I do not think I have ever been in a place as quiet as Chilcotin Holidays. From growing up in the suburbs of a busy little town to moving into the heart of a thriving student neighborhood, noise has been a constant feature of my life, to the extent that I hardly even noticed it.

Noise takes up a huge amount of space. As the space around is filled with the hustle and bustle of other people focused on their own activities and goals, the only refuge is the stillness inside your own head. Everyone is cut off and contained inside themselves – the one space where it is possible to find some peace and quiet.

The difference here is that there is finally proper space for me outside of myself. Space that I don’t have to fight against a hundred other people to fill. It is as wonderful and freeing as it is frightening, to be able to hear my own thoughts uninterrupted after such a long time of having them drowned out by the world around me. I feel more connected to the physical space I am occupying than I have been able to before, which a humbling experience in the vastness of the surroundings in this part of the world.

The quiet offers space to reflect, and hear what the voice inside you is saying. It allows you to connect to yourself, the world around you, and all of the people who make their lives in the quiet places. There is a clarity here that cannot be easily achieved elsewhere.

If there is one thing I take away from Chilcotin Holidays, I hope that I remember to take the time to remove myself from the noise of my day-to-day life, and give myself the space to be quiet.

Emma, UK