From the Highlands to the Island

From the Highlands to By our new columnist, Deborah Anderson, the Island who has moved to Jersey from the Scottish Highlands. She has always believed in ‘be wild in style’, embrace the entirety of nature and the outdoors, but be responsible for your actions

Nature, cosy interiors, the outdoors, and being resilient to our winter weather… these are things about which I am passionate. As the Norwegians say, ‘There’s no bad weather; only bad clothing.’

I’m graciously thankful for my rural childhood in the Scottish Highlands and how it has formed me as an adult. The countryside is where my heart belongs and it’s a catalyst that drives the momentum for my creativeness; it inspires me and carves the path of how I live, work and spend my free time.

From a young age I have always loved the wilderness and endlessly appreciate growing up in a small hamlet on the edge of a wood. I was always out exploring nature, fauna, and the surrounding countryside, either with family, on my own or on horseback.. Heading off to the most remote areas I could find, no mobile phones, no time constraints and embracing the peace and serenity that is found within nature. I can almost feel that sensation of freedom, that notion I felt then and now to be given the opportunity to write about it evokes an immense sense of gratitude.

Remembering beautiful vistas, conjuring up images, memories and dreams from past years - the ones you can only achieve when there is not another soul in sight and you are at one with nature.

My childhood has formed who I am today. Acknowledging the value I have placed in the enjoyment of the quality of my childhood lifestyle, makes me chase my cravings for a grounded, simple and happy adventurous life. There is nothing quite like having that hunger for the outdoors: feeling the pull to stunning scenery; to feel your breath as you gasp in the crisp outdoor air as you walk, surrounded by what feels like an infinity of space… it gives one the ability to take you where your mind desires. I feel very privileged to have had this and for this to be awakened within me and it helps me to be conscious of my own needs.

I’m very passionate about nature and I’m very much of the opinion that it is not just for us to enjoy, but that it is essentially part of us - how we conduct ourselves in the countryside is vitally important.

We must realise that we can’t just take from nature selfishly, fulfilling our own needs of tranquility, space and openness, but we must also show respect to all things that are placed upon this earth, whether it be people or plants.

And for me personally, I need the feeling of openness and nature to feed my soul, heart and body. I’m very mindful now of what I need to keep me balanced and happy within our present world of craziness, and to reset after daily work and hassles. This way of life that I am trying to encompass, however, is not just for me but also for the benefit of my children, as they are the future and they need to be educated to have these same principles and to give them the tools to resist against the current inevitable move to a world of screens and technology.

Also, with the current movement towards remote working, we need this openness and nature to make us rethink how we live and how we choose to spend our valuable time. It becomes paramount to educate our children even more on how to live well.

So, let’s embrace what we have on our doorstep here in Jersey, to make a move to experience the outdoors with our loved ones and to educate our children on what an amazing playground there is here for us all to discover.

Not only will that take them away from iPad games, but they will be healthier and experience better the wellbeing benefits of getting outdoors and exploring nature.

Visit Debbie Anderson’s website www.becoorie.com