They say spending time in nature can change your life. But in a world packed with indoor life pressures, how can you make getting outside just a part of who you are?
Welcome to the Humans Outside podcast, where we explore life in the great outdoors from our perch in Alaska, all while hearing from fascinating outdoor-minded guests.
It’s a question I’ve heard several times over my more than 2,300-day outdoor streak: ‘what do you do if you’re sick?’
Since I’ve never missed a day, and I’ve definitely been sick more than once, you can easily guess that I still go outside. And fortunately the benefits I find there — even though getting out in it takes extra effort — make it all worth it. Of course they do.
In this episode I talk about how (and why) I get outside even when I’m sick and down for the count. Listen now!
[:35] You can tell when I’m sick — probably
[:59] But then you might assume this
[2:11] I gotta get out there, but it’s winter, so…
[2:37] The best thing about the 20-minute minimum
[3:10] Plus, then I’m grateful
It was a sad closing to the week in my house as we said “goodbye” to our dog of 12 years. We brought so much joy to each other. But it was time to let her go.
Chloe was there when I first started spending time outside for nature’s sake, so remembering her in an episode seemed like the least I could do to honor her place in our lives and the joy dogs bring so many of us.
She was a very good girl. Terrible breath; but such a good girl. This one is for her.
[:42] It was harder than I thought it would be
[1:30] What kind of dog is she?
[2:04] All about best good girl, Chloe
[4:18] Ever tried to write news stories while a dog snores?
[5:19] Please, pet a dog
Every now and then you run across something that captures your imagination while giving you a connection to an outdoor experience you loved. That’s exactly how I felt the first time I came across one of the National Park posters designed by amateur parks historian Ranger Doug Leen and his team of artists and creators. The colors, design and connection to the past reminded me of all of the work and drama that went into protecting the lands I had come to love — and why doing so is important.
Many other collectors and park enthusiasts feel just as I do about the prints — and the mystery and chase around creating them. In this episode Ranger Doug, so-called ‘Ranger of the Lost Art,’ tells the story of chasing down the historic park prints, creating new ones in their style and why these connect visitors to the national parks they love.
Listen now.
[2:10] Talking to Doug Leen from here
[3:44] Ranger Doug’s outdoor story
[5:53] A career that took him all sorts of place
[7:48] How he became ‘Ranger of the Lost Art’
[16:21] What these posters look like
[20:27] Why people like the posters
[22:29] How the posters connect us with the parks
[27:22] How people can support this work
[30:17] Doug’s favorite outdoor space
Wondering if you really do have time for that epic outdoor adventure in the middle of your otherwise normal life, or not quite sure if you can make it happen?
That’s how I felt recently while trying to balance my desire to head out for an ice skating trip to a glacier with having 1 million surely very important things to do. Did I actually have time? Would I be dropping too many balls by going?
The answer, of course, was that, yes, I had time. You have time to add some fun to your schedule, too. And in this episode I share some ideas for making it happen.
Listen now.
[:35] My brain said no but my heart said go
[1:32] The work I’ve been doing on my brain
[2:31] Epic things come when you make the time
[2:44] A series of three helpful tips for making time for epic stuff during normal life
How do you handle zero-fun outdoor time? Push through and get the goal anyway before calling it quits? Wrap it up and head back to the car? Beat yourself up about quitting? Know that it’s OK?
This week on a mountain adventure with a few friends I found myself having a zero fun time. It just didn’t feel right. And I was big done. So what did I do?
Listen now.
[:46] OK, so I like a challenge
[:59] But even I have to draw a line
[1:55] So I started trying to work with my nervous system
[2:48] But you know what? No.
[3:44] Here’s the permission we didn’t need but we have anyway
Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts or wherever you find your favorite podcasts. The following is an edited transcript of this episode of Humans
Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts or wherever you find your favorite podcasts. The following is an edited transcript of this episode of Humans
Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or wherever you find your favorite podcasts. The following is an edited transcript of this episode