due to the steepness and nerves. But Ross said not to worry as the descent would be much easier. So off we went and I kept waiting for the land to steepen again, but as we continued on it just got flatter and flatter and before you know it we were back in the car park -- easy peasy! Ross had known about this easy way up/down East Lomond but of course didn't tell me about it! Could've saved me the exhaustion, moaning, and fear for my life. But who am I kidding?! He'd never take -- nor let me take -- the easy way out.

My rock! <3

Again, this is another awesome experience in beautiful Scotland and one that's left an impact on me. I'm going through some difficulties in parts of my life at the moment -- including, but not limited to, moving to Manila, taking on a new job and completely new role, working with a new team, etc. I love a challenge but I'm also human; sometimes feel like I'm at my breaking point and just want to call it quits on certain things. But once I've let off some steam, allowed myself to feel all the emotions, and finally clear my mind, that's when I realise that future Jordyn would be disappointed looking back if I let go and accept defeat. I think one of the most important things as well is to surround yourself with positive people -- those who will listen to you when you need to vent, who will hold your hand, or even those who will drag you by your hair just so you don't tumble downwards. Saying this, you should also be able to know when to raise the white flag. Once you've tried every which way to deal with it or make things better but it's still hurting you and turning you into a negative person, you have to know when to let go on and move on to bigger, better, and brighter things!

Don't be afraid to take on new challenges and go out there with a strong and determined mind. It'll make it easier to overcome the low points, which you will inevitably go through. Remember to surround yourself with the right people and chuck out those negatrons -- you don't need them! Be strong and don't quit -- unless you know you have to.

What brings you to life? *Part 1* The Adventurist

The first of my passion-focused Q&A series from my blog post titled What brings you to life?

ROSS MORELAND

Offshore Piling Technician by day / 

Long Distance Trail Runner, Mountain Biker & Adventurist at heart

The love of my life. They say it’s all about timing, and this man came into my life at the perfect time. His kindness, appreciation, understanding, love, and encouragement have brought back the confidence in myself that I thought I’d lost. I admire his determination, great work ethic, consistence, and persistence in anything he sets his mind to and heart on. His passion has become an obsession but you need to see that sparkle in his eye when he talks about his love affair with Mother Nature – it gives me goosebumps! Watch out for the launch of his blog to read more about his adventures and misadventures.

What brings you to life?
The thought of adventure and the outdoors - whether it's something I've done before or something completely new.

What do you love most about the outdoors?
It can be anything you want it to be and as challenging as you want. I'm lucky enough to be from Scotland where the possibilities are endless as you can go anywhere and do anything outdoors. The provisions for outdoor activities are tremendous and you can add whatever you want to make it more exhilarating. 

On the way up the Lomond Hills overlooking the town below

How long have you been into adventuring and the outdoors?
Probably since I was in the Boy Scouts. It's stuck with me from a young age and has evolved from there. I'm grateful for my parents for encouraging me to join, although it didn't take much for me to fall in love with it.

What advice would you give someone who is starting out or thinking about getting into outdoor activities?
Get to know your capabilities, set goals, and let your imagination run wild. When I started trail running and mountain biking, it was originally in the local woodland area near my home in Scotland. The first race I ever ran was a local 10K then I joined a running club where I was introduced to bigger events. I eventually found myself running one of the hardest 100-mile races in the world a few years later and after a bit of training. Now, cycling has pretty much gone the same way with my eyes set on a route that's eventually going to come together and take me a distance of well over 1,000km.

View from White Craigs overlooking Loch Leven
with Benarty Hill in the background and Scotlandwell village below
Photo by Ross Moreland

How do you keep your passion for the outdoors alive? Do you have any dull moments? If so, how do you get back on track and find it again?
I guess I've been lucky enough to find something that I love doing. Of course there are dull moments when I find myself halfway through a race asking myself why I'm doing it because I'm exhausted and don't feel like continuing. However, for every low the high is 10 times more, so that's what keeps me going.

At this specific point in time, where in the world would you want to be and with whom?
At the Lomond Hills Park back in Fife on top of White Craigs looking over Loch Leven. Of course, with Jordyn Hill after telling her all the huffing and complaining has all been worth it once we've reached the top.

Would you like a smokie?

I'm a little picky when it comes to seafood. I don't eat oysters, clams, or mussels. However, I do love lobster, crab, shrimp, scallops, and certain types of fish (ones that aren't too "fishy" tasting). I will try almost anything once though so when Ross kept raving about the smokies from Arbroath, I was curious to see what the fuss was all about.

First, a little history! Arbroath is on the North Sea Coast of Scotland, about 16 miles east of Dundee and 45 miles south of Aberdeen. In 1839 a new harbour was built and became one of the larger fishing ports in Scotland by the 20th century. The fishing industry grew, however, from the 1980s onwards quota cuts and decommissioning affected the industry throughout Scotland. Today, the fish processing sector is still one of the largest employers in Arbroath, however, fish for processing now comes from other areas such as Aberdeen, Norway, and Ireland.¹

Arbroath Harbour

Arbroath is most famous for its smokies, which was first created in the village of Auchmithie. Line-caught haddock from the North Sea is gutted and head removed, then salted before being tied up in pairs and hung on rods to dry. Once they are dry, the haddock is smoked over beach or oak hard wood. Arbroath was awarded a Protected Geographical Indication in 2004, which means the smokie can only be called such if it is produced within 4km of Arbroath. Today, family-owned and run smokehouses still fill the town with its delicious smokie aromas with recurring surnames like Spink, Cargill, Swankie, and Smith claiming their smokies as the best.^1,2,3

Looking out onto the North Sea

We drove from Ross' hometown of Leven, which is just north of Edinburgh, and it took us a little over an hour to get to the little coastal town of Arbroath. We found a spot to park at the harbour and went for a walk around the Fit o' the Toon, the area of land given to attract fishermen to Arbroath in the 1800s.² You could immediately smell the delicious smokie air and we'd arrived around lunch time so I was ready to feast!

M&M Spink looking out onto the harbour

We came across M&M Spink's, a small family-run business founded by William (Bill) Spink in 1965, who continues his family's tradition that began in Auchmithie.³ The smokehouse overlooks the harbour with its modest yet inviting entrance located at 10 Marketgate. It felt like we were walking into someone's backyard and they just happened to have a lot of smoked fish hanging around. They had also just gotten back from sea so there were crates of fresh fish ready to be gutted and beheaded. They let us into the back where the magic happens - there were batches of fish being dried whilst others were about to go into the smoker. It all smelled so good, I had to refrain myself from grabbing a fish and eating it right then and there. Ross and I finally decided on getting haddock and salmon and the lady who was taking care of our orders said she'd just made fresh fish cakes so we told her to throw a couple into the bag as well. We made our purchase, thanked them, and off we went to find a place to eat our smokies.

M&M Spink at 10 Marketgate (left)

We found a place overlooking the sea on King's Drive next to Victoria Park where we indulged in the smokies. You could taste the fresh smokey-ness in each bite that melted in your mouth. Both were so delicious, however, I think I prefer the salmon just a little more than the haddock. We ate with our fingers and didn't even need side dishes because one each of the haddock and salmon was enough to fill both Ross and I up. We saved the fish cakes for breakfast the following day and boy, were they yummy! I'm not really one to have seafood for breakfast but I'd have an Arbroath smokie fish cake any day.

M&M Spink's smoked salmon

M&M Spink's smokie

The fish were delicious but what I found the most interesting was Arbroath's history behind the smokie. There are so many huge companies taking over and taking small businesses out so seeing the family-run smokehouses still practicing years of tradition was really cool. Though the town is not bustling like it was many years ago, I'm glad that people still make it a point to travel to Arbroath just for the smokie. I would definitely recommend a visit to Arbroath, if not for its smokie, then for its history.

Sources:
1) Wikipedia: Abroath
2) The Larder (9 July 2012) by Catharina Day
3) M&M Spink Arbroath 10 Marketgate, Arbroath, Angus, Scotland DD11 1AY UK

Checking off my bucket list

Everyone has a bucket list or at least can come up with a few things they would absolutely want to experience within their lifetime. Thought I'd share a few things that I've been so fortunate to be able to tick off my list.

Fly Like a Bird (2008)
I was flying before I could walk so riding in airplanes has been the norm for as long as I can remember. I think my interest in riding in a chopper developed when I'd listen to my dad's stories about his survival courses and jumping out of helicopters when I was a kid. Never really thought I'd get the chance to ride in a helicopter until I joined Eurocopter (now Airbus Helicopters) a year out of university. I got to go an EC130 (now H130) - a lightweight single-engine rotorcraft - and got to see the city and Manila Bay from a bird's eye view. Really different experience from flying in a jumbo jet because you're able to see so much more of the land and sea beneath you. What a great experience! (Unfortunately I don't have any photos of me in the EC130, but here are some photos from an exhibit we did while I was working for Eurocopter)

Be a Tomb Raider (2010)
Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia is the largest religious monument in the world. I'd read about it in school and was fascinated by the photographs and its history. This amazing piece of architecture was built in the 12th century; if you've ever visited Angkor then you'll appreciate just how talented the builders were in the beautiful intricacies of its design, and all of it done without modern day technology. The famous Ta Prohm is the temple within the Angkor Wat complex where the trees and jungle have grown out of its ruins. It's mesmerising to see the interaction between nature and man. So glad I can check this off my list.

Witness the Fairies (2015)
The foot of the Black Cuillins on the Isle of Skye is where you'll find the Fairy Pools. I had first read about the Fairy Pools from an article online - way before I'd met my Scotsman - and was immediately enamoured by the enchanting beauty of the crystal clear natural pools and waterfalls. Ross and I visited the Pools during our Scotland trip in January. It was our last day on Skye and the Fairy Pools were our final stop before continuing the drive home. I was suffering from a horrendous hangover from one too many drams the night before but as soon as I got my hike on and saw Mother's Nature's amazing creation, I felt awesome. The freezing cold temperatures also probably helped to alleviate the pounding in my head. Because it was that - COLD - and we didn't have any wet suits with us, we didn't get to jump in. So I'm definitely going back next time (most likely in the summer!) and making sure I've packed the right gear and jumping in!

Cheers,

J xxx

Getting out of my comfort zone

Early this year I spent the month of January in one of the most beautiful places on Earth - Scotland! Thanks to my Scottish boyfriend and his love for the outdoors, I was able to experience things I otherwise never would have even thought I'd ever do. It was a busy trip with lots of activities almost every day and I was able to see so many different places, including a weekend down in Liverpool, England. One month definitely wasn't enough as there are so many places and things that I still have on my checklist. I've been longing to go back ever since I left that beautiful country! I have so many stories from this trip alone so you'll be hearing more about them along the way.

Scotland is known for its vast mountain wilderness interspersed with glacial glens and lochs. Its beauty is absolutely astounding and I don't care how good of a photographer you are, pictures just don't do it justice. Everywhere I went, I was in awe of the eerie yet magical scenery and it was actually intimidating at times.

For those who've known me a long time know that I've always been a city girl. I grew up in various big cities and have been fortunate enough to enjoy the luxuries of indoor plumbing, air-conditioning/heating, comfy beds, cable TV, and the list goes on! You mention camping and dirty public toilets - never mind having to pop a squat in the wilderness - then you're highly likely to get a raised eyebrow from me. 

Despite my "princess"-like ways, I've always been enthralled by the outdoors. I enjoy watching and reading about people's adventures in the wild and have always wanted to give it a try one day. Where's the fun in staying in familiar territory all the time anyway? To me, living life means exploring and experiencing new places and things. 

The most significant experience during my time in Scotland happened during our little trip to the Isle of Skye. If you have the chance to go to Scotland, DO NOT miss the opportunity to visit this beautiful island. It is absolutely breathtaking! Check out this video from VisitScotland: 

On our first day in Skye, Ross and I drove from our inn in Portree to the Old Man of Storr. Ross had previously gone mountain biking with friends on the island and said that Storr was a definite must-see. I had no idea who or what this "old man" was and totally did not expect to be climbing a freaking snow-covered, icy mountain! But like I said, I wanted to explore and experience and that I did indeed.

The rain/snow/fog we drove through going to Skye the night before

Despite the near zero visibility we drove in the previous day getting to Skye, the weather was clear and the sun was out on our way to Storr. It was cold and would be colder atop the mountain so Ross made sure I was bundled up warm and since I didn't have proper hiking boots, he strapped snow & ice cleats to my Hunters (THANK GOD as it was an icy ascent!). For a non-outdoorsy person, the climb was do-able yet tiring and admittedly there was some complaining from me on the way up. If you click on the link to the Old Man of Storr above, we reached Stage 2 of the walk where the views were amazing. I was pretty much out of breath and knew that I wouldn't be able to go any further though. We took photos and Ross kept looking up to the top and I knew that he was itching to get up there. I'd only slow him down so I told him to go on and I'd wait for him right there. We'd seen other hikers and the weather was good so I told him I'd be fine. So off he went and I kid you not, within seconds the bright, sunny weather turned into a total white out. I was able to see Ross in his bright orange North Face jacket climb to the top in less than 10 minutes so I thought he'd be back in no time. But then the snow got heavier - you could barely see 2 feet in front of you - and to make matters worse, it seemed like all the other hikers had descended. Thus, I was alone next to this huge boulder in the middle of copious amounts of snow waiting for that orange jacket to return.

All bundled up!

My trusty snow & ice cleats

Love how I captured Ross' gaze to the top

The minutes felt like hours and I started to panic. What if Ross had fallen and hurt himself? Do I try to go up there and look for him? Should I go down or should I stay put? How do I call for help? Do they have mountain lions here? Am I going to freeze to death? I have no outdoor survival skills and had no clue what to do. The city girl in me even thought of trying to call his mobile but realised, "Hello! No reception - you're on a freakin' mountain!" I'd never felt more alone in my life. I started to cry... until FINALLY that bright orange jacket came into view and the snow started to let off. All in all, Ross was only gone for 20 minutes at most but it felt like eternity. I'd never been happier to see my Scotsman in my entire life. Like the good man that he is, he hugged and comforted me back to sanity. We took a few more photos and went back down to the car park to warm up in the car and continue on our drive around the island.

Spot the bright orange jacket on the bottom right

That's me in the green jacket next to the huge boulder

Complete white out!

What did I learn from this? Well, first of all I need to learn at least basic outdoor survival skills! Haha Despite the scary episode and my mini breakdown, in the end I actually really enjoyed it and do not regret it one bit. The spectacular views were so worth it too. If this wasn't taking me out of my comfort zone, then I don't know what is. We are so small and insignificant in this world and there's no fighting Mother Nature's power and temper. However, if you stay holed up in your comforts and remain sheltered, how are you supposed to find out what's out there and live fully? Get out of that box - learn new things, experience different surroundings, meet new people, do something that'll make for a good story one day. As for me, I need to start working on my endurance because I will return to you, Storr, and I will conquer you!

Happiness! :)

What have you done to get out of your comfort zone? 

Cheers,
J xx