3 Lessons From My Hike

Last Wednesday night, at 12 am, I crawled up the last three flights of stairs, dragging myself into my apartment. 

 

My Lululemon pants are collecting a white, powdery substance as my knees scrape against the concrete floor. 

 

How did it come to this point, you wonder?

 

I didn’t have to wonder—I had been pondering, finding meaning in the mystery for days. 

 

It was my first time off. No business, clients, family, or obligations. Just all the things that would fill my own cup in a long time. 

 

I had planned a trip, booked flights, arranged accommodation, and even convinced a friend to come with me. The Great Ocean Walk, stretching 104 kilometres from Apollo Bay to the Twelve Apostles in Victoria, was our destination.

 

Imagine Antarctic winter winds thrashing the coastline and rain that doesn’t fall softly from the sky but needles down at a 45-degree angle. It’s not for the faint-hearted. 

 

I embarked on this journey with the intention of doing my own Power Walkshop—to uncover my power and purpose, just for me. 

 

But as I started walking, it became evident that, despite my efforts to stop and savour the moments, this wouldn’t follow the Power Walkshop lessons. 

 

The walk had its own lessons instead. 

 

Day one was filled with rainbows. One rainbow that arched from one side of the land to another, a double rainbow, a waterfall rainbow. So many that I lost count. 

 

It was like walking in a magical land, with no reception (except enough to get one Whatsapp message come through on my friend’s phone from her mum: “Trump was shot – and he’s ok”).

 

LESSON ONE: The beauty of the rainbows reminded me that sometimes, the most magical experiences happen when we least expect them. But you need a little challenge – with the rain, and support with the sun to see them. 

 

Things shifted to another level on the second day. The day was meant for 25mls of rain and 42km winds, and the anticipation kept me up at night.  

 

The wind and rain seemed to echo my inner turmoil, and I found myself questioning everything in my life: Who am I, what am I doing, where am I going, and what is really truly important? 

 

As we walked in the inclement weather, it was interesting that we often found ourselves on the path between bushes, with the wind howling around us and the rain coming in sideways but missing landing on us.

 

LESSON TWO: I realised that it was the perfection of knowing ‘the work’, which I feel is a beautiful symbol of being in the eye of the storm in the outside world, but internally, I am centred and calm. I can endure so much on the outside, but keep on walking. 

 

By the third day, my body had said, ‘enough.’ You must rest. I had a recapped blister the size of Tasmania and as red as a ripe cherry, throbbing with each step.

 

I could have had to push on through the pain like I had seen when walking the Camino in Spain. Many walked through their suffering and soldiered on. 

 

But I didn’t feel that was my lesson.

 

LESSON THREE: The lesson was that sometimes stopping is a form of success, and sometimes not finishing is the wisest decision. Sometimes, you have to say no to get what you truly need.

 

On the third and fourth days, while my friend hiked on her own, I sat in solitude to find myself. 

 

BONUS LESSON ONE: I reflected on my word for the year, which was ‘Emerge”. I felt like I was doing ok to emerge from my cocoon but I worried about being exposed.

 

My red, raw, and exposed wound was a sign that it was time for me to own it and be okay with whatever was said about me. Just as my foot would heal, any wounds I might perceive from emerging into the big wide would, in time, heal, too.

 

As I crawled up the stairs to my apartment, covered in the residue of the journey, I realized something profound.

 

BONUS LESSON TWO: If I were to run a Power Walkshop and either myself or someone else was injured, if they couldn’t complete the hike, staying in the apartment would bring its own profound learnings, perfect for them.  Because it was in the struggle and the solitude that brought moments of clarity. 

 

It was in the appreciation of my life and the understanding that every step, no matter how painful, was part of my path.

 

If you are interested in attending the Power Walkshop in 2025, register for the waitlist here.