Big, Scary Plans

What's making me nervous about 2025, plus a little gift from me to you 🎁

Looking ahead…literally and figuratively

Happy Thursday! ✨ I hope everyone is finding their groove again in this AC (After Cheese) era and rediscovering how to function as a respectable member of society after spending the last three weeks as a dedicated sofa-monster. I also hope that the (unnecessary and unneeded) pressure of #NewYearNewMe resolutions hasn’t weighed you down, and that you’re embracing your first steps into 2025 entirely guilt free.

I’ve felt a seismic shift this week - let’s call it a 3.5 on the personal Richter scale: noticeable enough to feel, but causing no real damage (yet).

Maybe it’s the promise of 25-degree weather on the horizon (hello Tenerife!), or the fact I’ve managed to hit the pool, the gym, and the turbo within the first week of January. Whatever it is, i’m feeling pretty freaking stoked about life right now. I’m also feeling pretty jazzed about the unexpected growth (100 subscribers, and over 1,500 monthly views!) of this newsletter, and all the exciting plans I have rattling around in my head for where I want to take it this year.

But before I get into all of that, I want to extend a huge, heartfelt thanks to you (yes you!) for taking an interest in my words and continuing to support my work. Six months ago, my writing lived quietly in the shadows, confined to the crumpled, torn-out pages of my notebook. Six months ago I would daydream about "what ifs" but quickly shut myself down, convincing myself I wasn’t “ready” or “good enough” to put my words out into the world. Six months ago, I hadn’t cycled 4,000km to the end of the world and completely flipped my perception of myself or what I’m truly capable of.

Of course those fears and insecurities are still there, but now I've learned how to quiet them.

How?

By being louder.

I may not have everything figured out, and I may not know exactly where I’m headed, but at least now I’m far more willing to admit those things out loud.

So thank you - for giving me a voice, or at least allowing me to be heard. It means more than you could ever know 💜

Now the gushy bit is out of the way, let’s chat about some of these big, scary plans I have up my sleeve.

The biggest and scariest of which is making 2025 the year that I publish my book. There, I’ve said it. I’m writing a book. It’s still in its fledgling stages (if 85 pages counts as fledgling), but for the first time in my life I feel as though a have a book-length story in me that needs to come out. Set against the backdrop of my epic quest to North Cape, it’s an honest and vulnerable account chronicling my nought-to-one-hundred frolic into ultra-endurance cycling, and how I convinced my friends, my dad, and eventually myself, that I was capable of so much more than I ever dreamed possible.

Shoutout to any publishing contacts who might be reading this 🤙

As if that wasn’t big enough, I also have grand plans to help more people discover the joy of adventuring on two-wheels. Whether through continuing to share written accounts of my own adventures, speaking at events (or podcasts!), or creating practical guides and content, the mission is the same: get more people falling in love with bikes, and ultimately themselves.

I’d love to see this Substack continue to grow into a vibrant community of like-minded adventurers. A hub of knowledge curated by avid bikepackers across the globe, eager to share their own wisdom and stories from the road. A safe space to ask the hard questions, and a safer space to ask the “easy” ones.

I want 2025 to be the year that people take the leap (or do the thing) and embark on their own impossible adventure.

So.

Before I dive headfirst into trying to make all of those big, scary plans a reality, I want to give you the chance to play a part in shaping some of that journey.

I’d love to know…

👉 What inspires you to keep reading?

👉 What would you like to see more of?

👉 What aspects of my writing resonate with you the most?

👉 What’s been the most helpful or motivating part of my writing so far?

👉 What are your big, scary plans for 2025?

Whether you’re looking for inspiration, practical advice, or a little push to take that leap, I want this space to be useful for everyone. Let’s make 2025 the year we take on challenges we didn’t think possible - and support each other every step of the way.

P.S please don’t be shy - drop a comment anytime if you’ve got questions, stories, or just want to say hi! ✍️

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🎁 As a subscriber, you’re officially eligible for your first subscriber perk: The Ultimate Bikepacking Checklist! 📝🎉 It’s packed with everything you need to plan and prep for your next adventure.

👉 Access your free checklist here!

And as always, if you’ve enjoyed my writing so far and think others might quite like it too, it would mean the world to me if you could spread the word 💜