EP005 - Forming friendships & setting the scene (SPECIAL Part 1 of 3)

Hosts Chris and Nat chat about their friendship, discuss what Adventure Solos is and how this all ties in the to Life Changes podcast in this first of a three-part special.

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Transcript

EP005 - Special 1/3 Friendship, Adventure Solos and Life Changes

Nat: [00:00:00] But I just never felt as a completely fitted in such that I'm sure everyone probably thinks this, but just in terms of the classic, you know, just go for promotion and get a bigger house and a bigger car and, and then have the kids settle down. It just never really, that lifestyle just never really appealed to me.

Nat: And it just felt like you were a kind of kindred spirit.

Chris: Hey, it's Chris here from Adventure Solos, where we help people in their thirties, forties and fifties to rediscover themselves and meet new people. This episode is our first ever special episode and it's actually part one of a three part series that we're going to be sharing with you. In this first part, we're going to be touching on the two main topics of What are Adventure Solo's events?

Chris: And what is the Life Changes podcast? I hope you enjoy listening to this as much as Nat and I enjoyed recording it. Oh, and before we forget, please also [00:01:00] consider supporting us with a monthly pledge over on Patreon. You can find the details of that in the show notes below. And remember, if you'd like to find out more about Adventure Solos events, visit adventuresolos.

Chris: com, that's adventuresolos. com, where you're very welcome to stay in touch by joining the mailing list. So, adventuresolos. com and enter your details to sign up to the mailing list.

Chris: I'm Chris. I run a company called Adventure Solos, and this is the Life Changes podcast by Adventure Solos. And I am very pleased to be joined by my brand new co host, who is Nat. And so Nat, over to you. Yep. 

Nat: Thanks for introducing me, Chris. Well done. That was our, like, what was that? A seventh attempt at introducing me.

Nat: So we're doing well there. No, it's not really. Um, that's great to be on the podcast. I [00:02:00] think what we're doing today, we're just having a general kind of catch up podcast to discuss. 

Chris: I think it's just a bit of a chat. I guess it's partly to just talk about where we kind of see the life changing podcast might go, but also just to say a bit about who we are, what makes us tick and just make us a bit more human, really.

Chris: So we can try, can't we? Yeah, we can try. Um, so should we chat about? I guess maybe how we know each other and how this has come about that we're sat here and even where you are, because, um, for anyone that's watching this on YouTube rather than just in pure podcast format, there's a jungle behind you right now.

Nat: There is, yeah, and it'll probably go dark actually during this podcast. So, um, for anyone watching on YouTube, um, you'll see. the light changing. I'm in Thailand at the moment. So in a place called Raleigh Beach, which is, um, South Thailand, it's actually, if anyone's watched the film, The [00:03:00] Beach, it's pretty close to where they've, they shot that.

Nat: Um, it's absolutely spectacular, kind of massive lands, limescope, the limestone cliffs falling into spectacular. Blue seas, perfect white sands, I mean if you think of a picture book beach, it's kind of here, so, um, I guess that probably the next question is why What am I doing here? Yeah. What the hell are you 

Chris: doing here?

Chris: Who invited you? 

Nat: I'm here in Thailand because we, my fiance and I, Saskia, are traveling around the world, uh, well not around the world, but just taking extended breaks. Um, and I guess, I think in this podcast we'll talk a bit about our respective careers and how we've come to be where we are, but in effect, I'm, um.

Nat: I suppose you could call it a bit of a time out after working in professional services for about 15 years. I'm still, [00:04:00] um, working remotely on a part time basis with a company, um, you know, that I worked for full time. Um, but yeah, we've been, over the last about 18 months, we've been to Southeast Asia quite a lot, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam.

Nat: We've been to do the Everest Base Camp Trek in Nepal. Uh, we spent some time visiting family and friends in Scotland, uh, and in England as well. Uh, and then we're now. In Thailand on our way out to New Zealand, uh, to visit a good friend of, of mine who lives in Wellington in New Zealand. 

Chris: Yeah, right. Yeah, we'll have to stop you there because that's enough humble bragging.

Chris: I'm sat here in Lancashire and it's, I think it's stopped raining, but it's a little bit grey. It's trying to clear a little bit, but yeah, very different. I won't, 

Nat: I won't mention a 32 degrees sunshine then. 

Chris: Yeah, thanks. That'd be appreciated. Um, I guess you touched on then about your sort of, I guess, having a [00:05:00] break from the corporate world or whatever words you want to use for that, but we know each other through the corporate world really going back, um, I want to guess them at 15 years?

Chris: Must be 

Nat: about 15, yeah, around that. Yeah, I'd say so. 

Chris: Yeah, 14, 15 years, I think. So I moved up, we, we met in Glasgow and I moved up to Glasgow in 2008 because it was, it was about June, July, because I'd, I'd started working for a bank up there. And I remember I was sort of weeks in, I wasn't months in, I don't think.

Chris: Or maybe I was a couple of months in because it was in the September 2008. I just spent two days solid, basically refreshing the, I think it was the, this is money website, but refreshing the share price of, um, Bank of Scotland and RBS. I think it was, and just thinking like, this is massive. This is monumental, but not knowing what it meant.

Chris: And I think it took us all quite a [00:06:00] bit of time to figure out. What that was going to look like. So yeah, that's, I moved up then. And I feel like I met you within about 12 months, maybe. 

Nat: Sounds about right. Yeah. You were working in a banking career, weren't you at the time? Commercial, um, banking. Uh, and I was working for, uh, I guess you'd call it a service provider to the bank that you were working at.

Nat: And we met, we weren't actually working together, but we met sort of through work and then we did a lot of things. together at that point of our lives for a couple of years, um, we were, what we were doing, Munro ing. So for anyone who doesn't know what Munro ing is, it's where, uh, you go up. mountains in Scotland that are over 3, 000 foot and there's something like 284 of them someone will correct me on that, but something of that order I think, um, and it's quite a hobby that people go and, what's called, bag them by going up them so, [00:07:00] um, Chris you were an outdoor enthusiast at the time and wanted to do more of that, weren't you?

Nat: Yeah, and 

Chris: sorry, I'm just delayed because I was Googling it. How many Monroe's are there? According to Google, 282, so you're pretty close. Um, yeah, so, yeah, I've always sort of been outdoorsy, but I guess one thing to just throw in there. Do you remember when we met? Because I do. Nah, I'm heartbroken. Yeah, I am.

Chris: So we were at I can remember where the bar was. It was down in Merchant City in Glasgow. Um, it was some night out. It might have even been those treble clef award things, but yeah, I do remember meeting you there, um, didn't, didn't know we'd still be speaking 14, 15 years on, but here we are. No, that's right.

Chris: Does that ring any bells or still not? 

Nat: It does. I didn't realize that would have been the first time we met. 

Chris: I've just thought we both had, we're trying to be cool, I guess, with those contrarian, um, [00:08:00] red Dinner jacket or bow ties, should I say? Bow tie and cummerbund? 

Nat: Uh, that rings a bell now. Okay. I don't think I had a cummerbund.

Nat: No, I think I did. Never been a fan of those. Um, slightly. I mean, fashion's not my strong point, but um. That's true. Luckily it is for me. That's beyond me. Exactly. That's a joke. So we met, that's right, we met through work. But yeah, you were into outdoorsy stuff. You'd done your, your, your motorbike trip, which I'm sure you'll tell the listeners about.

Nat: But you'd, you, you're, you're kind of a kindred. We got on well to start with, didn't we? Because we're kind of kindred spirits, looking for more adventurous things to do at the weekend. Like kind of, kind of classic. weekend, cliched weekend warriors, weren't we? 

Chris: Yeah, I think so. So I guess, yeah, we probably had a lot in common.

Chris: I think maybe I'm a year older than you. I've just turned 41. How old are you? 39, but 40 

Nat: in March. 

Chris: Yeah, okay. So maybe 18 months, but we're a [00:09:00] similar age. We both happen to be English, living in Glasgow. Yeah, both into the outdoors. Um, probably both single at the time. Um, and then our bosses knew each other.

Chris: Really, that's how Um, we never directly worked together, did we? But our companies were both working together. 

Nat: Yeah, that's right. Um, and then we ended up going out for quite a few nights out, didn't we? Um, and I was involved in an organization called Glasgow Young Professionals. Um, and we ran events for unsurprisingly young professionals in the city of Glasgow.

Nat: Uh, and then you came to quite a few of those events, I think. Um, didn't you, over the years? 

Chris: Uh, I did a few, but I wouldn't say a huge amount. I, I think, I mean, really, we got to know each other. To me, when I think of you, it was like, on a Friday after work, I'd jump on, I don't know if I walked or got the tube or what, but I'd head round to your offices, be there for like 5, 5.

Chris: 30, and you must have had, you had a VW, was it [00:10:00] a Golf or something at the time? A black Golf, I think. That's a 

Nat: Polo, Polo, 

Chris: yeah. To me, it'd be like 5. 30 in Glasgow, we'd be chucking our bags in the car and heading up north in Scotland and doing something outdoorsy. I 

Nat: guess the friendship developed from there.

Nat: You also came on I like to think I was your first leader. Like, you know, I inspired you. You should be giving me a lot of credit for Adventure Solos because I used to run a bothy trip. Actually, it started out as a camping trip annually with some friends of mine from the Isle of Iona and other university friends.

Nat: And we used to go Every year and do a trip, uh, up in places like Ascent, um, went to Rum one year, lots of different pretty remote places in Scotland. And then we discovered Bothies and we just fell in love with them and ended up doing that. It's kind of petered out over the last few years because kids and other commitments have come along, but hopefully we'll get it [00:11:00] up off the ground again.

Nat: But you came to those for a couple of years, didn't you? Um, 

Chris: I did two of them, I think. And by the way, you should explain what a Bothie is. It's like a 

Nat: mountain refuge or hut. I've since been to the continent, and I suppose the closest over on the continent in the Alps and things, they're called refuges or in Italy they're called refugios.

Nat: They're basically a mountain hut, very basic, no running water, just usually a stove or a fireplace, but great fun because you can go in And, uh, light a fire, uh, get nice and warm after a long day, maybe out and walking in the mountains. And the tradition is take a bottle of whiskey and sit around and have the whiskey.

Nat: We, we sort of took the piss a little bit and ended up taking, you know, three, three crates of tenants. And, I mean, we still try to be respectful for anyone else. I remember one time, [00:12:00] uh, We were sitting having our tinnies and, uh, beers, that is, and, uh, about eight Dutch folk turned up out of the wind and the rain at about eight o'clock at night in the dark, and, uh, and we had enough beer to give them all, all a beer each, and we had the fire going, so it's very sociable, that's the point, you know, anyone can turn up to them, they're completely free, and you can just sit there and have a chat with whoever comes through the door and meet some interesting characters.

Chris: Yeah, that's it. It's a very rustic, very basic, as you say, sort of cold, generally stone buildings, most of them, like, I think 90 odd percent, uh, maintained by the Mountain Bothy Association in Scotland. So yeah, as you say, you can't book it or anything like that. Don't be thinking like Airbnb or anything.

Chris: It's, uh, yeah, just rock up and, and bring your sleeping bag and stuff, isn't it? And like you say, maybe a bottle. 

Nat: And I was a member of the NBA for quite a few years, um, and there's certainly no Wi Fi. I just remember one, uh, one year, [00:13:00] I said to a work colleague, um, said, look, I mean, the best thing about it, to be honest with you, is there was no mobile phone reception in most of these places for the first.

Nat: Certainly for the first five years we did it, you'd go and you'd be completely in a black spot. So one of my colleagues, before I said this to her, and we were working on some kind of corporate deal, and she looked at me with panic and said, yeah, but they'll have Wi Fi, won't they? And I said, no, they don't even have running water or electricity, they don't have Wi Fi.

Nat: So, uh, but that was, that was bliss, like being able to go there and then, you know, you never heard, you never heard. I remember, remember though, I had to Later, in later years, I had to, um, uh, finish a property transaction, I was buying a flat and I had to walk up one of the nearby hills to try and get kind of two bars of reception to speak to the lawyer and just give them the all clear go ahead type thing, but I mean, that was part of the beauty was being cut off [00:14:00] completely from, from everything.

Nat: I mean, unfortunately now with the way that Mobile phone receptions gone pretty much everywhere. Even the most remote spots have kind of 4g and things, which is great. If you want to watch YouTube, but not so great. If you want 

Chris: to escape, I guess another thing that takes me back, like you were always good at planning them.

Chris: Um, so you'd. You'd typically like, send me an email. You like being organized and you'd send me an email through in the week. Like we'd have the date penciled in, but not necessarily exactly what we're doing. And you'd be like, Oh, we're doing this, this and this. And you'd send me all the links. And obviously I wouldn't bother reading them just to be like, well, I know what to take for the outdoors and rock up.

Chris: So I always remember we were doing one Monroe and we'd been up to the top and we're on our way back down and I was thinking, you know, Uh, 45 minutes, half an hour, maybe we'll be getting close to the car. And then you were like, no, we're going up here. I was like, how are we? So we'd been up, we were coming partway back down off the summit, I guess.

Chris: And then we're meant to summit another one. I think we decided not to bother doing it [00:15:00] cause it was pretty shit weather. But yeah. 

Nat: Ariker Alps. I think that was the cobbler. I remember there was some. Older guy who was kind of angling to come up with us on one of the next mountains We were thinking about doing and then actually I think we'd had enough hadn't we?

Chris: Yeah, probably I think um, yeah Well, we've done we've had some interesting trips anyway And I guess the story of our friendship if you will then so I can never remember when I left Glasgow It must be about I've been here for five and a half years five six seven eight nine years ago. Where are we at?

Chris: Anyway, I think I was in Glasgow for, let's say, seven years, so roughly 2015, could be wrong by a couple of years, I don't know. But let's say we knew each other for seven years, I think, up in Glasgow. And then, we probably didn't see each other maybe whilst I lived in London, so I was down there for about three years, could be wrong.

Nat: Yeah, we kind of lost [00:16:00] touch actually in that period, I remember bumping into you on a Train, um, where you were going through the turnstiles in Waterloo, I think it was, or somewhere like that, and then I was like, Chris, so we sat next to each other for about 20 minutes on the train, but, um, but no, we, we kind of didn't really keep in touch that well over, Sort of, I don't know, three or four years there when you were in London.

Chris: But then I think you've been, you've been really good at then, whilst I've been in the northwest of England, you've been good at, um, and I think you've sort of carried that torch a bit. So I appreciate that, um, for, yeah, staying in touch and popping by and stuff. It's been nice to sort of rekindle it after a bit of a lull.

Chris: Yeah, 

Nat: exactly. Well, I think you, well, probably come on to it maybe later on, but you've Sort of went away and don't want to say found yourself. That sounds a bit strong But you went away didn't you traveling after London and sort of packed Packed a corporate life in to a certain extent [00:17:00] and then to be honest I was kind of when you did that and you started adventure solos I was you know fully behind you and wanted to support you and just thought it was was great that you were following following your passion but it'll be interesting to talk about that that kind of journey and What led you to that?

Nat: And I think coming back to the kind of Glasgow bit and why we're friends and why we're doing this podcast is because we do have sort of similar outlooks on, on life. Although we were both, or I'm to some, some extent still in the kind of corporate world. Um, we both believe there was probably something beyond that, didn't we?

Nat: And probably thought. You know, we, we certainly, I can't speak for you, but I just never felt as a completely fitted in such that I'm sure everyone probably thinks this, but just in terms of the classic, you know, just go for promotion and [00:18:00] get a bigger house and a bigger car and, and then have the kids settle down.

Nat: It just never really, that lifestyle just never really appealed to me. And it just felt like you were a kind of kindred spirit because you didn't feel like you were just on that kind of treadmill either. If I can call it that. 

Chris: Yeah, I'd agree kind of with the treadmill bit. I mean, I probably whilst I was up in Scotland, I probably was on that and enjoyed that.

Chris: Like, you know, I started as a, you know, I did a graduate scheme, went to uni, did a graduate scheme with a bank and, you know, corporate banking and all that stuff. Um, and yeah, I went off and did my African motorbike trip after that. Um, and then came back and joined, uh, another bank up in Scotland. And that's when, uh, that was my first time in Glasgow.

Chris: Cause I'd lived in Edinburgh for a couple of short stints before that with a different company. Um, yeah, I guess I enjoyed climbing that corporate ladder. I was quite enthusiastic about it, um, for quite a long time. And then I kind of got to a certain. Point and I guess I was just a bit disillusioned and I [00:19:00] wasn't exactly sure what it was, you know, I ended up breaking up with a girl at the time that I was seeing, um, who was really nice.

Chris: Um, I guess my sister had my first niece. So this is sort of 10 years ago. This was all about the same sort of time. Um, and I, I'd started to get a little bit fed up with, with. I guess my work, I think my boss and I had had a really close working relationship for quite a long time. It had just been the 2 of us when we started this sort of business within the bank.

Chris: Um, and that had been really interesting and potentially we were maybe thinking about spinning it out and becoming less, um, Well, do it, yeah, making it our own thing and building a portfolio and stuff. And, and then sort of things changed, I guess, strategically and stuff within the bank and, and my boss got promoted off.

Chris: So we weren't working as closely together. And then that relationship sort of, I guess, fell apart a little bit, you know, we're sort of in touch now and things are fine. We've been for lunch together and stuff, but yeah, I guess all this sort of sort of came together and I wasn't [00:20:00] sure if I was fed up with the corporate world or whether I was just.

Chris: Bored or restless. So yeah, I buggered off traveling, um, did various things for best part of a year, really. Um, and then ended up sort of landing back in London. I say back in London, I'd only ever had six months there sort of quite a bit before I felt London. Wasn't completely my thing. I felt just a little bit too old for it.

Chris: Um, and also the thing I was keen to do at weekends is what we'd done in Glasgow. And that is sort of jump on a train out of the city and get into the countryside and do some stuff or come up and see my niece. And, um, yeah, I guess that probably the London thing probably always had a time horizon for me.

Chris: And so, yeah, I guess. It sort of happened, it looks like a big transition on the face of things to move from the corporate world to running adventure solos. But I guess I'd always been involved in planning [00:21:00] trips, you know, in Scotland with my friends and stuff, canoeing, kayaking, hiking the West Highland way, all this sort of stuff.

Chris: Um, and, and also I guess it was an element of, I was funding growth businesses this whole time in my career. And I guess it was a bit of me that wanted to step away from funding. Other people's businesses, I guess, I guess I would have regretted not ever trying to do my own thing and seeing what I can make of it.

Chris: Um, and it's been a bit of a hard slog at times, you know, I started the company, um, and COVID came along pretty quickly, and that was a pretty rubbish two years and things got a bit off target and stuff. So I'm four and a bit years in now, but, and it's still not where it needs to be. But. It's mine and I'm passionate about it and, and every consequence is mine, good or bad.

Chris: And, and I think it'll get there, it's going in the right direction. So it'll be interesting to see where Adventure Solos ends up. Yeah, 

Nat: exactly. And taking you back to the sort of transition between the corporate world and, [00:22:00] and starting your own business. Was that something you always had in your head?

Nat: When did the kernel of the idea come to you? Was it when you went travelling? And I think you did, did you not do mountain biking in Turkey or 

Chris: something? Yeah, I did a bit of, so there's a company called Nielsen, um, sort of a sports holidays company, if you will. Um, I worked for them as a mountain bike guide.

Chris: It was meant to be in Turkey at one point, but ended up being a posting in Greece, so I was in Lesbos, um. So, but the timing of that, that was when I left the bank that I went traveling before I moved to London. So when I left London, um, and moved up to the Northwest, I just, I did have a bit of time off, but I was basically doing the house up and then kind of that came to an end after I was full time on that.

Chris: Well, more than full time on that for about nine months. And then I kind of was just like, I happened to have an operation on my arm actually, and so I went away and. Walked the Cape Roth trail for three weeks whilst that was healing, really, [00:23:00] probably not the most responsible thing to do, but it was a nice adventure.

Chris: Um, and I kind of got back from that and the house was pretty much done. And I was like, right, shit, like, what's the plan? I need an income, need to earn a living. 

Nat: Yeah, but you could have, you could have gone that's, uh, well, correct me if I'm wrong, but that's not the real reason you did it because you could have gone back to a corporate job, right?

Chris: Yeah, I could've, but I think I knew I was done with that world, or, yeah, I mean, never say never, maybe I'll end up back in it, but, And, and, I can't complain about it, obviously it paid well, but I guess I was in the position, you know, I didn't have kids, I didn't have dependents, Um, so I was in a bit of a position where I could take a chance.

Chris: Um, I wanted to be in the Northwest of England near a family. So I bought this place up here. Um, for, for six months, I own this place whilst I was in London. So I was up here every weekend, but yeah, I guess, how did it come about? To be honest, it's sort of just evolved. Like I'd had an idea [00:24:00] when I was living in London and I'd said to my friend who he was sort of born and bred in and around Kendall and he knows like.

Chris: I guess he sort of knows, he knows stuff that even people that live in Kendall don't know about the area, like places to go and things to do and bits of history and stuff like that. So I guess I'd kind of been saying to him, half joking, but half not like, what if I try and get people from London whilst I'm living there and almost get them on a train.

Chris: Cause there's a train that leaves Houston and goes to Oxenholme Lake District Station. And that's such a good, well, when it works, it's such a good service, like two and a half hours. Um, I was like, we could sort of bring people up to there, and then he had like a Land Rover at the time. So there was this vague idea of like, getting people up from London and out into the Lake District and doing trips.

Nat: So you're almost fixing like, your own need that you were saying earlier, like, you could get out of London almost. So, this was actually, you know, when you talk about starting a business that That solves a pain [00:25:00] that was actually a pain you almost had because you couldn't get out of London to do these things and you thought, well, this is a way of doing 

Chris: it.

Chris: I don't think I ever saw that. If there were duplicates of me, they wouldn't necessarily be the ones on those trips, I'm sure they would enjoy it, but I guess I sort of felt a bit more confident and independent to do some of those things, and I could, like, jump on the, the, the train, and, and, and actually the person I'm talking about is Noel, who's hosted some of the, the other episodes, um, so, yeah, I guess I did have that, Access in a way, but I just thought there's a huge number of people that have never had the opportunity to explore the late district, for example, in, I guess, a more intimate way or to try different activities.

Chris: And so I guess I saw it as almost helping other people that don't normally do that stuff that aren't. More hardcore adventurers, if we can brand ourselves as that, um, yeah, to get involved in this stuff 

Nat: might be a good, um, point just to tell us a little bit about adventure solos. I mean, we don't [00:26:00] want this to turn into an advert.

Nat: So I don't think that would be that interesting for everyone. But, um, you know, I think it sounds like a good point just to tell everyone a bit about what it is. And then perhaps we can talk a bit about how adventure solos fits in. Um, With the with the podcast 

Chris: so adventure solos, I guess in a way. I feel it's always evolving a little bit but it is Primarily i'm i'm now getting back because covid did take me off track a bit So we're getting back to what it's really meant to be all about at the beginning which is adventure weekends in the uk and essentially what happens is People book on by themselves, so you don't need to have another half that wants to do these things, maybe they, they're not into it, or maybe you're single or solo or whatever the reason, but it's for people booking on by themselves, who aren't Particularly outdoorsy people that want to try something different.

Chris: Um, I do have sort of an age guide on it, which is people in their [00:27:00] thirties, forties, and fifties, and I think that just helps bring people of similar, I guess, life experience together. Um, and really what we do. So sort of a typical weekend, we'll have accommodation booked for the Friday and the Saturday night.

Chris: People all rock up after work, so it's fairly flexible with arrival time, but the sort of formal or official start is 7pm, but people rock up between, let's say, 6 and 9. Um, and really, we, yeah, we have, well, that night we'll have a bit of food and maybe a couple of drinks, maybe play a few games. Everyone starts to get to know each other.

Chris: Um, we have accommodation that night. Full day of activities on the Saturday and the activities really vary by each different weekend that we offer, but you might have things like paddle boarding or abseiling or climbing or canoeing, um, just hiking for some of them. So all these different activities we can pick from.

Chris: So. Full day, Saturday, a half day of activities on the Sunday. Um, quite often go to a pub on the Saturday night and have meal together as a [00:28:00] group. So really, in a way, people are deciding what activities appeals to them when they book onto an event. Um, but really, I'd say you might book on for the activities.

Chris: But what is the Best bit of the weekend is meeting the other people who are there for all the same reasons, like minded people that are everyone's in the same boat. There's no couples. There's no families. Um, so it's just a really, it's incredible to see how quickly everyone bonds and gels and goes away with sort of.

Chris: You know, you feel like you've known, you know, these people better than, you know, your colleagues that you've worked with for years, and maybe even some stuff that people's families and that don't know everyone's just a blank sort of canvas and stuff comes spilling out. And I think it's just a really sort of healthy weekend.

Nat: It's, uh, I came on the. One of the events that you, I think you've stopped running it now, possibly the East Highland Way event. And, uh, I mean, I'm probably not your typical customer, am I? Because [00:29:00] I do a lot of these things myself. And, and actually I'm lucky enough to have friends who I can rope into, not all the time, but rope into, to doing that type of thing.

Nat: But not everyone comes from a background where they've been into outdoor activities their whole life and they might want to just go and try it. So I think it's a great conduit into that world. And as you say, it's a great way to meet people. But yeah, I think you're quite right. That was my experience doing the event with Adventure Solas was you just got to meet people so quickly.

Nat: I think there's a bit of magic about You actually being on your own because you're not with, you know, we all play play a persona to a certain extent whether it's a husband or a daughter or whatever it is Typically, you know that can put the shackles on a little bit potentially or maybe that's the wrong way of saying it but you just You can be whoever you want to be on the weekend or on the event, [00:30:00] um, and that's sort of liberating to some extent.

Nat: I think the people who, certainly the people on the event that I was on, um, as much as anything it was a time to sort of decompress and just have a bit of time to themselves. You know, people would take, people, there might be say a group of ten people, five people might be chatting and playing a game whilst you walked along.

Nat: You know, at some points I was just off at the back listening to a podcast in my own little world, but everyone's allowed to do, kind of, what they wanted to do, which was nice. 

Chris: Yeah, that's right. Um, I think that's spot on as you say you can do or you just meet other people and that blank canvas thing is is kind of I guess one way I would describe it which is yeah, no one has any preconceived ideas of you because they don't know you Um, so yeah, it's just everyone being in the same boat seems to work So well, and those connections are made very quickly, which is nice Um, and I guess the other thing to mention maybe you're right.

Chris: I'm not running [00:31:00] the east highland way event anymore so I guess the context of that, when COVID came about, obviously for a while I couldn't operate at all and that was quite tough actually, but, um, a lot of the events that sprung up were sort of a necessity to fit in with some of the COVID rules. So for example, smaller groups, like we had the rule of six, if you remember that, um, we couldn't be.

Chris: So normal, a normal weekend event with adventure solos is maybe 15 people getting together under one roof or from different households. And that wasn't happening, obviously. So the, the became more sort of camping orientated events that popped up. So now they're what I call the expedition events. So there was some brilliant ones in that, like the canoe Scotland expedition, um, is just an incredible week.

Chris: Um. So I've still got that and we're actually going to add on another new canoe event. So there will still be some of these [00:32:00] expedition events that are perhaps smaller groups, maybe a little bit more hardcore in terms of there's camping involved and stuff like that. But the core focus really is going to be these weekend events where we've got accommodation and just take things a bit easier and try different activities.

Chris: So it's 

Nat: expedition events and weekend events. So just so I can stay on brand here. 

Chris: Yeah, that's it. And, and I guess the other thing that I dabble in a little bit is day hikes and that's really just a way for people to get to know me. So yeah, we didn't, I've only got about four of those running per year at the moment, but that's a group of sort of 10 people and we just do a hill maybe in the Lake District or the Peak District or something.

Chris: So yeah, that's my three at the moment. Day events, weekend events and expedition events. 

Nat: Okay. And life changes. Um, let's talk about the podcast and what it is, what it's, who's it for, what's it meant to be about? First thing is the title. Life Changes always. It made me think, uh, thinking about this [00:33:00] yesterday, it's like that Bob Marley song, no Woman, no Cry, because I could never figure out whether it's like no Woman, no Cry.

Nat: Like is or is it like, is he saying. If you don't have a woman you won't cry or is he saying to the woman don't cry woman I've never been able to work that out. I'm sure someone will know but is it the same with trying to work out life changes? Is it a statement or is it a question? Anyway, well tell tell us about life 

Chris: changes.

Chris: I think it's an intentionally a bit ambiguous like that because in a way it's like Yeah, in a way it's a statement, but right. I'd wanted to do a podcast for a long time. I think it's healthy for people to talk. And I think it's just a really great format for, for sharing. And I love listening to podcasts.

Chris: I'm a huge podcast fan. My weakness is true crime. I'd never knew I was into true crime until about four or five years ago. [00:34:00] Um, and there's some brilliant. Podcasts out there, red handed seeing red. Um, and the teacher's pet is a series, which is by the Australian, which is a classic ones. Um, yeah, but there's some brilliant true crime and that's really, I listen because what I like, you can be outdoors or something and you can be working like, let's say in the garden or.

Chris: I can be cooking or whatever. And I like to have a podcast on the background. I wanted to do a podcast for adventure solos and for quite a long time, I didn't know what I wanted it to be. I think there's quite a few, and we had this sort of conversation via voice note yesterday, Nat and I, I think there's quite a few podcasts out there.

Chris: That are adventure based and they're kind of, let's, let's say, for example, I've been at Mount Kilimanjaro and we could do an episode on Mount Kilimanjaro, but, and then you could do one on, you know, Everest Base Camp and you could do one on Mount Toubkal in Morocco and I just feel in some ways, in some ways, I think that's been done [00:35:00] and there's some good podcasts out there if you want to listen to those, but I also kind of think.

Chris: Yeah. If someone's listening to that, you know, let's say someone that comes on Adventure Solos events, they're not normally hardcore adventurers and that doesn't relate. I think what Adventure Solos is really much more about is sort of the community and the connection and wanting to live a better lifestyle and be more in touch with nature and be a bit more active and to build, yeah, new friendships and all these sorts of things.

Chris: And what also happens on events is. That goes back to that blank canvas thing, but people's life stories come spilling out and people I couldn't decide for a long time I'm still probably in two minds as to whether it was such a sort of safe or neutral environment, whatever the right word is that that people's Almost life events came spilling out, or I can't quite decide if that's the case and and that nature's very good for that and walking where because if you're going for a walk, you're not sat down, let's say, in a coffee shop [00:36:00] facing someone else and having almost an interview style chat.

Chris: You just it's all very relaxed and there's other stuff going on. Um, and you're not facing each other staring into each other's eyes. And so I think it's easier to talk like a walk and talking is brilliant. 

Nat: It's also like they're not your friends. They're not You know, they're not friends before you start, they're just kind of a random person, really.

Nat: And actually, there's something, as I say, liberating about that. And people will just tell you stuff that you probably wouldn't even tell your friends and your family, would you? So that's quite interesting. So that's where the idea came from, is it that you thought, well, how do we capture some of these stories that people are telling?

Nat: And how do we, um, you know, go down these narrative arcs, can I say, around how Life changes how things happen in people's lives and is there not also a bit of when I was on The East Highland Way with you a lot of people were [00:37:00] on the event because life had changed You know, they they'd unfortunately had a divorce or you know Someone had unfortunately passed away that was very close to them and they were looking for something Um, and actually, it provided some support, and as you say, people opened up about that.

Nat: And so, is as much of it about, kind of, being supportive of, of, of that, and trying to, kind of, encapsulate a bit of that in a podcast? 

Chris: Yeah, I think that's right. I think some of it is exactly what you said, and some of it is the values piece. So, you know, what you said, people that come on the event I don't think they're like in crisis or anything like that.

Chris: No one's a sort of, you know, it's not basket case stuff. It's people that have been, as you say, over a period of time through a life change, like, you know, maybe someone's, maybe someone's in their late forties, let's say 48, 49. Maybe [00:38:00] they've had, you know, some kids that got a couple of kids. Maybe the kids are getting to a point where they're in their maybe middle late teens.

Chris: And that gives you. I guess I say this without any kids, but as a, as an adult or as a parent, you suddenly get a bit of time back for yourself and you get a bit of life back for yourself. And you sort of, I guess you can almost describe it as rediscovering yourself. Um, and that's quite often sort of the profile that fits when people want to come on events.

Chris: And I guess it's just about these people. Those people don't want to hear about another adventure that someone else has done that they're never going to do. They want to hear about life and life. Changes and life stories. So, and, and I guess then I also mentioned the values piece, which is really what I guess drives adventure solos.

Chris: It's not really the adventures in a way it's kind of, I guess the things that are important to me that I try and live my life by. And, and that I try and bring about in Adventure Solos and therefore also into Life Changes [00:39:00] podcast is things like health, you know, nutrition, sleeping well, making those good connections, meeting new people, trying new things, putting yourself outside of your comfort zone, building confidence.

Chris: Um, you know, there's, yeah, health, happiness, um, and connection are probably those three North stars, if you will, um, that I think are feeding into. This podcast as well. Although 

Nat: some of the podcasts that we'll do, we'll have a sort of adventure element to it, um, that's not the focus is the focus is on the.

Nat: What's the story behind the change that's occurred or what lessons can be learned in relation to those Points that you've just raised there. 

Chris: Yeah, I think that's right and I guess also I'm conscious we're both men but men are shit at talking and and it's hard to do because [00:40:00] for whatever reasons maybe societal or whatever, but um I think it's just healthy, you know, obviously we'll have male and female guests on, but I think it's just healthy to Chat and to share stuff.

Chris: Hey, this is future chris We've discussed a little bit just now about adventure solos and the life changes podcast What we're going to do and you can come and join us over on the next episode is Find out a little bit more about Nat and then give him some rapid fire questions and then do the same for me in the special episode number three.

Chris: So yeah, hop on over to the next special just now and continue listening to this conversation.

Chris: Hey, it's Chris here from Adventure Solos, where we help people in their thirties, forties and fifties to rediscover themselves and meet new people. If you'd like to find out more about Adventure Solos events, visit adventuresolos.com, that's adventuresolos.com, where you're very welcome to stay in touch by joining the mailing list.

Chris: So, AdventureSolos.com [00:41:00] and enter your details to sign up to the mailing list.