wanderwomen scotland
Hi, I am Anna. I set up WanderWomen Scotland Ltd in November 2018, in order to
encourage women into the Outdoors, and to enable them to have their space the
male-dominated Adventure world. Nature has been my happy place ever since
growing up in East Germany, a locked-down country. Getting away from propaganda,
Stasi spies and political control, getting outdoors meant freedom and truth,
even if that meant holidaying in really basic huts, without electricity or
flowing water, skinny dipping in all kinds of bodies of water and cooking over
fire. After spending my 20s in London, turning my back on nature a little, yet
still cycling everywhere, having my own children made me appreciate the outdoors
again, I re-familiarised myself with the feeling of content that the seasons
brought, or the reassurance of the cycles of growth in the garden, or the cycles
of the moon. Disagreeing with the early school starting age in the UK, I
flexi-schooled my 2 boys throughout their Primary School years, working with
local rangers, counting bumble bees and orchids and doing other conservation
tasks, built mandala sculptures, bug hotels, community gardens and a willow play
village at a local park and set up an outdoor learning group for pre-school
children. Once it was not cool enough for them anymore, spending their Mondays
climbing trees and making fires with Mama, I decided I wanted to keep sharing
the benefits of nature, as well as my survival skills – and with the help of a
vision board, and support from family and friends, WanderWomen was born:
Offering Outdoor events in a mix of mindfulness and adventure. Wild Swimming is
my Meditation, Solo Camping is Selfcare, Yoga is being playful, Silence is where
my Creativity gets birthed, and Walking is thinking & problem-solving. Cycling
is getting me from A to B, and my competitive side manifests itself in going
slower. I love the smell of fire and the sound of rain on canvas. Plant
connection is strong, and I forage, appreciate and lay mandalas to practice
mindfulness.
