Did you know I’m a journalist? I mean, you probably do because I mention it in the intro of many episodes of Humans Outside. But you probably didn’t know I’m launching a local nonprofit newspaper.

It’s an all-consuming project, and going outside has been key to helping me get it off the ground.

Going outside daily has also been key to helping me understand how to manage my time, how to prioritize what’s important to me, how to make all of it happen in one day.

But it’s also taught me that the world is full of natural beginnings and endings as a part of the seasons.

Listen now.

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Some of the good stuff:

[:36] A fun fact about me

[:54] In which I wax reminiscent about days of yore

[1:52] Why local news is so, so important

[2:35] My new local news project

[3:14] What outdoors continues to mean to me

[4:05] But I can’t do everything

[5:23] And so it comes down to this

Do you have one person whose work you’ve looked to for inspiration? For me, that’s Gretchen Rubin, author of the Happiness Project, and it’s why I was so excited to get her on Humans Outside for a sit-down. 

It was such a fun conversation that I want to make sure you get to hear it in this best of humans outside episode. I hope you love this interesting and inspirational conversation with Gretchen Rubin. 

Connect with this episode:

Read Life in 5 Senses (affiliate link)

Visit Gretchen’s website

Follow Gretchen on Instagram

Follow Gretchen on Facebook

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram

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Some of the good stuff:

[3:05] Gretchen Rubin’s favorite outdoor space

[4:10] How Gretchen became someone who likes to go outside

[6:35] The problem of things taking effort

[8:47] Why Gretchen started her Life in 5 Senses project

[11:33] Does she still go to this place every day?

[11:38] How that practice is like a sit spot

[14:40] The freedom (and challenge) of doing something every day

[18:28] Gretchen’s favorite sense and how her experiment impacted it

[19:41] What do we lose when we ignore our senses?

[22:27] All about Gretchen’s daily outdoor project

[24:15] The difference between a chore and recess outside

[27:00] Why the freedom to choose your own rules is important (and hard)

[30:13] The inspiration for Gretchen’s project

[33:17] How her five sense are influencing her outdoor project

[36:19] Personal habits that make her outdoor time better

[40:21] Gretchen’s favorite outdoor moment

What happens if you say "yes" to just one adventure or step out of your comfort zone? Maybe you'll create a single unforgettable experience. Or maybe that "yes" will lead you down a path where you encounter more interesting (and maybe a little scary) ideas and opportunities.

That's what today's guest, author and physician Mimi Zieman, found when she stepped out of her comfort zone in New York City to try something new. From the streets of the city to the base camp of Mt. Everest, Mimi discovered how saying yes to ideas and taking up space in the world can lead to a lifetime of growth.

In this episode, Mimi takes us on her journey from "yes" to Everest and gives us tips for finding our own space by following the power of that one word. Listen now.

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Some of the good stuff:

[2:42 ] - Mimi Zieman’s favorite outdoor space

[04:22] - How Mimi went from city to nature

[06:27] - The challenges Mimi found up at Rocky Mountain Biological Lab.

[09:25] - How Mimi ended up in Nepal

[15:10] - The wild challenges on Everest

[21:45] - Here’s how that Everest experience impacted Mimi.

[28:59] - Why you have to take up space in the world

[31:11] - Mimi’s best advice for those wanting to say yes to more adventures

There are a lot of reasons to spend time in nature, but as I reflect back on all of the things I’ve learned by heading outside every day for more than 2,500 days in a row, some takeaways stick out more than others.

The biggest thing I’ve learned by spending time outside is also both my favorite lesson and the thing I least expected.

What is it? Listen now!

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Some of the good stuff:

[00:45] The start of my outdoor challenge

[01:39] There were some benefits I expected

[02:21] And then there is one big benefit I didnt see coming

[03:33] I realized while doing this unpredictable thing

[04:15] 2016 Amy would NEVER

[05:08] It’s time to face the change

There’s something both comforting and amazing about the way nature takes the reigns no matter what happens. During a recent walk in the woods, I saw startling new growth on top of recent harm, and it was just the reminder I needed about nature’s power to reclaim itself and me.

Maybe it’s a reminder you need, too.

Listen now!

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Some of the good stuff:

[00:23] Here’s what I did outside this week

[00:35] Nature just out there healing its own self

[01:37] Here’s where I face the music

[02:32] And here’s what I saw when I did

[04:03] Oh yeah, nature heals people, too

No matter how you define “hard,” heading outside offers plenty of chances to tackle it. Many people who choose to tackle hard stuff outside are pushed to do so to honor some kind of “why.”

For some of us, that “why” is health or to push our own personal boundaries. For others, the “why” is on behalf of someone else.

Ultrarunner Emily Halnon’s “why” has everything to do with her mom, who died from an aggressive form of cancer in early 2020. To honor her she headed out to tackle a major challenge running on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). It’s a story she’s now shared in her new book “To The Gorge.”

Through her journey, she learned the power of moving through hard stuff. In this episode you’ll hear Emily share the things she’s learned through that journey and how you can make yourself do hard things outside, too.

Connect with this episode:

Read Emily Halnon’s new book, To The Gorge (affiliate link)

Visit Emily’s website

Follow Emily on Instagram

Join the Humans Outside Challenge

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram

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Some of the good stuff:

[4:06] Emily Halnon’s favorite outdoor space

[5:36] How Emily became someone who likes to go outside

[7:05] How Emily’s mom inspired her running career

[10:29] All about Andrea Halnon’s adventurous life

[15:27] The grief and grit in running across Oregon

[22:37] How to get mentally tough to prepare for a mega run

[30:01] Why hard stuff outside helps us prepare for life's challenges.

[33:04] The internal dialogue of pushing through the tough stuff

[35:07] Why it’s not a bad thing to feel a little scared

[36:39] Emily’s favorite outdoor moment

There’s something special about the way spring sounds in Alaska.

Maybe it’s how dramatic the experience is as compared to the sounds of winter. Maybe it’s that they’re happy sounds that I can hear through my windows. Maybe it’s that the weather is so much nicer than it had been, that I’m outside more to hear sounds at all.

Whatever the reason, I love the outdoor symphony. Here’s what I’ve been noticing.

Listen now.

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Some of the good stuff:

[00:35] I’m feeling really grateful for my ears [00:52] Here’s the source of my leaning into my senses challenge [01:46] The sounds of spring are basically the best [02:02] Here’s a few examples [02:26] Birds, birds, birds. [03:31] Not birds but still souds [04:04] OK, winter has sounds, too

I do it to myself and over and over again. That feeling of overwhelm sneaks right in, and it’s entirely because of my own poor choices.

(You would think I’d learn my lesson, but I have not.)

So when the going gets crowed, what do I do? I think you’re probably going to guess. But the wild thing is just how much adding more of it to my schedule helps.

Listen now.

Connect with this episode:

Join the Humans Outside Challenge

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Some of the good stuff:

[00:23] Yeah, OK I do this to myself

[01:17] We know the signs -- truly

[01:32] Maybe I could do this before

[02:25] This is the part where we come up with a solution

[02:43] When, in fact, the real solution is this one that doesn’t make any sense.

[03:33] The reason it helps? Priorities.

Florence Williams has learned a thing or two about making the most of what you have right outside your door and the tools you already possess to do so. Since Florence, author of “The Nature Fix,” literally wrote the book on how going outside creates positive impacts on our mental health and wellbeing, that’s really saying something.

I learned about Florence before we even started going outside every day. It was her book, published shortly before we knew we were looking for it, that gave us the 20 minute daily goal. We are so honored that she gave some of her time to share her latest lessons in exactly how you can harness the power of nature for your health, happiness and mental well-being.

Some of the good stuff:

[2:05] Florence William’s favorite outdoor space

[3:14] Why she started writing about outdoor benefits

[5:16] Why going outside makes us feel good

[8:01] Why going outside is good for your brain

[10:26] Why going outside helps trauma

[16:36] Why finding what speaks to you is important

[19:05] Why tuning in matters

[21:24] The difference between “seeking” and “available”

[23:48] Why many doctors love drugs and ignore nature

[25:49] How to find awe in what’s right outside your door

[35:30] Florence’s favorite and most essential gear

[36:47] Florence’s favorite outdoor moment

Connect with this episode:

Read (or listen to) The Nature Fix, by Florence Williams

Listen to The 3-Day Effect on Audible

Read Florence William’s website

Follow Florence Williams on Instagram

Like Florence William’s Facebook author page

Follow Florence Williams on Twitter

I used to hear friends talk about the crazy wonderful things they were spotting outside and wonder how it was I was missing out. Why didn’t I see that stuff? Were they trying harder? Going places I didn’t want to go? Getting up in tbe middle of the night to do it? And then one day I stumbled upon their secret by accident. And now that I’ve figured out the trick to seeing wonders outside, I just can’t stop.

• It’s not that hard
• It doesn’t take any extra work
• It does take intention

Listen now!

Connect with this episode:

Join the Humans Outside Challenge

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Some of the good stuff: [00:35] Yes, I’m an early riser

[01:32] This morning experience changed my perspective

[02:12] All I had to do was take this step

[02:31] Yes, I missed stuff

[03:03] But now I see this stuff, too