Bivvying alone

Last month, I went to the Welsh coast to hike around during the weekend. I took my bivvy bag with me. The first night, I slept beneath a rowan tree near the coastal path. I was hidden from sight but could hear the last walkers chatting.

Then, all grew dark and still, and yet full of nature sounds, birds chirping before bedtime. The stars were bright. A helicopter came by and I was terrified by the loud noise coming towards me. I repeated a mantra to myself – safe, dry, invisible. In the middle of the night, I woke up cold and started worrying I’d get hypothermia. But I had something to eat and went back to sleep. Then, I was woken by sunlight. I heard the first hikers walking by. So I got up and packed up. It felt so free to sleep out alone in nature and I felt proud of myself like I could do anything!