London changed me

In this episode, Laura has just moved back in with her parents in Newcastle and goes on a 3 day cycling adventure to Edinburgh to hang out with some friends and film a branded Instagram video. She’s lived in the South for 7 years and coming back up North doesn’t feel like how she thought it would…

Timestamps
0:00 The master plan has brought me home
0:42 Day 1 – Deciding to cycle to Edinburgh
1:26 Day 1 – Living a life that people don’t understand
2:44 Day 1 – How I’m finding full-time content
4:15 Day 1 – Arriving at the beach & thoughts on the North
5:59 Day 2 – Waking up at the Beach
6:59 Day 2 – Full gas to the train
7:59 Day 2 – I guess we’re cycling
9:01 Day 2 – Meeting Alex
10:00 Day 2 – Final cycle to Edinburgh
10:57 Day 2 – Pints in Edinburgh
12:10 Home is a feeling

Links
LAURA30 for 30 days free bike insurance with LAKA – https://laka.co/gb
LAURA20 for 20% off Strava Premium – https://www.strava.com/subscribe/checkout?code=LAURA20
Shop Puresport electrolytes and supplements – https://creatoriq.cc/4mUd88u
LAURADOESSPORT for 15% off Stubble & Co backpacks – https://www.stubbleandco.com/

My instagram – https://www.instagram.com/lauradoessports/
My Strava – https://strava.app.link/LauraKirkpatrick

i don’t believe in a god and nor do I subscribe to a religion but sometimes I can’t help but feel that I’m following one big master plan greetings any Scots out today maybe you can tell by my hair or the surname that I inherited ah
greetings that I spent my childhood in the borders between two countries and this time that master plan has brought me home hey friends good morning and welcome to Newcastle go back home in the kitchen and um today I decided I’ve got free will and so I’m going to cycle to Edinburgh i am putting the tent in my sleeping bag in the actual backpack but yeah I was like you know what two things i want to go see Chloe i want to see Alex who’s from South Africa and I also need to film an Instagram ad for these guys and so I want to yeah feel it actually kind of inspiring rather than just being like me drinking your [ __ ] because I just don’t think that’s after living down south since the age of 18 i’ve just left my job and moved back up north with my parents and when strangers and small talk ask me what I do or where I live it honestly just leaves me a bit stumped what do you mean where do I live i live anywhere i live anywhere with adventure anywhere with FaceTime calls my best friends and anywhere I can escape the idea that I need to be somewhere i live in belly laughs with the right people in a wardrobe of two shirts and in£3 supermarket meal deals at whatever time of day because the irony is even though they may think my luck of living is weird and they don’t understand it in all likelihood I’m probably living more than they are these like cycle next hi i was just for some food and I like to sit outside with my We’re on the takeaway it’s uh 3:00 p.m on a Friday afternoon got some uh naughty scran cheers let’s actually do some kilometers
i kind of feel like this YouTube channel is my little digital journal for this new life that I’m living
what it is to have free will
and I won’t lie something I’ve been struggling with a bit recently is trying to live this life of adventure and freedom
you have four packets of electrolytes and two Kit Kats not sure my ratio is high whilst also working with people who don’t i’m reliant financially on the amazing brands that support me to live this life and whilst I am insanely grateful I also need the time to do the things and create the content so that the brands are getting their value from me and it’s kind of like having five different managers who don’t talk to each other
current plan is I’m going to stay like halfway between Newcast and then tomorrow I’m going to see if I can meet Alex like halfway between Barrack and Edinburgh i actually spent the 4 days before this ride in pretty constant meetings and at my laptop and even saying that in a slight negative way makes me feel so bad and so awkward because I don’t want to come across as ungrateful or like I don’t want to work with these brands cuz that is just so not true
oh gravel there’s not a cycle like underwater obstacles i guess I’m just 2 months into this quote unquote job that I’m figuring out and I want to bring people on the journey with me to show you what’s going on and that there is also so much that goes into social media and content that you don’t see wow when I made my first YouTube video in January there was a line that I wrote that keeps coming up in my thoughts i said “And I’m going to live there for at least some part of this year knowing full well that life there is very different.”
Yay welcome to my shower and as much as I feel like I’m passing through rather than living here it’s really weird but I feel a huge culture shock being back in the north the cafes don’t have plugs people talk rather than type there’s this contentlessness in routine and simplicity and I guess I don’t want to upset anyone but I feel there’s just a lot less ambition coming at you live from the dunes i’m just going to a little plunk here what a great day there’s a lot less hustle and pursuit of a better self that I think makes it hard for me to relate to people it’s weird living your life at 100 miles an hour when the world around you is now only at 10 got chicken bacon wrapped shortbread so as much as I grew up in the borders between England and Scotland and I was expecting to feel so much nostalgia it makes me pretty sad to feel like this place is no longer my home good morning my friends it is 5:30 in the old A.M well it’s a good job that I uh set my alarm for the sunrise oh yeah god am I glad that I brought the bloody uh wind rain sheet for the tent i wasn’t going to bring it cuz I was like “Oh it’s going to be warm i’ll just watch the stars.” But I feel a bit gross more just like I’ve had to put on my wet/ sweaty kit alas but I’m meeting Alex at 9:30 in Dumbar which is 60 ks away yeah although I could do some water that would be good it’s a good idea to do CrossFit like a maze well I guess I’m on the A1 we’re in Vermont said I’m enjoying this to be honest just want to get the train it’s so hilly just seen that I can get a train from Reston to Dumbar i just looked the train to Dumbar there’s only one in half an hour current ETA is 8:13 and the train’s at 10 6 minutes past now i can see it oh wanker yes we’re cycling that shot of me in the Scotland sign cost me the train the fire that they often like choose discomfort because yeah I tried to get a train so that I could be on time to meet Alex but clearly that didn’t go to plan so I had to cycle the full 60k and I can’t say that it was very enjoyable my back was sore i had no water and even though it was beautiful it was very hilly i was just editing the footage and I found a vlog and it was me saying that often as adventurers and athletes we choose discomfort because it prepares us for the days when we don’t have a choice and today was one of those days where the hours of intentional suffering that I’ve put myself through in the past mean that I have the physical and mental power to push through quite a lot and 60K of a sore back and dehydration is not that difficult but once I’m Alex it was all worth it
i only sold them in 10 so you can have the rest if you want
actually I use them
don’t you
i should though i’ve got an electric pump with me
oh that’s so heavy
so I got so much stuff okay now you’re Now we’re recording welcome to the vlog
what’s up
i’m going to get some coffee coffee welcome to the cafe um # lacer you just quoted Laura 30 for 30 days free insurance i started following them on Instagram did you a I thought they Yeah they did
this one’s YouTube smile it’s best to cam
new influencer hell yeah is it on what’s up
welcome um to Alex Besta taking over like and subscribe this is a summer equinox ride nice weather upgrade so I met Alex on my first day in Cape Town in February when I went along to the cheer group ride and we have been pen pals ever since and he was on holiday in the UK flying back from Edinburgh so I recruited him to carry my backpack no jokes love you Alex even if you are just um after me for my UK passport no I am so grateful I went to Cape Town it honestly changed the direction of my life hey
friends we’re in Edinburgh welcome to Scotland that was good i’m from Scotland
and that led to me meeting people that I would like to be friends with forever so as we got to Edinburgh we celebrated and then I went to stay the night with my lovely friend Chloe look at that take check oh not bad all right go on then oh no it’s a shocker
people say like three big gulps but I feel like about it’s about six for me m oh my word that’s pretty good
that’s pretty good
slade another day of the slay lfg lfg we’re in [ __ ] Edinburgh sorry we’re in freaking Edinburgh i’m not allowed to swear i am allowed to swear that’s my my videos i make the rules chicken i left you
i left you
i left you it’s a good day to be alive oh yeah sun’s out gross so we’re going we’re going we’re going and as I woke up in a different bed in a different country with only the clothes in my backpack and the sounds of a very good friend in the kitchen I realized that my home is not a location a building or even a country it’s a feeling and maybe that will now be true for the rest of my life living in shadows had grown long here in my whole heart feels heavy