Out There

By Willow Belden

Personal Journals Society & Culture

What's Out There about?

Out There is a podcast that explores big questions through intimate stories in the great outdoors.

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Out There episodes:

04.04.2024
Rekindling the Spark
We’re told to follow our dreams. But often, that’s disappointing. Reality typically doesn’t measure up to what we’d imagined. So what then? How do you reignite your passions? On this episode, we travel from an observatory in Puerto Rico to a...
03.21.2024
Silence
Our upcoming season is all about silence. From the Grand Canyon to South Korea, we’ll travel the globe, exploring how we find stillness amidst the noise — whether literal or figurative. Here’s a sneak peak at some of the stories....
01.04.2024
Building Self-Confidence
Maya Kroth’s goal for the New Year was to build self-confidence, and she decided to start by taking herself snowboarding. But things did not go well. In this episode, Maya shares her story and explores how we can get our...
11.30.2023
Closing the Gender Gap
Women are often told we can do anything we want in life: ride bikes, scale cliffs, surf waves. But in some areas of outdoor recreation, the gender gap remains shockingly large. In this episode, we visit a women’s mountain bike...
11.02.2023
The Flood
This is a story about fear. It makes sense to be scared when we're facing danger. But what happens when disasters occur in unexpected places? In this episode, we travel from a desert in Utah to a suburb in Missouri...
07.13.2023
Learning to Swim
Learning something new as an adult can be daunting, especially when it's something that a lot of people have been doing since childhood. On this episode, Naomi Mellor takes us from a beach in Australia to an archipelago in the...
06.29.2023
Excavating Grief
Mykella Van Cooten was angry, and she didn’t know why. It got so bad that she began to feel unhinged. And then, she went to a little cabin in the woods. In this episode, she tells...
06.15.2023
Ice Swimming
In Finland, it’s commonplace to go swimming in the winter — outdoors. The practice offers surprising mental-health benefits, and it isn’t just for die-hard adventurers. On this episode, we share the story of one woman who started “ice swimming” in...
06.01.2023
Queer in Appalachia
As a nonbinary person, Newt Schottelkotte never felt at home in Appalachia. But then, they went on a road trip with their dad. Driving through the Blue Ridge Mountains, something started to shift. This is a story about figuring out how...
05.18.2023
Rekindling Hope
Carolyn McDonald's depression had gotten so bad that she couldn’t see a way forward. Then, one particularly miserable day, she went to the beach — and something happened that she never could have imagined. Something that opened the door to...
05.04.2023
Moonlight
We’ve all had moments when we feel lost. Sometimes it’s literal; sometimes it's emotional. Either way, it’s unnerving. And lonely. This episode takes us from the deserts of California to the jungles of the Philippines, and explores how one young woman...
04.20.2023
Living Without Hope
When someone is diagnosed with a terminal illness, there’s often a flood of difficult emotions. Grief. Depression. Learning to live without hope. But more and more, people are experiencing that kind of anguish even when they’re perfectly healthy. In this...
04.06.2023
Secrets of the Earth
This season, we’re exploring the theme SECRETS OF THE EARTH. Each episode, we’ll share a story about an outdoor experience that uncovered new truths. Through introspective personal narratives, we’ll harness the power of nature to make sense out of our lives...
03.02.2023
This Is How You Win the Time War
Clock time is a human invention. So it shouldn’t be a box that confines us; it should be a tool that helps us accomplish the things we care about. But consider the system of standard time, first imposed by the...
02.02.2023
Notes in the Trees
Most parents would never consider leaving their kids in the dark woods at night, and letting them find their way back. But the Dutch do just that. They call it Dropping. This is a guest episode from Nocturne, a podcast...
01.12.2023
Fallen Sky
“Fallen Sky,” a work of installation art at New York’s Storm King Art Center, is like a moon map etched into a hillside. On this episode, Tamar Avishai explores how Sarah Sze’s striking sculpture helps visitors pay attention to the...
12.01.2022
Fear is the Thing with Fins
Fear is a powerful indicator that something could hurt us. But sometimes, the fear itself is the most dangerous part. This is the story of marathon swimmer Pat Gallant-Charette. Because of something that happened to her...
11.10.2022
High on Failure
Every year, in the mountains of Vermont, a group of ultra runners gather for a 550-mile race called Infinitus. It’s one of the toughest trail running races in existence. Jordan Wirfs-Brock was no stranger to ultra marathons, but Infinitus broke...
10.20.2022
Pedaling and Paddling
Dewey Gallegos and Jessica Flock bonded over their passion for the outdoors. But the thing they had in common was also one of their biggest differences. Their story explores how hard it can be to share the thing you love...
09.29.2022
The Instinct to Kill
When Sam Anderson’s father invited him to go hunting for the first time, Sam was worried. What if he couldn’t bring himself to pull the trigger? And conversely, what if he could? What would that say about him? On this...
09.08.2022
Too Poor to Dream?
We often hear that “the outdoors is free.” But for Charlsie Shaver, just driving to a trailhead was often cost-prohibitive; hitting the road to explore America’s wild places was a luxury she could only dream of. On this episode, Charlsie...
08.18.2022
Selfless Acts
Why are some people overly generous? On this episode, we visit with a “trail angel" (someone who offers free food, drinks, and encouragement to thru-hikers on long trails), and we explore what makes a person commit acts of altruism for...
07.28.2022
Blue Dive
Tiffany Duong had achieved the pinnacle of success: she’d finished law school, worked for a big firm in LA, and traveled as much as she could. But she was miserable. Then she went scuba diving in the Galapagos, and everything...
07.07.2022
Failure in Success
In 2015, Out There host Willow Belden signed up for a 70-mile mountain bike race. She had always liked big athletic challenges, but this time, pushing her limits turned out to be a mistake. On this episode, she shares her...
06.16.2022
Moral Compass
How do you decide whether to leave someone for dead? This is the story of a trip up Mt. Everest, in which climber Myles Osborne comes face to face with one of the hardest decisions mountaineers ever have to make....
06.09.2022
Nature's Nostalgia
A preview of our summer season! SUPPORT OUT THERE: Become a patron Click here to see the full show notes for this episode.
05.26.2022
Adult-Onset Hunting
The number of Americans hunting and fishing is declining, but women are bucking the trend. On this guest episode from The Modern West podcast, journalist Melodie Edwards finds a sisterhood at an all-women hunting camp—and catches her first fish with...
05.12.2022
Beach Bum
It’s healthy to know who you are. But sometimes, defining yourself too rigidly can be problematic. On this episode, Bo Jensen takes us from the Gulf of Mexico to the Camino de Santiago and explores what happens when you stop...
05.04.2022
Introducing Not Lost
Here’s a special preview of Not Lost, a new podcast about finding yourself in places you’ve never been from our friends at Pushkin Industries. Host Brendan Francis Newnam takes us around the world, learning about new places by getting invited...
04.28.2022
Never Enough
When we lose a loved one, many of us seek healing from the outdoors. But what happens when the weather is bad, and your happy place is miserable? Today’s story takes us to “the most beautiful beach in Washington State”...
04.14.2022
Measuring Up
It’s easy to measure achievements based on what other people are doing. But how do you know what you should really expect from yourself? This episode takes us from a mountain in Arkansas to an attempted thru-hike on the Appalachian...
03.31.2022
Escape
We often go outside to get away from our problems. But escapism has its limits. On this episode, we share the story of how Live Action Role Play taught one woman the importance of confronting your troubles head on. Click...
03.17.2022
Pamper Your Brain
Ziyi Xu spent so much time on her phone that it was ruining her focus and productivity. Then, one night in Texas, she tried stargazing. On this episode, Ziyi tells the story of how she kicked the smartphone habit and...
03.10.2022
Climate Language
Last year, the term ‘climate crisis’ was added to the Oxford English Dictionary. The words we use to talk about the environment are evolving. But could they motivate us to take action? On this bonus episode, we bring you a...
03.03.2022
America's Best Idea?
National Parks are often referred to as “America’s best idea.” And there’s a lot to love about them. But they also have a complicated history — a history of broken promises, displacement of indigenous people, and genocide. And that history...
02.17.2022
Pandemic Sundays
Church was Angie Chatman's sanctuary, both literally and figuratively. So when the pandemic began, and she couldn’t attend services in person, there was a big void in her life. On today’s episode, Angie shares the story of how she discovered...
02.03.2022
Indoor Kid
After attending a wilderness therapy program, Sarah Dealy was intent on becoming a rugged outdoorswoman. But the transformation didn’t work out as she had imagined. Sarah was an indoor kid at heart. She disliked many of the activities she imagined...
01.27.2022
The Gift That Keeps On Giving
Think of this episode as a pre-season treat. We reached out to listeners and fellow podcasters and asked: “What is one way your relationship with nature has changed in a way that has surprised you?” The answers we received were...
01.20.2022
Things I Thought I Knew
We're launching a new season! Here's a sneak peak. Support Out There: Become a patron on Patreon
01.13.2022
Fear and Leadership in the Mountains
How many times have we been told the story of the fearless leader — in work, in politics, in the mountains? When the stakes are high, it’s natural to place our confidence in strength and certainty. To turn to the...
12.16.2021
Too Good To Be True?
In 2001, Donna Martino stuck a newspaper clipping on her fridge. It was a photo of a handsome kayaker paddling through the surf. A few months later, Donna matched with the man on a dating website. We tend to assume...
12.02.2021
The Art of Loving Yourself
Melat Amha had been struggling with chronic illness for years, when she decided to move to an organic farm in the Sierra National Forest. On this episode, she shares her story. It’s a story about finding your way back to...
11.18.2021
In the Name of Fairness
On the surface, competing as a runner seems straight forward: the winner of a race is the fastest person from point A to point B, and to progress, you just have to be a better runner than everyone else. Right?...
11.04.2021
Riding Past Fear
Growing up with a rare bone condition, Will Cox was constantly in and out of hospitals — and constantly fearful of the world around him. The fear eventually took over his life, controlling almost everything he did. And that’s probably...
10.21.2021
Choosing a Line
We often hear that you shouldn’t worry about what society thinks of you — you should chart your own course in life. But that’s easier said than done. What if different parts of you are at odds? How do know...
10.07.2021
Outskating Your Demons
Molly-Anne Dameron had struggled with severe mental illness her whole life. And, after years of drug addiction, she had recently gotten sober. But — as she puts it — getting sober is "not always f*cking rainbows." She wasn’t sure she...
09.23.2021
Forest as Pharmacy
Shannon Prince comes from a family with a rich relationship to the natural world. Her Cherokee ancestors were skilled at using plants as medicine. But her family’s eco-literacy had been stripped away over the generations. Yearning to rediscover forgotten knowledge,...
09.09.2021
Trial by Fire
Becky Jensen had given herself the perfect present for her 50th birthday: a two-week solo backpacking trip. But when she emerged from the trail, she learned that a wildfire had started near her home in northern Colorado. Her house might...
08.26.2021
On My Own Terms
After a demoralizing hiking trip in college, Ava Ahmadbeigi gave up on nature. She had never been outdoorsy, and now she knew she didn't belong. But that hiking trip kept haunting her. On this episode, Ava tells her story. She...
08.12.2021
The Happy Hustle
A career in the arts is tough. Creative professionals are notoriously overworked and underpaid. Even if you “make it,” it’s easy for your passion to turn into just another stressful job. On this episode, we bring you a story about...

What's Out There about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Out There episodes:

Rekindling the Spark

Silence

Building Self-Confidence

Closing the Gender Gap

The Flood

Learning to Swim

Excavating Grief

Ice Swimming

Queer in Appalachia

Rekindling Hope

Moonlight

Living Without Hope

Secrets of the Earth

This Is How You Win the Time War

Notes in the Trees

Fallen Sky

Fear is the Thing with Fins

High on Failure

Pedaling and Paddling

The Instinct to Kill

Too Poor to Dream?

Selfless Acts

Blue Dive

Failure in Success

Moral Compass

Nature's Nostalgia

Adult-Onset Hunting

Beach Bum

Introducing Not Lost

Never Enough

Measuring Up

Escape

Pamper Your Brain

Climate Language

America's Best Idea?

Pandemic Sundays

Indoor Kid

The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Things I Thought I Knew

Fear and Leadership in the Mountains

Too Good To Be True?

The Art of Loving Yourself

In the Name of Fairness

Riding Past Fear

Choosing a Line

Outskating Your Demons

Forest as Pharmacy

Trial by Fire

On My Own Terms

The Happy Hustle