Adventure goals for 2026

Happy New Year! I hope you had a restful break over the holidays and got to spend time with your loved ones. I had a wonderful time in London with my family, with lots of good food, trips to the theatre, and mulled wine. Things have changed a bit (okay, a lot) over the last year, but I've made it through challenging times and am looking forward to whatever 2026 has in store!

As always, I'll start with a recap of my 2025 goals.

2025 goals

Survive and thrive on my fieldwork cycle ride ✓

This was my main goal of the year and I'm so proud to have achieved it! When I set off on my fieldwork, everyone told me how life-changing the trip would be. I remember getting to the end and feeling slightly disappointed that I didn't feel like my life had changed that much – I still felt like myself. Six months since finishing, however, I can confirm that the trip has indeed changed my life by giving me a level of confidence, a respect for my body, and an appreciation for the kindness of strangers that I never had before.

Swim at sunrise on the summer solstice ✓

I specifically camped at Pennine View Park in Cumbria so that I could go for a swim in the River Eden at sunrise on the solstice. The river was just a minute's walk from my pitch, so after a quick dip and a shower, I crawled back into my tent and went back to sleep!

Go camping with friends or family ✓

In August, my sister and I went camping in the Scottish highlands, near Braemar. We ended up spending the first night in a bothy, but enjoyed camping the following night, waking up to magnificent views out over the rolling hills of the Cainghorms. We also summited Carn a'Choire Bhoidheach (1110 metres) – Ashlynn's first Munro, despite living in Scotland for five years!

Go camping in France ✓

Even if I had a fairly miserable time on the camping trip in the French Alps in September, the scenery was stunning and I can tick this goal off the list.

Explore somewhere new in France ✓

I also enjoyed exploring Lille and Annecy in September, two cities I've never visited before. I was impressed with both cities, but found Annecy to be particularly charming (and the blue skies were greatly appreciated after days of grey weather in the Alps!).

Do more watercolour painting while on outdoor adventures ✓

Does doing two watercolours while on my fieldwork cycle ride count...?

Although I didn't end up writing a story for bikepacking.com, I did appear on multiple podcasts and got to speak on the main stage at the Royal Geographical Society – a career highlight, for sure!

 2026 goals

And now onto my adventure goals for the new year! It feels slightly odd to brainstorm adventure goals on my own for the first time, but I didn't want to let the breakup stop me from dreaming of future adventures. As my PhD fieldwork has shown me, I can do challenging things on my own. So. Here's some adventure goals for 2026:

• Submit my PhD thesis (I think that counts as an adventure, right?)

• Do another multi-night bike tour (perhaps to Groundswell or from Gretna to John O' Groats?)

• Ride the Dartmoor Classic Piccolo or Medio Route

• Do a camping trip on a new section of the South West Coast Path

• Cycle 100 miles in a single day

• Go on another camping trip with Ashlynn

• Go to a festival

As always, thank you for being here and for your support. Wishing you warmth and happiness for the new year!