Connecting Women With The Outdoors

There are so many things in the outdoors to experience, a simple list can not begin to cover them all. Here are a few things that are tops on my list for every outdoor woman to experience.

1. A starlit soak in a backcountry hot spring. The feeling of peace and serenity this brings is beyond words.

2. A hike that pushes your limits and breaks your boundaries. Challenging oneself physically and emotionally gives us a greater appreciation for ourselves and the world.

3. A gourmet meal cooked over a campfire. Who says delicious food only comes from the kitchen? Savoring the flavors of a scrumptious entree, or dessert, in the great outdoors is fabulous.

4. An afternoon nap in nature. This is one of my favorites. I’ll crawl in my tent, open all the windows letting the sun in and snooze away with a smile on my face.

5. Camping by yourself, just once. To newbies this can seem a bit daunting. Heck, even to seasoned outdoors women this can sometimes be a bit scarey. However, knowing that you have no one to depend on but yourself, and there’s no one but you to depend on you is pure independence.

6. Backpack for more than one night. One nighters are great in their own way, especially if that’s all your able to do. Multi-nigt trips though take on a whole new meaning. I’ve found that it takes more than one night to adjust and unleash the shackles of everyday life.

7. Walk around au naturel in the forest/desert, wherever your stomping grounds are. There are a couple caveats to this: make sure you’re not in a public place and shoes are still a good idea. I know that this one sounds a little crazy if you’ve never tried it. Believe me, there’s nothing so freeing and invigorating as walking around in the buff with nothing between you and nature except the wind. (don’t forget the bug spray!)

8. Skinnydip. Along the lines of #7, you just might not need shoes.

9. Sleep under the stars, sans tent. Falling asleep while watching the constellations travel across the night sky brings sweet dreams.

10. Share a moment in nature with another outdoor woman. Whether she is experiencing it all for the first time or the 100th time, sharing a moment with a good friend in the outdoors is a delightful memory.

I strapped on my running shoes this morning. Feeling my feet on the pavement and finding the trail has helped bring me peace. It is a time where I can focus solely on myself; on my body and mind with no other distractions.

When I was a teenager my mom wrote a story about me. It was about the different shoes I’ve worn throughout my lifetime. I had my baby shoes, dancing shoes, running shoes; all figuratively speaking. She used my shoes as a description to show how I have grown to be strong and independent, how through each stage of my life I have changed my shoes in order to face whatever challenges have crossed my way. Even now when I read that story it evokes very strong emotion within me, and reminds me that I can overcome anything.

I’ve never been a “runner” per-say. I’ve always preferred my hiking boots until recently. With the new challenges that I have faced in the last six months, since the diagnosis, I have changed my shoes once again. My hiking boots will not get dusty. In fact they are still well used. But my running shoes are helping me cope. They are enabling me to become stronger mentally and physically.

This is what I need for now. I am trying to listen to my body, to take the advice that I so easily dole out to others. In times of stress and trauma it is very important to take care of oneself, to not let yourself fall by the wayside. For now my Mom is growing stronger, but she still has her bad days. We are not sure what the outcome will be. I am taking it all one day at a time, and today I strapped on my running shoes.

This isn’t your typical summer adventure, at least not my typical summer adventure.

One month ago SS and I packed everything we own into a 10′ x10′ cube, minus camping/backpacking gear, clothes and a few other items. We loaded the truck to the gills and headed to northern Idaho. We had a beautiful trip along the way, but I’ll save that for another post.

“North Idaho?” you ask…other than its breathtaking mountains and pristine lakes and miles of hiking, north Idaho is where my Mom lives. Six months ago my Mom was diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer. Thus far she is battling it well. There have been some very hard times, and the difficult times are not yet behind us.

I have experienced an emotional roller coaster, especially not being by her side to “help”. Although if I had been here the whole time, I’m not sure what I could have done. So, now SS and I are here. We are doing housework, yard work, and offering as much emotional support as possible.

I am living in the mountains, living by the lake and trying to enjoy every moment of beauty I can. I do have some trips planned, one week long backpack trip into the Selway Bitteroot area. I can’t wait for that and then to share it with you all.

I have chosen to share this on Suniechick instead of starting a new blog, or keeping it to myself for a few reasons. I know that I am not alone in going through this ordeal, but I am hoping by sharing my experiences; what I do to cope, reduce stress etc. that I can perhaps help another woman of the outdoors deal with this and not feel so alone, because there are many days that I do feel very alone. Also, my Mom is the outdoor woman that inspired me to become the woman that I am. She taught me to love the trees and respect all that nature has to offer.