Humans Outside

How Travel Photography Can Connect You to Humans Outside (Lola Akinmade Åkerström, travel photographer)

We spend a lot of time talking about the act, art and benefits of connecting with nature. But what about connecting with the humans who live on the land? What about seeing and being seen no matter where you are or what kind of nature you call home?

Travel photographer Lola Akinmade Åkerström has made a career of creating connections with the landscape, land and culture through portraiture of humans around the world. Born in Nigeria and now living in Sweden, Lola has a deep understanding of connecting with other humans because of the way she shares their experiences.

In this episode Lola talks about what she has personally learned through travel photography, what it's like to make excellent portraits around the world and how you can find those same connections, too. Listen now.

Connect with this episode:

Visit Lola Akinmade Åkerström's website

Follow Lola on Instagram

Follow Lola on Facebook

Follow Lola on Twitter

Connect with Lola on LinkedIn

Join the Humans Outside Challenge

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram

Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

Some of the good stuff:

[3:16] How Lola Akinmade Åkerström became someone who likes to go outside

[4:04] Lola's outdoor story

[8:21] The kinds of photos Lola loves to make

[10:59] Lola's books

[13:00] Life as a GIS scientist and how it translates to travel

[15:58] Her country tally and why it doesn't matter

[17:58] The meaninglessness of borders and the importance of humans

[21:07] Why the connection of humans to seasons matters

[26:27] How she's learned about people and culture

[28:45] How you can lean into that cultural connection

[30:43] What the shame cycle has to do with it

[33:31] The barriers, access and connection brought by being a Black woman

[37:30] Lola's favorite outdoor moment

When I started my outdoor habit it was because I needed a way to push myself outside daily, no matter what. But over those more than 2,000 days I have discovered facets that are especially meaningful to me. Listen now.

Connect with this episode:

Join the Humans Outside Challenge

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram

Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

Some of the good stuff:

[:35] Why I first started my outdoor habit

[1:00] Taking photos daily is a good try

[1:40] Things I love about my outdoor habit

[2:00] The favorite of a zillion new hobbies

[3:24] The favorite of new friends

[4:46] The thing I love the very most about my outdoor habit

Do you head outside for your mind, body, spirit -- or all three? And when you're out there, do you find there's one specific activity or facet that is simply your favorite? That really moves you -- literally or figuratively? That heals whatever part of you is feeling the most neglected today? Tammah Watts followed a bird from her kitchen window while she was working on ways to physically heal. But what she found through bird watching is so much more. So what can a little connection with birds do for you? Listen now to find out.

Connect with this episode:

Visit Tammah's website

Read Tammah's book (affiliate link)

Follow Tammah on Instagram

Follow Tammah on Facebook

Join the Humans Outside Challenge

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram

Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

Some of the good stuff:

[2:38] Tammah Watt's favorite outdoor space

[5:30] How Tammah became someone who likes to go outside

[6:50] How Tammah became a birder

[11:33] How this is sort of like The Secret Garden

[14:22] The difference between birding and birdwatching and is there one?

[19:29] What intentionality has to do with it

[22:29] Why birding is healing to Tammah

[25:44] Why birds are easier for this connection than mountains or trees

[29:32] How birds can lead to mindfulness

[35:44] Why birding is so hot right now

[38:30] Tammah's favorite outdoor moment

As the weather changes outside and one season starts to become another, it's a good time to think about what happens when seasons change for humans. I don't mean the outdoor seasons -- but those count, too. I mean the seasons of humans, that it's OK to change over time and what happens when you lean into the changing instead of resisting them.

Listen now!

Connect with this episode:

Join the Humans Outside Challenge

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram

Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

Some of the good stuff:

[:40] Lessons from a coworker

[1:10] A changing of actual seasons

[1:35] Reminder on a sticky note

[2:00] Hints of spring in the air

[2:30] Fake news weather

[2:40] Seasons even when they aren't dramatic

[3:13] Seasons just happen

[3:30] What happens when we resist actual seasons

[3:50] What happens when humans have seasons, too.

[4:20] It's probably going to be OK

Curious about dog mushing? You're in good company. Dog racing, known as mushing, is one of the many sports that draws tourists and lures enthusiasts to live in Alaska. But not everyone who mushes is a pro-racer tackling the Iditarod or keeping a huge yard of sled dogs. The north and Alaska are full of amateur racers who take on the sport because they both love dogs and the time in nature running a sled and dog teams brings.

In this episode Sarah Varland, an author, high school English teacher and amateur musher gives us the inside scoop on dog mushing, why she loves it and how it connects her to the world. Listen now.

Connect with this episode:

Alaska Dog Mushers Association

Read Sarah Varland's books

Follow Sarah on Instagram

Listen to Iditarod dog mushers Kristy and Anna Berington on Humans Outside

Join the Humans Outside Challenge

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram

Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

Some of the good stuff:

[3:49] Sarah Varland's favorite outdoor space

[4:53] How Sarah became someone who likes to go outside

[6:59] About Sarah's writing and how going outside impacts it

[9:26] The basics of dog mushing and dog racing

[12:28] How Sarah got into dog racing

[14:36] What is mushing like?

[17:11] Is there "flow" when mushing?

[19:04] Top secret musher math

[23:05] What do sled dogs actually look like?

[24:41] What happens when a dog doesn't want to work or pull?

[26:41] Is mushing and dog racing cruel to the dogs?

[29:22] What does dog racing cost?

[30:35] What dog mushing teaches Sarah about herself

[35:45] What dog mushing teaches Sarah about her faith?

[39:03] How to learn more about mushing if you're interested or want to try it

[41:08] Sarah's favorite outdoor moment

I can hardly believe it: I am hitting 2,000 days in a row of my outdoor habit. That's 2,000 days of spending at least 20 consecutive minutes outside every single day, no matter the weather.

So what have I learned over 2,000 days? Unlike my 1,000 day mark, my 2,000th day is in the dead of winter. That means my three 2,000th day lessons are winter lessons -- and they look a little different than the lessons found during the good summer weather.

Connect with this episode:

Join the Humans Outside Challenge

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram

Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

Some of the good stuff:

[:35] Celebrating 2,000 days of my outdoor habit

[:48] It wasn't exactly the goal

[1:06] This isn't at all like my 1,000th day outside

[1:33] The difference between the things you learn

[2:00] What the lessons of other anniversaries show -- and how this is different

[2:30] Lesson one: Knowing I can do hard things

[3:18] Lesson two: "I live in abundance"

[4:06] Lesson three: knowing the value of taking it slow

[5:07] How I'm marking 2,000 days outside

We're taking a beat this week and bringing you a "best of" episode, this time on something you might be struggling with as winter turns into more winter, then into the spring of deception, then back to winter: getting your children outside even when it's cold and no one wants to.

That's always a big problem here even with older kids, especially as the winter days drag on and everyone is kind of over it. But Sara McCarty, founder of Run Wild My Child, has some great advice on how to tackle it.

Connect with this episode:

Visit Run Wild My Child

Listen to the Run Wild My Child podcast

Follow Run Wild My Child on Instagram

Follow Run Wild My Child on Facebook

Follow Run Wild My Child on Twitter

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram

Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

What would happen if you made room each week for one big adventure and one little adventure?

It's a pretty simple concept: each week, purposefully do one small out of the ordinary, a "little adventure," and one thing bigger that might take up to several hours, a "big adventure." They don't have to be outside. But they certainly can be.

In this episode Amy explains how she's taking on the challenge, presented in Laura Vanderkam's recent book Tranquility by Tuesday, how she's tackling it, a unique spin she's trying to put on it and the challenges and benefits of doing so. Listen now.

Connect with this episode:

More about Tranquility by Laura Vanderkam in our episode with Laura

Join the Humans Outside Challenge

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram

Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

Some of the good stuff:

[:45] A little bit about Tranquility by Tuesday

[1:15] All about one big adventure, one little adventure

[2:10] Why I like this idea

[2:52] How this concept looks for me

[3:50] An expanded adventure idea

[4:40] A quick caveat about this

[4:55] My recent really big adventure

[6:30] A snowboard revelation

When was the last time you experienced a sense of awe in nature? Feeling awe is something many outdoor users chase. But can you even define the experience of awe? Or is it one of things where you just know it when you see it? Where can you best find it? And what are the benefits of spending time outside purposefully chasing the feeling?

Professor Dr. Dacher Keltner joins us in this episode to tackle those questions and more. Leaning on research and advice included in his new book "Awe: the new science of wonder and how it can transform your life," Dacher guides us into an understanding of the what, how and why of chasing awe outside. Listen now.

Connect with this episode:

Read "Awe: the new science of wonder and how it can transform your life" (affiliate link)

Visit Dr. Dacher Keltner's website

Learn about the Greater Good Science Center

Join the Humans Outside Challenge

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram

Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

Some of the good stuff:

[2:52] Dacher Keltner's favorite outdoor space

[3:35] How Dacher became someone who likes to go outside

[6:47] Can we define awe?

[9:12] How to experience awe in ways that are not specific to going outside

[11:52] How the "eight wonders of life" are all tied to nature anyway

[13:34] Do humans have a need for wild awe?

[15:36] Why don't we talk about the importance of awe?

[20:01] Can you create an awe habit?

[21:26] Is there such a thing as an awe muscle?

[23:34] What does noticing have to do with it?

[26:28] The difference between "awe" and "wonder"

[28:04] Tips for finding and keeping an awe habit

[30:18] Dacher's favorite moment of outdoor awe

It's been three years since I launched the Humans Outside podcast in the early winter of 2020. It's been an incredible ride of learning, growth and outdoor adventures for me as I've connected with 101 Humans Outside guests and recorded over 270 episodes. But what were some of the ones that have stuck with me the most?

In this episode I talk about my favorite takeaways from three years of Humans Outside, plus share how you can enter a giveaway I'm hosting to celebrate the Humans Outside birthday. Listen now!

Connect with this episode:

Enter the Humans Outside birthday giveaway

Episode 18: How Nature Can Help Your Marriage (Corie Weathers)

Episode 26: Heading Outdoors to Conquer Challenges Indoors (Nailah Blades Wylie)

Episode 54: How to Use Outdoors as Therapy

Episode 83: Here's Exactly How to Build an Outdoor Habit (Sarah Hays Coomer)

Episode 99: How Heading Outside Makes Your Brain More Creative (Cordele Glass)

Episode 171: How to Create an Outdoor Habit that Works for You (Sarah Hays Coomer)

Episode 179: How to 'Rewild' Yourself Even If You Live in a City (Claire Dunn)

Episode 208: Simple and Easy Ways to 'Rewild' Your Life by Going Outside (Micah Mortali)

Episode 264: How to Create a Habit That Gives You What You Need (Sarah Hays Coomer)

Episode 268: Why Outside Challenges Like Harsh Weather Can Feel Bad and What to Do About It (Sarah Histand)

Some of the good stuff:

[:50] What podcasting is to me

[1:17] What three years of this podcast means by the numbers

[1:46] What podcasting here means to me

[2:23] A few highlights of the interviews I've loved

[7:20] Info about the giveaway