It’s really easy to join a group like UK Long Distance Hiking and fall into the trap of believing that everyone is some sort of full-time adventurer or digital nomad who gets to hike 24/7.
Seeing people doing the things you want to do all the time can certainly warp our reality which is why we are experiencing issues around mental health and social media as a society.
After all, whether your interest is long-distance hiking or knitting, it’s easy to feel that fear of missing out (FOMO) or find yourself comparing to others who seem to be having more fun than you.
So, as somebody who has these feelings creep up fairly frequently I was interested in the genuine question – what do hikers do when not hiking?
I was less interested in hobbies, more on that later, and more interested in careers/jobs.
I expected just a few answers but got loads.
Here are the ones which jumped out at me the most (or the ones I could find entertaining GIFS for)
We have a singer in an Abba tribute band.
There are a handful of gardeners
And we are lucky enough to have some NHS workers 👏♥
Some members walk or groom dogs
As you would expect in 2021 some members are techy guys, such as database developers, and programmers.
And a few folks confessed they were retired.
There are even two sex therapists
A handful of teachers seem to seek solitude away from their classrooms on the hills
And a very small minority actually do this outdoorsy thing full time, including a member who runs some outdoor websites, another who writes guidebooks, and a member who is an outdoor instructor/leader.
Two members own car detailing businesses. Isn’t that a fancy way of saying you wash cars for a living but charge 10x the amount of the local car wash? ( I could get into this trade! )
And we have some carers, youth workers, and social workers – those wonderful folks who care for our vulnerable and disadvantaged.
The Classical guitarist struck a chord.
And for those brave enough to be in retail. I applaud you!
We even have a builder. But he is walking around the UK at the moment
If CSI is you thing, two members work in forensics
And a good handful of you are in ecology and environmental professions.
I’m sure I saw an Estate Agent. But moving on…
There are some business owners and entrepreneurs
A surgeon
And a graphic designer or two
Need a 3 piece suit? Well one member can make them
And many many more, including, a salesman, a makeup artist, a motorsport photographer, a sound engineer, HGV driver and a wedding photographer.
The career choices are varied, mostly interesting, and show that many of us, including myself, must earn a living so enjoy the thing we love the most – hiking.
I hope you enjoyed this post.
