Woman's Wednesday with Natasha Bielinski

Natasha loves hiking, camping, nature and as well as using her survival skills and equipment a lot. She grew up on a ranch-like property and loved being outdoors in Brazil since she was a kid. “I was like Mogli”, she said. She doesn't really enjoy crowded cities or places. She loves having the peace and quietness in nature, being with nice people, having good conversations and sitting around the campfire.

”I love the most, just being in connection with myself, nature and the others I am with. Feeling each other's energy, just being and feeling the moment.”

Natasha explains that from her perspective, in nature you can always be in a group and at the same time so much with yourself.

“Hikes can be so beautiful and painful in one. Carrying all your equipment, sleeping on the ground, being in the cold or being hot, that’s not always fun. But in the moment, or after the experience, you just look back and start to be so proud of yourself, that you just did it.”

Nature supported her to find more confidence in herself, seeing a possibility to expand her comfort zone, and growing and learning a lot about oneself, by being in nature. A whole new world opened for herself and she explained it as a feeling of being invincible. Natasha always likes to push herself a bit over the limit, to see what is behind this border, which just exists in the mind.

“We all have our bad and good days, but it depends on how you get out of your bad days. That’s what matters. The good days do not make you grow, the bad days do. I also tell the clients I coach now, being uncomfortable and fearful is good, it’s about how you learn to cope with that moment. Those are the moments that will bring you where you would love to go more towards, in personal life, in business or plainly on hikes.”

She has been afraid of heights and still brought herself into these situations, to go beyond that fear and feel afterwards the happiness of doing it.

This is her passion as well now, with which she built up her own business, supporting people to cross their limitations, to live the life they would love to live. She actively decided after being employed in Marketing & Communications, that there is more in life then she was told as a kid, more than a 9-5 life. Now she feels free and experiences that life is so much more. “There is more than you can see now, it’s about changing the mindset. You can do whatever you want, if you allow yourself to break this cycle that you were told. I want people to experience their freedom, happiness and a place of true belonging. When you think good things, good things happen. When you think positive, the path will show itself.” She explains that she also tells her clients that in nature you can more easily connect to and find yourself. Even when living in a city, she proposes to also just look out for a park or waterside to spend time at. For her, in her daily life it also does not always have to be the pure wilderness. “Walking barefoot and just feeling the power of nature, that directly relaxes.”

She herself enjoys nowadays being out in nature in the area around Outdorp`in the Netherlands or just on the water surfing, even if she doesnt catch a wave.

Natasha moved from Brazil 15 years ago, being very independent from young age on, first to Dubai, moving further to Belgium and settling now down in the Netherlands in the area of Breda, but i already feeling that it might soon be time to move on again, not knowing where yet, “but definitely a place with more sun, this is more matching my roots. I created myself at home a nice tropical paradise with plants and a banana tree. This serves me for now, to feel the tropical vibes as well at home.” She created with a friend a group, in which they planned hikes and shared all their experiences on social media. First there were just the two of them, but soon people got attracted and wanted to join in.

“We organized hikes, without following specific trails, just out into the wilderness, enjoying our experiences here.” One of Natasha`s last longer hikes was in Scotland where she unfortunately fell into a huge whole, which she could not see as they were in a huge storm and everything was flooded on the high grass.

“I fell in with everything, my whole gear, backpack, equipment, clothing. Everything was wet. I hurt my knee and ankle and we were around 3 days away from the next city. Luckily we found a little medieval stone house, where we could sleep for the night, but after we arrived back home the next day, I first had to take some time for my injury.”

Natasha moved countries after this experience, through which the long wilderness experiences in nature moved a bit more out of her field. But still, she loves being in nature and outdoors, e.g. as well in her back garden with her survival gear and knives collection, for cooking outdoors with her cowboy bbq and cast iron pans.

“For me this equipment is not reserved for men, I also just love to be outdoors active with my hands, using these kinds of tools. I can just encourage every woman to try it out, it’s just so fun, I love and enjoy it so much.”

Before she buys some new equipment she likes to see it, feel it and have it in her hands. Bushcraftshop’s instagram account inspires her in using different, other or new equipment.

Natasha is great in adapting any kind of situation, always open and willing to find a solution for herself, also with just using primarily “men made” equipment. When we went deeper in our talk into the topic of womanhood, we got to a very important topic, having the menstruation when being underway.

“When going on a hiking trip when having your period, that can be quite challenging. There is no toilet available. Doing No.1 & 2 in the bush is not an issue, but with having the period, it would be lovely to have something supportive, like a smell containing or coloured bag to store the tampons or panty liners in, because you can't always find a trash bin underway.”

Bushcraftshop is integrating as well, with more focus on womanhood in wilderness, as well as more assortment for specific needs of women and to serve the needs of women, to have the best possible experience. Natasha, thanks so much for the interview, what is the last important thing you would like to share with our woman out there?

“If you don’t want to go alone on a hike, just go with a group. Prepare the tour well, then you will be well equipped and can cope with any kind of situation coming up.”

Thanks so much and all the best for you on your journey.