The key to seeing wonders outside (Outdoor Diary)
April 23, 2024
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
Podcast
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.
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So we all want to be people who are outside having cool adventures — but what about finding adventure right where you live? How do you learn the best local spots, break out of your comfort zone to try something new and, maybe even more importantly, find adventure buddies with whom to do it?
Those are all questions Kierre Childers is working to tackle through her Palmer, Alaska-based tour company Revel Treks and Tours, which focuses on helping locals get outside and explore Alaska.
Breaking outside your comfort zone in your own backyard can feel like a daunting task, especially when you’re squeezing it into your already packed life. But Kierre has some great suggestions for making it happen as you learn to explore right where you live, find a community to do it with and get comfortable with asking for help.
Listen to this helpful episode now!
[2:15] Why this episode is a little different
[3:03] Kierre Childer’s favorite outdoor space
[4:20] Kierre’s outdoor story
[8:10] Not so many volcanoes in Indiana
[9:02] Why we love where we live
[13:22] Why focus on tourism for locals?
[15:37] What’s 2020 got to do with it?
[20:34] Is it surprising that locals need help doing local outdoor stuff?
[21:00] P.S. it’s hard
[24:46] Here’s a little about Revel Treks and Tours
[27:45] The struggle of finding out what’s happening
[32:50] Here’s some tips for getting outside right where you live
[39:03] Kierre’s favorite outdoor moment
You’ve heard me talk about how much I love my outside community events. Maybe you want to head out for some, too. But do you know how to find them?
If you’re stuck not knowing even where to get started on learning about the fun outside things that are happening in your community, I’ve got some failure-free tips for you in this episode of Humans Outside.
Listen now — and then share your favorite way to learn what’s happening outdoors near you.
[:41] Yes, I do love it here
[:50] My very first community event (and it was cold)
[1:21] On the hunt for outdoor community fun
[2:27] Here’s the conundrum
[3:00] The first way to fix it
[3:31] The second way
[4:08] Way number three
[4:55] You have been warned about the dangers so don’t come at me
Ever wondered if it’s safe to eat those berries you see on a hike, or if there are medicinal plants hiding in plain sight? The longer you spend outside, the more you might start to wonder how to find good things to consume out there — and how to avoid the ones that might kill you.
What we all need is a little guidance. And for that we have Ebony Gheorghe, a forager focused on herbs based in the UK and author of the new book Enchanted Foraging. She teaches us why foraging creates a special connection to nature, the best way to get started without risking eating something that will definitely or even possibly kill you and few of her foraging favorites.
Listen now!
[2:55] Ebony Gheorghe’s favorite outdoor space
[3:30] Ebony’s outdoor story
[6:14] How Ebony got into foraging
[7:05] Why everyone should try foraging
[12:52] How foraging makes you appreciate food and the work of it all
[14:29] How to make foraging more accessible
[17:42] Reconnecting with nature through foraging
[25:00] How to get started foraging
[27:46] Ebony’s favorite things to forage
[34:12] Warning: it’s addictive
[36:14] Ebony’s favorite outdoor moments
It’s been *six years* since I started my daily outdoor habit, spending at least 20 consecutive minutes outside every single day, no matter what. I’ve learned countless things about myself, about the world and about how heading outside impacts me.
But the truth is there’s one big lesson I keep coming back to, and it’s the same thing I was battling the very first day I kicked off this adventure. It is without a doubt the most important, most impactful thing I’ve learned. It has, quite simply, changed my life — and it can change yours, too.
Listen now!
[:35] Happy outside anniversary to me!
[:50] What it looks like through numbers
[1:15] The story in case you forgot
[1:56] Here’s the big lesson
[2:40] Where I was reminded of all of this
[3:20] It wasn’t all roses, but also it was
[3:30] It’s always worth it, for real
[3:50] When I self-limiting, I am limited
It’s something I’ve noticed over and over again: the more bold steps I take outside, the more life adventures I’m willing to tackle in my home and work life.
That’s a theme Shelby Stanger has heard over and over again from guests she interviews on REI’s Wild Ideas Worth Living podcast and something she experienced in her own life. It’s also the theme of her new book, “Will to Wild: Adventures Great and Small to Change Your Life.”
But what is the will to wild? How do you find it and how do you chase it? Is it something that can be gained only by the super outdoorsy or those privileged enough to spend lots of time outside?
Shelby tackles those questions and more in this exciting episode of Humans Outside. Listen now!
[2:08] Shelby’s favorite outdoor space
[4:13] How Shelby became someone who likes to go outside
[9:17] What is the ‘will to wild?’
[10:40] What this is all really, actually about
[13:18] What’s happening out there
[18:01] An example from here in Alaska
[20:35] Hello! Register for Ski Babes!!
[22:30] The biggest limiter
[25:11] How to get over that limiter
[28:54] Is the will to wild a matter of privilege?
[32:42] A few times others’ wild ideas got Shelby out there
[35:37] The truth of JOMO
[38:38] Steps for chasing wild ideas
[41:19] Shelby’s favorite outdoor moment
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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
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