Inspiration: Sian Lewis from The Girl Outdoors

This month's Inspiration guest is Sian Lewis from The Girl Outdoors. I love Sian's blog and am always saving her inspiring posts on Bloglovin! Sian is a travel journalist who posts guides about places she has visited, tips and tricks for the outdoorsy girl, and kit reviews for all the gear that you could need. For serious travel envy and outdoor pursuits inspiration, look no further than The Girl Outdoor's blog.

Tell us about how you started writing about travel and outdoor living.
I began my blog as a journalism student in 2011 because I wanted somewhere to chart my adventures. It made me realise that the great outdoors and travelling are what I love to write about, and my journalism career has followed suit I guess! I'm now a freelance writer and video producer and feel very lucky to get to work in the field I love. 

What would be an ideal weekend for you?
Perhaps a summer weekend on the Dorset coast with my climbing friends - we go to Worth Matravers a few times a year and camp. The days are spent climbing in the sun and swimming in the sea and in the evenings we'll have a whisky round the fire. Perfect. 

Do you have any tips for staying healthy whilst travelling or spending a weekend outdoors?
I find travel can take a toll on your body pretty fast. I try to avoid too much street food, as tempting as it looks, and snack on fruit and vegetables when I can. I always take my running gear away with me and try to fit in a run or a yoga session. That said, I usually find it takes a week or two for my body to recover and feel fit again after a busy travel assignment. 



You always seem to be doing an exciting outdoor sport or activity. Do you have a favourite?
I don't have a favourite, mainly because I'm not actually that good at any of the sports I love to do! I'm definitely a jack of all trades and I also have a short attention span, so my idea of a good workout week would include rope climbing, a run around the harbour, yoga, a walk in the hills and a surfing session. It keeps my brain engaged and I like training different muscles. My most regular activity is running though, because it's so easy to sling on your trainers and go for a quick sprint after work.  

What do you get up to when you aren’t travelling or spending the day out and about?
More often than people think I'm just sat on my laptop trying to meet deadlines with a steady stream of coffee to hand. I also love to read and always have a book on the go. Of an evening if I'm not working out I'll be in the pub with my friends in Bristol. 

Have you always been interested in healthy living?
I've always been into keeping fit, despite not being very good at PE and team sports growing up - I was more of a solo swimming, horse-riding, running kind of person growing up. I need regular exercise just to keep me sane! I do try to eat healthily but I'm not militant about it, mainly because if I couldn't have chocolate and wine I'd be distraught. 

Where is your must-see travel destination?
I'm desperate to hike to Everest base camp. I've been to the Dead Sea in Israel and I'd love to have visited the lowest and (almost) highest places on earth. I recently hiked to the top of Mount Kenya and found the altitude a huge but rewarding challenge. 



Who, or what, inspires you the most?
I can't think of a single person but there's a whole army of cool women these days who are off adventuring around the world, and they inspire me hugely. Just this week Elise Downing is off running the coast of Great Britain and my friend Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent is driving around India on a motorbike. Those are some fearless ladies. 

Name a favourite healthy meal.
Lentils and goats cheese is an easy one. If I have zero time I'll have Tenderstem with olive oil and garlic. And I'm a bit obsessed with courgetti! 

Finally, what makes you happiest?
Being outdoors with friends. It sounds cheesy doesn't it? But I'm definitely a believer that happiness is best shared. Every year my mates get together for my birthday and we go and stay in a cottage on the coast, have a fire, go on lots of walks and usually get rained on. Those weekends have been some of the happiest of my life, and for me they sum up my main belief that you don't need to go far or spend a lot of money to find adventure and enjoy the freedom of the great outdoors. 

Thanks so much for speaking on Green+Aquamarine Sian! You can find Sian blogging on The Girl Outdoors and on Twitter. Stay tuned for more talks with inspiring people next month.