City Escape Collection

I’m one week away from leaving for France.

I’m not starting the walk straight away—but now that it’s getting close, I’ve realised something: I still have to buy almost all the gear.

Right now, I’ve only got the tent. Which, I suppose, is a solid start.

Next week I should be picking up a rucksack I found on Facebook Marketplace. And this weekend, I’m heading to Decathlon to get everything else, since the second-hand route hasn’t worked out—people haven’t replied or haven’t been reliable. So here we are. It’s becoming real.

Even though I’m not doing wild camping this time, I’ve started looking for books to help me learn more. Because it feels like that’s where I’m heading. This first walk is about easing into it. Step by step. Getting familiar with the idea of being out there on my own.

And slowly, I’m beginning to understand what I’m actually seeking.

Not the adventure itself. Not the challenge.

But the ability to rely on just me.

It’s a kind of minimalist quest.

A desire to strip things down—to carry only what I need, to be okay with not much, to trust myself in the process.

And that feels… consistent with who I am. I’ve always wanted to be self-reliant. This is just the next layer of that.

I don’t fully know why it makes me feel good. But it does.

Just me, and nature. The bare minimum.

That’s what I want to explore.