Podcast

Did you know I’m a journalist? I mean, you probably do because I mention it in the intro of many episodes of Humans Outside. But you probably didn’t know I’m launching a local nonprofit newspaper.

It’s an all-consuming project, and going outside has been key to helping me get it off the ground.

Going outside daily has also been key to helping me understand how to manage my time, how to prioritize what’s important to me, how to make all of it happen in one day.

But it’s also taught me that the world is full of natural beginnings and endings as a part of the seasons.

Listen now.

There are a lot of reasons to spend time in nature, but as I reflect back on all of the things I’ve learned by heading outside every day for more than 2,500 days in a row, some takeaways stick out more than others.

The biggest thing I’ve learned by spending time outside is also both my favorite lesson and the thing I least expected.

What is it? Listen now!

There’s something both comforting and amazing about the way nature takes the reigns no matter what happens. During a recent walk in the woods, I saw startling new growth on top of recent harm, and it was just the reminder I needed about nature’s power to reclaim itself and me.

Maybe it’s a reminder you need, too.

No matter how you define “hard,” heading outside offers plenty of chances to tackle it. Many people who choose to tackle hard stuff outside are pushed to do so to honor some kind of “why.”

For some of us, that “why” is health or to push our own personal boundaries. For others, the “why” is on behalf of someone else.

Ultrarunner Emily Halnon’s “why” has everything to do with her mom, who died from an aggressive form of cancer in early 2020. To honor her she headed out to tackle a major challenge running on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). It’s a story she’s now shared in her new book “To The Gorge.”

Through her journey she learned the power of moving through hard stuff. In this episode you’ll hear Emily share the things she’s learned through that journey and how you can make yourself do hard things outside, too.