Alessia Ghirardi

I was born in Rimini, in wonderful Romagna, and in early childhood I moved with my family to my grandparents’ house on the first hills around Rimini. Daily contact with my farmer and livestock-raising grandfather kept me very close to everything that is nature and natural. With my dog at the time, I began my first solitary afternoon walks to clear my head from the daily chaos, unaware of the meaning those walks already had for me. My parents passed on to me a passion for and the beauty of travel. From them I learned to appreciate the wonder of diversity, the ability to adapt to the new, and openness to whatever happens. I chose not to take a year-round job so I could have time to travel. My destinations were all overseas, lasting 3–4 months, and unknowingly I traveled with a backpack and mostly on foot. As an adult, I realized that my feet would never be able to stay still again, and in 2006 I obtained my license as an Environmental Hiking Guide.

Now, for me, walking is a life resource: it loosens knots, opens hearts and minds, breaks down barriers, and sparks new ways of relating.

Membership number: ER264