Being a human in a body can be really hard.
I was a chubby kid... and a chubby teenager. And a chubby young adult! I was very active with a healthy diet, but I was stuck in a size that didn't reflect it. I hated my body for it. I resented my body. How could I be doing everything "right" without any of it working?
As this decade comes to a close, I can't help but look back and smile at everything that has happened in the past ten years. I've grown in ways I never expected. I've made accomplishments that I'm truly proud of. But it didn't always feel like I was on the right track. You know that "they" say:
"Hindsight is 2020."
2019 has been a weird year. I haven't been hiking, climbing, camping, etc. nearly as much as I used to. I'm just here-- adulting proficiently, but not adventuring very much at all. Have you ever felt so grounded that you don't want to move, yet so restless that you can't stop thinking about moving? It's natural to change and it's healthy to rest. But I started this project, Outdoorism, with so much passion, and lately I don't feel like I have the right to claim it anymore. If being outdoors isn't a main part of my everyday life right now, how can I possibly keep running this business? The answer I'm finding? Get over it. I still love to do all things outdoors (It's still...
"You want me to do something... Tell me I can't do it."- Maya Angelou 1| You have to be fit to hike. There's absolutely no requirement to be "in shape" before you start hiking. Not only are there all different levels of hiking trails out there, but you can also keep challenging yourself based on your own goals. Whether you're looking for a good workout burn, or you just need some quiet time, all you have to do is get out and go. 2| If you're "in shape", hiking is easy. Just like you don't have to be fit to start hiking, being fit won't necessarily make you a good hiker either. I work out (mostly Crossfit) about four times...
"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul."-John Muir Hiking can be bigger than a hobby or a way to get an extra workout in. Here are 5 ways hiking teaches us how to be better humans on and off of the trails. 1| Hiking teaches us how to be alone. When we're young, so much of who we are is defined by the company we keep. We worry so much about what everyone thinks of us, that we don't give ourselves permission to ignore everyone else's opinion. Hiking gives us that permission. Nature is the place where we're free to let...
