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Gee Jackson

@geeadventurous

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🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 | Weekday engineer 🛠️ | Weekend warrior 👣
Neurodivergent 🧠 | Plant based 🌱 | Alcohol free 🫖
@grangersofficial | @ordnancesurvey

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Fjällräven Classic Germany 🇩🇪

Possibly the most beautiful of the Classics I’ve done, but definitely the one with the most climbing.

The whole walk was non-stop views and every climb was rewarded with something even better at the top.

There’s something pretty special about carrying everything you need on your back — 14.5kg of it, to be exact. Tent, sleeping bag, stove, food, water, gas, mascara … the lot.

I’m not exactly a happy camper, but when it means I get to do things like this, it’s worth it.

And then there are these special ladies ❤️

We first met in 2019, when nine complete strangers were thrown together to form a women’s team and hike the King’s Trail in Sweden. Somehow, we’ve stayed close ever since. We don’t get to see each other often, but whenever we do, it feels like no time has passed at all. I have so much love for these ladies.

Very grateful for the adventures, the views and the friendships that come with them.

@fjallravenofficial 🫡

#FjallravenClassic #HikingAdventure #HikingGermany #TrekkingAdventures #womenwhohike by @geeadventurous

Glasgow to Edinburgh - Day 2 - 66/87km 🛑

7am, this time on the other side of the Falkirk wheel, the sky was falling and there were no signs of that stopping. Passing through the Falkirk tunnel, over the half way point between Glasgow and Edinburgh, and continuing across the aqueduct at Avon, the quaint area of Linlithgow began to appear through the rain. 🌧️

Thoroughly damp, my hands were starting to blister, as they usually do during my long distance paddles. After applying copious amounts of climbing tape and donning my sailing gloves, I was starting to feel whispers of fatigue in my back and shoulders too. 🙋‍♀️

Still in the good company of Owen, Andrew, and Hector the dog, the relentless rain had me quipping that I was 'over this challenge now' at around 20km and 4.5 hours into the day. Andrew jokingly replied 'well why are you still on the water then?!', which obviously spurred me on. Temporarily. 💁‍♀️

His valid comment got me thinking. My circumstances and the challenge itself looked so different now. My original 'why' behind doing the challenge no longer existed, and I found myself struggling to justify a new 'why'. Life is short and can change in an instant. I was forcing myself to keep doing something that I wasn't particularly enjoying, which wasn't giving me any real learning or new experience, and instead was only fatiguing/causing damage to my body. 🤔

I started the challenge - the day prior - being conscious about not choosing to suffer unnecessarily anymore and leaning in to the support around me. Yet there I was, still suffering without a reason. Over the next 8km, Owen and I talked at length about this and what to do as a result. The stretch from Glasgow to Falkirk had already been his longest paddle and so anything else was a bonus as his first multi-day SUP adventure. We both had other things we would much rather be doing instead. 🤷‍♀️

So we decided to call it. Telling Andrew on the towpath in Winchburgh that we were letting this one go was a big moment for me. But I don't regret it. Instead, it's actually given me more faith in who I am as a person. In my values, my integrity, and being intentional with my time. 🫂 by @geeadventurous

Glasgow to Edinburgh - Day 1 - 38/87km 🎡

Setting off at 7am on a mirror-like canal at Speirs Wharf in central Glasgow, the rest of the world still seemed to be sleeping. The sunrise was catching the skyrises of the city around me and lighting up with pinks and dusky oranges. There couldn't have been a more perfect morning for my latest coast-to-coast paddle challenge. 🌅

The city quickly disappeared and the herons came out in force to guide the way to Falkirk. Finding a rhythm again and the prospect of spending all weekend out on the water was exciting. The middle section of the day was slow going though. The canal was full of weeds and they inevitably got caught on the fins of my @redequipment 11'0 compact, requiring regular clearing using the blade of the paddle to prevent significant drag. 🌿

I'd been planning this challenge for months and was glad it was finally here. However, my life has changed a lot recently and so I leaned into the support and friendships around me. This meant that what I originally imagined and planned the challenge to look like and what it actually looked like were now very different. 🤔

I'd expected to do it solo and unsupported, but I'm starting to learn that I don't always have to choose suffering. It's good to remind myself sometimes what that feels like so I don't take the good stuff for granted. And it's good to remind myself that I can do hard things. But I don't need to do that all the time, and I have nothing left to prove to anyone anymore. I can be kind to myself, too, and that can look like accepting amazing support and company from Owen, Andrew, @nicole_on_adventures , and Hector the dog. 🐕

Arriving at the Falkirk wheel just as the last boats of the day were switching places felt good. It was my first time visiting the Falkirk wheel, and it was right to be doing that from the water. The evening stretched out ahead of us as we laid on the grass recovering from the day, before spending an evening with friends and food, getting ready for the rest of the journey ahead. No need to rush. No need to hurt or punish ourselves unnecessarily. Just compassion and enjoyment and gratitude for the privilege. 🌯 by @geeadventurous

Project June 6th. ✅

A lot of people didn't get it when I tried to explain that I was doing a full distance Ironman from home. Yes, that's a 3.8km swim, a 180km bike ride, washed down with a marathon. No race entry fee or hotel or bike bag required. No crowd to carry me when things got tough. No finish line tannoy announcing my name and no medal put around my neck. Just @johnny_ch14 and @nicole_on_adventures who are so incredibly selfless that they chose (I didn't ask them) to give up their time so that I was safe and supported in my latest personal challenge. I love you both, and I'm forever grateful for all the ways you show up for me. Even if I'm grumpy and tired. Especially then. 😘

Spending 19 hours doing a solo unofficial Ironman is certainly one way to know yourself. For many years I've known that one of my greatest strengths is grit. Those who have asked about my adventures have probably heard me say 'I'll make it work, I always do' or 'I'll be slow, but I'll get it done'. There's something extraordinarily powerful and freeing about knowing what I'm capable of. To prove wrong the person who said I couldn't do it. To keep showing up for myself, when I always showed up for other people first. Even when they didn't show up for me. And finally finding people that do. Consistently. Reliably. Wholly. 🫂

I'm doing everything I said I would, and I'm proud of that. It's been hard work to get here, but I'm grateful that I don't know any different. And I have no intentions of that changing any time soon. I get to choose this. I get to live here. And I get to love these amazing people around me. It's incredible the things you can do in a single day if you put your mind to it. 🥰

Thank you also to coach @armstrong_fitness98 for so calmly dealing with my chaos and being super flexible and supportive despite my unusual goals. And of course to @orangefoxbikes for making sure my front wheel was sorted in time. It's much appreciated. 🙌

Life is a team sport, after all. But I'm now (un)officially made of iron. 💪 by @geeadventurous

For probably the last 6 years or so, I've been in two minds about deleting my social media altogether. My friends have heard me talk about this multiple times already in the last few months alone, including deleting my Strava account (shock horror!). 💁‍♀️

Without social media, there are so many things I would never have done or seen, or people I would never have met. And I will be forever extremely grateful for that side of it. 🤗

But I'm also pretty sure that you have all experienced the darker sides and impact that social media has on our lives as well. And that's the part that I'm very much over. 🙅‍♀️

I sit in front of a screen for the best part of 37 hours a week for my day job, and I'm proactively reducing my screen time elsewhere because I don't believe that it's healthy to spend so much time on devices. There's a whole bunch of research that backs that up, as well. But recently I've had more capacity to consider this part of my life and as I grow and change with time and experiences, I also have greater clarity about what I want and how I want to live instead. After all, I'm the only one who can choose how I spend my time: my greatest resource, and the only thing I truly have to offer to the world. ⏳

So in search of a better balance, you'll probably see me around less. It's not personal (I still care!), but it is more intentional, and it's more authentic too. I've already been living car-free for a number of years now, and I wish I was brave enough to get rid of my smartphone entirely too, but I'm not sure I'm quite there yet. I'm a simple girl at heart, and I'm doing my best to find my way back to that. 🤳

In the meantime, if you're still interested, let's find other ways to connect. I've always felt that life is built on the little things. Like the yellow poppy I saw today, or the way Kat's bowl broke when I dropped it earlier. So if you ever need someone to share your smaller moments with, I'll always be down to listen. You know where to find me. 😘 by @geeadventurous

Gralloch 110km: my first DNF 🙅‍♀️

I signed up to @grallochgravel with @yasmine.oco primarily to support her in her first event. After only getting into cycling in the last two years, it's been amazing to see Yas get to the point where she can take on a world class gravel race. The course looked stunning, the weather seemed decent, and we were ready to go in the middle of Dumfries and Galloway. 🚵‍♀️

Immediately we started climbing. The nerves and the crowd cleared and we settled into a rhythm. The gravel was glorious from the outset and I was excited for the descents (always my favourite). We kept getting leap-frogged by a media motorbike, and about 10 miles in just as we hit the rough stuff and the bike was passing me - BANG. 💥

Still happily pedalling, I looked at the motorbike and couldn't see a problem, so wondered if it might have been a misfire. But when I looked down at my own bike, the tell-tale signs of pink sealant over my legs and front wheel told me that this wasn't going to be the ride we had hoped!🤦‍♀️

After lots of help from the elite race winners who just happened to pass by, we managed a 'get me home' blown tyre solution. Yasmine and I then parted ways. I gently rode back to the event village as she continued - solo - for another 60km to be back in time for dinner. 💪

I'm so proud of Yas and everything she's achieved. Cracking on alone on her first event around a course that tests even the best gravel riders in the world is a huge thing to have accomplished. For my first DNF it's a good story to tell, and looking back at the hole in my tyre, I'm surprised I stayed on! I'm sad I didn't get to support my friend, but what I did see of the course and the vibe from the amazing people I spoke to instead means I know I'll be back to conquer it another day. 🙌

Thanks to @nicole_on_adventures and @scott_oconnor_ for their support as always, to @orangefoxbikes for keeping everything running smoothly and a huge shout out to @genesisbikesuk, @shimanogravel and @weareogt for the craic after my big summer blow out! 💃 by @geeadventurous

I'm a bit late with this as it sat in drafts for a while, but it feels right to acknowledge my first year at home in the Highlands. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Moving up here was a big leap for me. 500 miles from everything I knew to a house I hadn't seen in a place I didn't know, a new job I wasn't sure would work out and not a single friend nearby. A total fresh start in a home of my own that I could finally learn to feel safe in; something I didn't dare even dream of barely a few years ago. 🏡

A lot has happened in 12 months. I'm not scared to do things alone, and I have a healthy appetite for risk. But those are things that I've spent decades working on and building to what you see today. I'm still working on making friends and growing my community here. I don't think I'll ever stop building a life, and building things requires discipline and structure over time, as well as maintenance. So here are some of the things I try to live by to keep building something that feels worthwhile:
- Look at everything like it's the first time you're seeing it. Stay curious. There is a lesson in everyone you meet.
- Treat not knowing what comes next as the most exciting thing you'll ever experience. Stop saving things for later. It could all end tomorrow.
- Love hard, lose everything and still stay kind. Love is not a transaction.
- Let your knees shake and your hands tremble. Do it anyway. That's where the growth is.
- Forgive your body for changing, but don't forget to thank it for staying. It's the only thing that has stuck with you through it all, and no one knows your body better than you do. Drink water. Eat protein. Move. Something is always better than nothing.
- Risk being seen. Text first. Tell people you love them. Let people misunderstand you. If you never put yourself out there, how will you ever know?
- Let everything happen to you. Beauty and terror. Just keep going. Use it as fuel. Few things are final.
- If you don't like a choice you made, make a different one. The only wrong decision is no decision.

In summary, through the words of CS Lewis, framed and hung next to my front door as a reminder every time I step back out into the world: Courage, dear heart. 💙 by @geeadventurous

I'm still fairly new to my local area, so @ordnancesurvey suggested I join my local @ramblersgb group to find new walks close to home as well as meet like-minded people. 🗺️

I joined the group one weeknight after work, and it quickly became clear that everyone was there for the same reasons: to further explore what the area has to offer, find a supportive tribe, build confidence, and connect with others. 🚶‍♀️

If you’re interested in meeting new people and exploring more of your local area, head to ramblers.org.uk to find walks near you. 🥾

#GetOutside #OSChampion #Ramblers #RamblersGB #Walking by @geeadventurous

Hi everyone, I'm Gee. 🙋‍♀️

On the come down from my recent adventure which includes a cold from the flight home (I haven't been ill in over two years) and effectively being told my job is at risk, it felt like it might be a reasonable time to share something more personal. In all honesty right now, I'd quite like to just disappear for a while. 🤷‍♀️

We are each of us so incredibly complex with such rich lives that it may be impossible to truly know someone's feelings. But I think there's beauty in that, and it would be boring if there was nothing left to know. 💡

I'm scared of spiders, I like chocolate as long as it's plain (no added bits please and thank you), and I have varying tastes in music though a safe bet is always The Rolling Stones and Fleetwood Mac. Stephen King is my favourite author, I love Tarantino films and I also enjoy going to the theatre by myself. 💁‍♀️

I had tuberculosis and hypothermia as a child. I have countless scars, and I'm most definitely solar-powered, though I love the seasons. I'm happiest when I'm on the coast, I don't have a car, and accurate information is definitely a currency of mine. 💃

There are so many photos and stories that I could have - and wanted to - share to make this point. Like the dry stone walling, blacksmithing, hedge laying and glass blowing classes I've taken. Like simultaneously honouring the past and building new memories whilst driving tanks, flying helicopters and wing walking with my brother. Like trying to teach myself how to let go more easily by learning flying trapeze. Or the time I took myself on a weekend-long date to Paris to prove to myself that I was who I thought I was. Alongside scratching the AuDHD itch, staying active outdoors and having new experiences is my therapy. It's how I come to terms with all the lives I've lived and process the grief that accompanies them, even if my focus remains on the good stuff. Because I don't believe you can truly appreciate the good, if you don't also have the bad. 🤸‍♀️

So come, let us sit in the mud together. Because at the end of the day, no one is getting out of here alive. And what's the point, if not to make the most of it while we still can? 🌍 by @geeadventurous

If you want to hate the world, watch the news. If you want to love the world, travel. 🌎

Being 96% mountainous and 71% forest, Bhutan cleared my lungs of the dust of India and Nepal. The people here are gentle, kind, and of course, they love nature. The respect the people have for the culture is refreshing, and it's clear that the government is genuinely trying to do right by its people and its land. There is a lot of long-term thinking and planning in what they do, and everyday life has a calmness and peace about it that tends to come from those that know the simplicity and harshness of the wild. Here, we don't rush time. Here, even the dogs admire the view. 🇧🇹

Where chillis get treated as vegetables - not as a condiment - and tourists are accepted with patience as their own. I have met some of the sweetest and most unassuming people in the last three weeks. At the end of my great Himalayan adventure, I’m so proud that I continue to chase my dreams and live with integrity to see and do the things that I was fascinated by as a little girl. From a photo in an encyclopedia, to right in front of my eyes. From the pages in a book, to my very own hands. Being here has been nothing short of magical.🛕

I always have a lot of feelings heading home from an adventure, no matter how big. But it's a privilege to be able to share these journeys with you; especially the things I have learned, and how it impacts me as a person. I hope you get as much out of it as I do. 🧘‍♀️

I have a million different identities, and they are all simultaneously true. But in the end the world keeps teaching me that if I can be anything, I only want to be kind. And that's enough. 💙 by @geeadventurous

Rhinos and tigers and rice, oh my! 🐅

I've always been drawn to the edges of things. The liminal. The thin spaces. The grey areas. That's where you learn. It's where you grow, and for me, it’s in the in-between that you truly get to live. 🧘‍♀️

I'm a pretty small person as it is, but going places that remind me of just how small and insignificant I am has always been important to me. It reminds me of a perspective that I never want to lose. Two years ago, I spent almost a month sailing across the sea, and laying on the deck of that yacht, pinned to a rock hurtling through space and time and peering down at billions of stars beneath us gave me one kind of perspective. But standing in front of some of the biggest mountains of our world in a land-locked country amongst a culture that has roots dating back 3000 years put things into perspective in a different way. 🗻

Nepal has been on my wish-list for a very long time, and I have no doubt I'll be back. The beauty here is overwhelming, the people are inspiring in so many ways, and I don't think I realised how many moments of my life have a connection to this place until those moments slowly started to add up during this week. The insignificant slowly built to become significant. Everything leads to something else, and when it's your time, it's your time. Leading on from a trip in India, it feels fitting to remind myself of Gandhi's quote: Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it's very important that you do it.🙏

Namaste, Nepal. 🇳🇵 by @geeadventurous

Dhanyavaad, India! 🇮🇳

Spending a week fitting in as much of the Golden Triangle as possible has been a good reminder that for me, it's always worth it and it always works out. 🧘‍♀️

From the moment I landed in Delhi, India felt vaguely familiar. The people are well known for their hospitality and of course the welcome and the food did not disappoint! The sights, smells and sounds of the tiny part of this country that I am privileged enough to have been able to explore have been exquisite. From getting stuck in making Chapatti with the locals on my first day, to several dawn adventures to beat the crowds, fully surrendering to the will of the universe and all the carbs at every meal, India is no doubt a treat for the senses. 🙌

Life is hard enough as it is already, so seeing the people here support each other (food is not an issue when anyone can get a free meal at the temples) and fill every corner of their lives with bright colours, incredible smells, and of course the sound of horns, feels like chaotic good in action. Despite a sometimes rocky but fascinating past, everyone I met seemed to just want better for the collective as a whole, and were only too happy to tell me their own story too. 🙏

After all, it takes a village. 🪷 by @geeadventurous