Alex Mason is a multi-discipline adventurer, writer, speaker and designer. In 2015, she decided she’d had enough of sitting at a desk and her 9-5 routine. So, she took a 9 month sabbatical from her job and set off to hike the Pacific Crest Trail in America. It was an adventure that would change the course of her life.

In the last 5 years, Alex has summited Mera Peak in the Himalayas, walking the Pacific Crest Trail again, but in the opposite direction, hiked the length of New Zealand along Te Araroa trail, cycled across Australia on a bike called Priscilla, explored Indonesia, rowed the English Channel, walked the Appalachian Trail, and then, at the beginning of 2020, rowed the Atlantic.

In this episode, Alex shares her story and some of the tales from her many adventures. We also talk about how societal norms can be a barrier to living your own best life and why failure is not only a good thing, but is something we should actively embrace.

To connect with Alex, she’s @masonalexandra on Instagram, and her website is masonalexandra.com.

Show notes:

01:40 – 03:30 – Alex on why her friends call her Puff Puff

03:41 – 04:29 – Alex on the significance of avocados

04:44 – 06:21 – Alex on her love of adventure

06:26 – 08:14 – Alex on why she walked the P.C.T

08:20 – 09:37 – Alex on the perceived barriers she felt were stopping her living a more adventurous life

09:56 – 12:31 – Alex on quitting her day job for good

13:04 – 15:43 – Alex on cycling across Australia

17:41 – 25:01 – Alex on rowing the Atlantic

25:17 – 27:17 – Alex on why she likes multi-discipline adventure sports

27:28 – 29:09 – Alex on when she’s been her happiest on an adventure

29:17 – 30:49 – Alex on what she’d tell her younger self and how her relationship with herself has changed

30:51 – 33:14 – Alex on what she plans to do next.