She Explores

After the Wildfire: Melissa Geissinger

Listen Later

Melissa Geissinger lost her house in the Tubbs fire of Northern California in October 2017. Two months later, she had her son Apollo, and life changed forever once again. We talk in the episode about the "old" Melissa and the "new" Melissa a year and a half after she and her husband were displaced by wildfire. Today she has her eyes set on hiking the length of the Oregon Coast and helping others cope with trauma by giving them a platform to share their stories.

Woman featured in this episode: Melissa Geissinger

Hosted by Gale Straub

Sponsored by Merrell

Continue the conversation and join us in our She Explores Podcast Facebook Group!

In this episode, you'll hear:

  • How Melissa took up hiking to make time for herself
  • Why she was planning to hike the length of the Oregon coast
  • How unexpectedly losing her home in the Tubbs fire of October 2017 shaped her next year and a half
  • Why Melissa and her husband found home in a hospital for the first 3 months of her son's life
  • What she wants for her 18-month-old son, Apollo
  • How nature, combined with therapy, has helped her heal (but why PTSD is real)
  • Why she started a blog, Survival Over Surrender, to help share other people's stories of trauma

    • Resources

    • Melissa Geissinger: Website
    • Survival Over Surrender: Website, Instagram, and Facebook Group
    • She Explores Book
    • San Francisco Chronicle Series: Out of Fire
    • Unrooted Podcast

      • Sponsor Websites and Codes

      • Merrell: Learn more by visiting to Merrell.com!

        • Enjoy this episode? Rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. It’ll help other people find us.

        Music is by Lee Rosevere, Josh Woodward, and Kai Engel using a Creative Commons Attribution license.

        She Explores airs weekly on Wednesdays - subscribe so you never miss an episode!

        ...more
        View all episodesView all episodes
        Download on the App Store
        She ExploresBy Ravel Media
        • 4.7
        • 4.7
        • 4.7
        • 4.7
        • 4.7

        4.7

        877 ratings

        More shows like She Explores

        View all
        This American Life by This American Life

        This American Life

        90,994 Listeners

        The Moth by The Moth

        The Moth

        26,984 Listeners

        The Dirtbag Diaries by Duct Tape Then Beer

        The Dirtbag Diaries

        2,625 Listeners

        Outside/In by NHPR

        Outside/In

        1,483 Listeners

        The Rich Roll Podcast by Rich Roll

        The Rich Roll Podcast

        11,865 Listeners

        Outside Podcast by Outside

        Outside Podcast

        2,137 Listeners

        On Being with Krista Tippett by On Being Studios

        On Being with Krista Tippett

        10,193 Listeners

        10% Happier with Dan Harris by 10% Happier

        10% Happier with Dan Harris

        12,754 Listeners

        Cultivating Place by Jennifer Jewell / Cultivating Place

        Cultivating Place

        353 Listeners

        Wild Ideas Worth Living by REI Co-op

        Wild Ideas Worth Living

        1,280 Listeners

        Ologies with Alie Ward by Alie Ward

        Ologies with Alie Ward

        24,554 Listeners

        Women Who Travel | Condé Nast Traveler by Condé Nast Traveler

        Women Who Travel | Condé Nast Traveler

        609 Listeners

        The Adventure Podcast by Coldhouse Collective

        The Adventure Podcast

        73 Listeners

        We Can Do Hard Things by Treat Media and Glennon Doyle

        We Can Do Hard Things

        41,321 Listeners

        A Life More Wild by Canopy & Stars

        A Life More Wild

        26 Listeners