WHO AM I ANYWAY? BEHIND THE SMILE, HANDLING SETBACKS AND MANAGING RISK

Reading Time: 6 minutes

On air

If you’ve been wanting to get to know me better, or ask questions you think you shouldn’t, Sarah Williams did the probing for you…

Play the PODCAST below to learn more about what goes on behind the scenes of social media, my life before the adventure, what happens when things go wrong, and how I avoid risks.

If you enjoy the podcast you can subscribe to Tough Girl Challenges via iTunes, Soundcloud, or Stitcher.

A photographic overview of our conversation:

Preparations and leaving work behind
https://www.facebook.com/275436222817807/posts/386413591720069?s=684900987&sfns=mo

The treacherous beginning: Help from Rubin and being saved from starvation by a friend in a farmhouse before heading into the oceanic crossing

Rubin dropping me off on the Chillian side of the national park where the pursuit began.

A sight for sore eyes: the farm house I discovered after running out of food and spending a week on half calories.

Julio, whose family owned the farm, with his friend and the new caretaker of the property all up early to wave me off and wish me luck along the 250km kayak leg.

Battling weather.

Battling extreme loneliness and water poisoning.

The day I quit, and became stronger for it.

Wombat The Guardian

https://instagram.com/p/BzApakahQQH/

Walking through the desert

Food!

People I’ve passed

I have so much love, for all the people I’ve met along the way…

The men I hitched with, when I decided to quit. They were so funny, they put the smile back on my face.

Given the weather, it took some convincing to give these cops the confidence I would be safe if they let me continue.

Raul couldn’t handle the idea of me camping in winter. Since there were no other campers, he let me sleep in the camper’s kitchen!

A secret fishing spot… that I stumbled upon!

The Couchsurfing hosts who gave me a wayward Spanish lesson (there’s a vlog)

“We were told you were out here walking and wanted to come out and find you!!”

A roadside breakfast by a father and son team who sell food to passing busses.

Have some lunch!! On an isolated beach, we were all as shocked as each other when I wandered into their secret family holiday spot.

When I “quit” I was taken in by Flor, who nursed me back to health and sent me back out into the wilderness.

Tina and her family hosted me during a very cold winter while I waited for warmer clothes to be sent over from home!

I found Poke on a remote frozen farm… I gave him a block of chocolate.

Carlos and his family hosted me for several months while I prepared for the upcoming desert crossing!

Water and chocolate from the Argentinian trucked was a regular delight!!

I had visitors come to surprise me… who ended up rescuing me, and my broken shoes!

 

Another off the grid border crossing with Ruth and her Dad! This is us, stoked to have made it to the border before returning for a legal crossing.

I met Angelica on the first day  she walked with me to the border, then we hitched rides back to town so I could cross the border legally and return to the border from the other side.

Animals

Isolation

Heading onwards through Peru

How you can help

Wanna help me, sponsor me, or motivate me?

Here’s how people have been helping (bribing) me forward:

1) Luggage mules 
If you’re planning a trip to Peru this year, or Ecuador… and you’re happy to bring me a jacket, or some tights, or a set of dog booties… please contact me!

If you’re skilled at Rogaining this will be right up your ally as travelling to the country is half the challenge. Once you arrive we’ll either need to find a service that can deliver the goods… or better yet – provide you access to my LIVE tracker so you can track me down!

Promise I’ll be somewhere worth the adventure!!

2) Clothes, equipment, pro-skills, and audiobooks
You can contribute towards specific equipment via instructions here, which will then be waiting for a luggage mule…

3) Ice cream, hot chocolates and dog toys for the road. 
These delightful variations from rice and stock cubes are made via a fee free PayPal service.

BE AWARE – Contributions are made in $USD (I can’t change it), and the icecreams I like cost 50c so be careful with how generous you are because I won’t be able to walk for long on a diet of ice cream and hot chocolates… although it does sound like a worthy challenge!

Any problems, shoot me an email!

4) Gossip
The more people who know about us, the more chances we’ll receive sponsorship (oh pleaaaaase phone companies!!!), and the more likely we are to finish!!!! Please talk about us, even the bad, and have your friends join us through the calamities!!

5) MOST IMPORTANTLY – Keep checking in
I love having you with me. It’s no longer possible to respond to emails and one-on-one update requests, but I read all of them, and appreciate you.

THANK YOU – If it wasn’t for the community, I wouldn’t be out here wandering if I’ll have frost bitten feet in the morning. Yep. That’s happening. A new sleeping bag is arriving soon!!

Big love,

Lucy + Wombat