Podcast

How does your connection to nature change when you focus on experiencing it through each of your five senses? With the chance to literally taste the outdoors at every turn, I leaned into the gifts of the land and explored how experiencing nature through my mouth (and stomach) makes me feel.

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When was the last time you really noticed your world by focusing on one of your five senses? That’s something Gretchen Rubin talked about in her episode with Humans Outside, and it’s something I’ve recently been asking myself as I head outside daily.

What would happen if I spent some time noticing each sense outside? What would I find? What would I experience?

In this Outdoor Diary episode I explore my sense of sight during my daily nature time. What did I find?

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Heading into nature has a way of bringing plenty of challenges, whether you want them or not. Those can be anything from the weather to the creatures or even people you meet there. And just how good you feel about tackling those things can change day-by-day.

So how do you know when to push outside your comfort zone, and when to simply let it slide?

The answer is a little more complicated than it might seem.

Here’s how I’ve been tackling it as I deal with some challenging outdoor conditions. Listen now.

The situation is this: I was simply not prepared for the idea of needing to mentally power through summer.

But here we are. Whether it’s heat that melts your hair, or chilly rain that requires three jackets, bad weather can really kill the summer good attitude vibe.

The bad news? There’s nothing you can do about that.

The good news? This is when that outdoor habit comes in for the win.

Here’s how I’m facing less-than-ideal summer weather problems and a few things you can try if this is your problem, too. Listen now.

Now – whenever now is for you — is the perfect time to try something new outside. It doesn’t have to be complicated, far away, scary or wild. It just has to be new.

I’m coming to you live from a campground on the Kenai Peninsula during a week packed with new things.

New-to-me things have been all the rage for me recently thanks to a work assignment. And now I’m hoping you’ll join me. Here’s one new thing I’ve tried, and why you should try something new, too — and share it with me.

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The solstice – winter or summer – offers a time to pause in appreciation of what the light brings. And while it also feels like an acknowledgement of what is leaving or no longer present, there’s plenty of good to be found outside in the world and inside ourselves and the other humans around us.

So how am I celebrating the light? Listen now.

What happens when all of your tasks are outside but none of your nurturing? Can you lose sight of why you built an outdoor habit to start with? And how do you take a pause to reassess?

In seasons where tasks take us into the great outdoors, it’s easy to lose sight of why you want to be there, finding yourself just exhausted as always, but this time exhausted outside.

So what should you do? Listen now.

When was the last time you took a road trip near where you live and did some of the regular tourist stuff outside?

That’s what I’ve been up to on a week-long adventure traveling a portion of the Kenai Peninsula as I work on a writing assignment. I’ve met all sorts of interesting people and tried a bunch of new (to me) things — river floating, Alaska whitewater rafting, gold mining and ziplining.

The biggest reminder? Don’t let the weather get you down.

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When summer is short and you want to do everything, having a goal or adventure list for each summer can help keep you from feeling paralyzed by options.

And having one that’s designed to give you something to do for just a few hours on any given afternoon? That keeps the fun rolling without exhausting everyone in the process.

So how can you create a goal list that hits the mark without feeling impossible? Listen now.