the story pilgrim

Darren Hill
  • 5.0 (10)
  • Places & Travel
  • Updated Biweekly

Discover the power of storytelling and the journey of self-discovery on life's pilgrimage. Join Darren as he walks ancient and modern pilgrim paths, unearthing the sacred stories that connect us all. From bustling cities to tranquil countryside, each episode weaves together personal reflections, ramblings, heartfelt conversations, and the rich histories of the places he explores. Whether you’re a traveller at heart, a seeker of wisdom, or someone who finds solace in nature’s embrace, this podcast offers inspiration, insight, and a deeper connection to the world around us. Tune in and walk, take a hike, alongside Darren as he navigates the paths that shape our lives and communities.

  1. Sondra Harper: Gentle Agency

    1d ago

    Sondra Harper: Gentle Agency

    Send us Fan Mail Life coaching, personal growth, spirituality, nature, resilience, pilgrimage, self-compassion, motivation and the power of choice. In this episode of the story pilgrim, I sit down with coach, author and speaker Sondra Harper to explore a question that sits at the heart of so many of our lives: How do we choose who we become when life doesn't unfold as we planned? As a wife, mother, coach and pilgrim, Sondra shares the experiences that have shaped her understanding of resilience, grace and personal responsibility. From pilgrimages to India to navigating family challenges, she reflects on the attitudes that can quietly become habits—either keeping us stuck or helping us move forward. We talk about the inspiration behind her book, The Four Attitudes, and the belief that although we may each be just one person in an ocean of people, one person still has the capacity to make a difference. But this isn't a conversation built on easy answers or polished slogans. Together, we explore the idea of spiritual consumerism and ask what we should make of the modern self-help world. What would Sondra say to sceptics? Can books, retreats and coaches transform us? Or do they simply invite us to do the one thing nobody else can do on our behalf? The work. Because, as Sondra reminds us, the only person who can change you is you. Nature also plays a profound role in her understanding of life. She speaks about the awareness that comes from paying attention to the natural world, and how its rhythms can teach us humility, presence and perspective. She recalls the extraordinary experience of being on retreat and living through a Category 4 hurricane—an encounter that deepened her respect for nature's power and reminded her how small, vulnerable and interconnected we truly are. Together, we explore: • The power of choice during life's challenges • Pilgrimage and the lessons found in India • Nature as a teacher of awareness and humility • Surviving a Category 4 hurricane while on retreat • Spiritual consumerism and healthy scepticism • Turning desire into meaningful motivation • Self-compassion and extending grace to ourselves • Family, resilience and identity • Coaching as a tool for awareness, not dependence • Why nobody else can do your inner work for you At the heart of this conversation is a simple but liberating truth: You don't have to surrender your own thinking to somebody else's certainty. You are over there. You're welcome. Perhaps transformation isn't about finding the perfect guru, the perfect retreat or the perfect answer. Perhaps it's about paying attention. To nature. To others. To yourself. And then choosing the next step. Coaching Website: https://sondraharper.com/ "The Four Attitudes": https://thefourattitudes.com/ Buen camino, and keep listening.

    27 min
  2. Darren Hill: Taking Breath

    Jun 2

    Darren Hill: Taking Breath

    Send us Fan Mail Walking, travel, mindfulness, reflection, Vancouver Washington, Mount Hood, pilgrimage, storytelling and finding presence in an increasingly busy world. After weeks of walking with guests across Season Two, this episode takes a pause. No actor. No coach. No writer. No counsellor. Just me. Fresh off a full transatlantic flight and running on little sleep, I find myself in Vancouver, Washington, an often-overlooked city sitting on the banks of the Columbia River, just across from Portland, Oregon. With no guest ready for this week's episode, I return to the roots of the story pilgrim and head out for a walk alone. Along the way, I reflect on life as cabin crew, the strange reality of travelling the world without always truly seeing it, and the breathtaking sight of Mount Hood standing quietly beneath our aircraft as we descended into Portland. This is a walk about slowing down. About the pressure to keep producing, keep moving, keep becoming. About friendship, chance encounters, and the conversations that shape our lives long after we've forgotten having them. It's also about something that struck me as I wandered through Vancouver's streets and parks: the humbling realisation that places continue without us. Home is carrying on right now. Brighton is still there. The people we love are living their ordinary Tuesdays. The trees, rivers, mountains and cities continue their existence whether we are present or not. And somehow, I find comfort in that. A reflective return to the solo walks that started this podcast, and a chance to take a breath between conversations. Buen camino, and keep listening.

    21 min
  3. Natalie Rozon: Full Circle

    May 19

    Natalie Rozon: Full Circle

    Send us Fan Mail Longtime friend Natalie Rozon joins me in Montreal for a walk about memory, encouragement, parenthood, loss, and the conversations that quietly alter the direction of a life. Natalie and I first met in 2000 while working aboard the cruise ship Mercury — sailing from Vancouver to Alaska. I worked in the casino; Natalie worked in guest relations. We were young, uncertain, and trying to work out who we were becoming. We haven’t seen each other in twenty-six years. In this episode, we walk through Montreal and revisit that time — the friendships, the laughter, and the conversations we had and have stayed with me ever since. At a point in my life when I lacked confidence and direction, she was the one who encouraged me to pursue acting seriously. This walk became an opportunity to finally say thank you. Natalie also talks about music and singing, something she has always loved and continues to pursue for the joy of it rather than the spotlight. We speak about becoming a mother, the relationship with her daughter, losing both of her parents in recent years, and how grief reshapes your understanding of time, presence, and what truly matters. Running through the conversation is a quieter idea: that the people who influence our lives most profoundly are not always aware they’ve done it at all. Recorded in Montreal during one of my work trips, this is a walk about friendship, memory, gratitude, and the strange way life circles back on itself. Season Two of the story pilgrim walks with people — their histories, their influence, and the moments that stay with us long after they’ve passed. buen camino, and keep listening.

    26 min
  4. William Shakespeare: Borrowed Voice

    May 5

    William Shakespeare: Borrowed Voice

    Send us Fan Mail In this experimental episode, I walk with William Shakespeare — or at least, a version of him shaped through artificial intelligence — exploring creativity, storytelling, and what it means to give voice to someone long gone. Unable to find a human companion for this walk, I turned to AI — asking it to take on the character of Shakespeare as if we were walking together through the countryside, speaking freely, off the cuff. What followed was…imperfect. At times, the voice feels close. At others, it drifts — too polished, too certain, unmistakably artificial. And yet, within that tension, something else begins to take shape: a conversation not just with “Shakespeare,” but with the idea of authorship itself. We talk about writing what you don’t know, reshaping existing stories, imagination versus lived experience, and whether creativity is ever truly original. There are questions about his life, his influences, his relationships — and even the attempt to create something new in the moment. And at the end, there is a small intervention. A brand new sonnet, generated during the walk, read not by AI — but by a human voice. It’s worth staying for. This is not a perfect illusion.  It’s an exploration. Season Two of the story pilgrim walks with people — and here, perhaps, with something that only resembles one. buen camino, and keep listening.

    29 min
  5. Lucy Hill: Inner Tools

    Apr 21

    Lucy Hill: Inner Tools

    Send us Fan Mail Trainee counsellor, actor and curly associate Lucy Hill joins me for a walk on Southwick Hill to talk about therapy training, personal growth, identity, and navigating life through challenge and change. In this episode, Lucy reflects on her journey towards becoming a therapist — the realities of counselling training, the emotional weight of working with others, and how difficult life events during that process can either shake you or strengthen you. She speaks openly about building a “toolkit” — not just professionally, but personally — and how those tools are shaped through lived experience. We also talk about her earlier ambitions as an actor, achieving that goal, and the complicated feeling of no longer wanting it in the same way. Questions of identity, imposter syndrome, and what it means to let go of one path while stepping into another run quietly through the conversation. Family plays a strong role too — the positive influence of her parents, alongside an awareness of how other relationships and projections can shape, or sometimes distort, the direction of your life. Set against the backdrop of Brighton — the place she calls home — this is a walk about self-awareness, resilience, and the ongoing process of becoming. Season Two of the story pilgrim walks with people — their inner lives, their turning points, and the tools they gather along the way. buen camino, and keep listening.

    41 min
  6. Gary Mepsted: Measured Words

    Apr 7

    Gary Mepsted: Measured Words

    Send us Fan Mail Writer, mentor, and creative writing teacher Gary Mepsted joins me for a conversation in his garden to talk about writing craft, storytelling, observation, and a life shaped by instinct rather than plan. Expelled from school early on, Gary’s path into writing was anything but straightforward. Later gaining a Master’s in English, he has spent decades teaching others, though he avoids calling it a “career.” For Gary, life has been a series of unplanned turns, each one met with a willingness to respond rather than control. We talk about writing beyond your own life, stepping into other worlds, and the influence of writers such as Graham Swift and Maggie O'Farrell, alongside a line he once heard on the radio that has stayed with him ever since: “As a novelist, I see myself in a kind of ornithological role…I note down what they do, but I can in no way influence their behaviour.” That idea, observing without interfering, runs quietly through everything Gary does. We also talk about ego in the creative arts, the role of mentorship, and why he finds more satisfaction in helping others find their voice than chasing recognition himself. And there are stories, including his Uncle George, a larger-than-life character moving between worlds: chauffeur, joke writer, psychic, and something of a prototype for a certain South London spirit. A man who, in Gary’s words, understood him more than anyone else. This is a walk about patience, perspective, and the craft of paying attention. Season Two of the story pilgrim walks with people, their philosophies, their turning points, and the quieter forces that shape them. buen camino, and keep listening.

    1h 2m
  7. Jordan Stringer: Against Odds

    Mar 24

    Jordan Stringer: Against Odds

    Send us Fan Mail Award-winning football coach Jordan Stringer joins me for a walk around Upminster to talk about resilience, grassroots football, dyspraxia, and overcoming testicular cancer at a young age. Jordan grew up in Upminster with a deep love for football. A game that didn’t come easily to him. Living with dyspraxia meant coordination was a constant challenge, but instead of stepping away, he found another way in. A teacher’s suggestion to help coach changed everything, setting him on a path that would shape his life. We walk through the streets where it all began, talking about school, identity, and how setbacks can quietly redirect you towards something greater. At 21, Jordan was diagnosed with testicular cancer — something he had been aware of since childhood. He speaks openly about that period, the mental battle alongside the physical one, and how he kept moving forward. What runs through this conversation is football as community — not just a game, but a space where people find belonging, purpose, and connection. This is a walk about resilience, perspective, and choosing to see something steady even when life throws everything off balance. You can find more about Jordan here:  🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-stringer-4aa94812a/ 🔗 https://www.instagram.com/jordy200897/ 🔗 https://www.gofundme.com/f/jordan-stringer-private-procedure Season Two of the story pilgrim walks with people — their challenges, their turning points, and the paths they build from them. buen camino, and keep listening.

    1h 7m
  8. Sascha Cooper: Open Paths

    Mar 10

    Sascha Cooper: Open Paths

    Send us Fan Mail Actor, life coach, and creative entrepreneur Sascha Cooper joins me for a walk through the Seven Sisters Nature Reserve at Cuckmere Haven to talk about acting, intuition, personal growth, and the winding path of a creative life. Raised in Devon and later studying in Plymouth before training at The Courtyard Theatre Training Company, London, Sascha has spent more than two decades building a creative life in Brighton — balancing performance, coaching, and spiritual exploration. Along the walk, we talk about her acting journey, the moments that shaped her confidence, and the people who helped her along the way. Sascha reflects on the women who influenced her life, the value of mentorship, and the quiet strength that comes from community. Sascha also shares her long relationship with fortune-telling — something that began as playful entertainment and gradually deepened into a deeper exploration of intuition, insight, and guidance. The conversation moves candidly through identity and self-image, too. Sascha speaks openly about being a plus-size woman in the performing arts industry, how that has shaped her career, and the ways she has learned to own her presence rather than shrink it. This is a walk about creative courage, intuition, and the many routes that lead us back to ourselves. You can find Sascha’s work here:  🔗 https://www.saschacooper.co.uk/ 🔗 https://www.facebook.com/sascha.cooper/ 🔗 https://www.instagram.com/saschacooperentrepreneur/ Season Two of the story pilgrim walks with people — their histories, their work, and the paths that shaped who they are. buen camino, and keep listening.

    1h 5m
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About

Discover the power of storytelling and the journey of self-discovery on life's pilgrimage. Join Darren as he walks ancient and modern pilgrim paths, unearthing the sacred stories that connect us all. From bustling cities to tranquil countryside, each episode weaves together personal reflections, ramblings, heartfelt conversations, and the rich histories of the places he explores. Whether you’re a traveller at heart, a seeker of wisdom, or someone who finds solace in nature’s embrace, this podcast offers inspiration, insight, and a deeper connection to the world around us. Tune in and walk, take a hike, alongside Darren as he navigates the paths that shape our lives and communities.

Information

  • Creator
    Darren Hill
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    66
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 the story pilgrim
  • Show Website
    the story pilgrim