Change is wild. It can happen to us or by us. The beautiful part of being human is we have choice at our fingertips. We have our own wild hearts and minds that can intentionally choose one path over another. In 2017 it was time for my family and I to act intentionally. It was time to move towards change that made us better as individuals and as a family.

We knew that meant moving closer to the outdoors and affording ourselves the advantage of outdoors being part of our daily lifestyle and not just something we traveled to for the weekends.

Signs it was time to act had been snowballing for a while. I was dissatisfied in my career, my kid’s school was closing, my husband lost his job and it was a house-sellers market.

Let’s do this! The plan was for Aaron to find a job (fingers crossed) that let him work remotely while I started my own consulting business. We moved to the mountain town of Truckee in our dream neighborhood of like-minded mountain town dwellers and did just that. No, it wasn’t easy and each day isn’t dreamy time on trails and playing in the snow but it is more often than not. Some days are scary, however. Those are the days when the doubts set it in. What had we done?! Am I smart enough for this? Taking action and making intentional “moves” for a better lifestyle instead of that “better job” is scary. Self-doubt was inevitable.

Having a “growth mindset” I began listening to podcasts that would allow me to learn from others who had or were currently also traveling this road.

Some of the podcasts I listened to then and still today are:

• Scaling Deep with Lisa Princic
• Pivot with Kelly Blake
• Marie Forleo
• She Explores
• The Adventureprenurs Playbook

The last two podcasts on the list were full of stories of people who wanted to live and work in a different way. Story after inspiring story of people who were scared and moved forward anyway. They are interviews with people guided by passion, nature, activism, and entrepreneurship who desire to put their best work into the world while being their best self, and not going broke while they are at it.

It was Jeremy’s Jensen’s Adventureprenur Playbook show where I first heard about the inaugural Outwild retreats. This podcasts and this event couldn’t have come into view at a better time. I needed some self-acceptance and agency.

The minute I heard about it, I was in. Time with real people who longed to be outside adventuring more and chained to a desk less – that was 100% for me.

I called a soon-to-be van-living-business owner- entrepreneur (The Backcountry Foodie) and asked if she could drive down from Seattle to Truckee, pick me up, and we then attend Outwild in Malibu. Hardly knowing each other at all but fully knowing that if she was game, road tripping together was gonna be good. Totally check out her amazing services! She is kicking butt!

Long story short, we attended the first Outwild evet and, I knew right away I wanted to do more for this movement and the growing community within it.

In 2019 I lead workshops on two incredible (Nutrition and Parenting) topics in my dream classroom setting, outside on some benches next to the river. (Although the classroom on the beach in Puerto Rico with team North Face athletes was pretty darn ideal too) Outside is my natural state. Yes, it rained and I lamented afterward that I wanted more time with people to make a bigger impact but, the fact that I was there with this community making an impact at all is something inspired by and for this community.

The next event is:

Outwild Flagship Event

JUNE 18TH – 21ST, 2020 | LOTUS, CA

Outwild is a 3-day retreat for individuals looking to create more outdoor and value-driven lifestyles. We are all about fostering change by building community, getting coached, and taking time to reboot. The theme for the weekend is intentional life design – thoughtfully approaching the way you spend your time, pursue opportunities, and set goals. But don’t worry, we’ll spend just as much time practicing yoga and getting outside as we will doing workshops and hearing speakers!
*Tickets on sale mid-March

Get there!

What kind of people will you meet at Outwild? See below:

“Adventurepreneurs are thrill seekers, explorers, fun hogs, thought leaders, influencers, and lifestyle designers. They are the people brave enough to not let traditional definitions of success confine them. They are often irreverent misfits and risk takers, living life on their own terms.”

Jeremy Jensen

Video by @tedhesser