It’s time to start thinking about Christmas gifts! I put a few of my adventure must-haves on this list. Happy Shopping!
Pack it Down Coat: This particular coat is my favorite and I’ve blogged about it before. This coat keeps me warm all winter long and is versatile for all of my different adventures. It packs down small and is lightweight making it the perfect adventure coat. Another perk is the fact that Lululemon guarentees their coats. My zipper broke last year and they repaired it at no cost, even though I’ve had the coat for three years.
Garmin GPS Mini: This garmin trackes your miles, allows you to send text messages and location to your contacts even when you don’t have service. This garmin also has a SOS feature where if you ever get into trouble you can send out a message and the authorities will be notified. This is the biggest security tool you can bring along on adventures.
Columbia Packable Rain Jacket: I never hike without this jacket. It’s waterproof, warm, and lightweight design packs into the hand pocket for convenience and it is the perfect jacket when a coat is too much. I use mine ALL the time! Mountains require you to be prepared for anything. Even on a summer day.
Backpacking Sleeping Bag: This is my favorite sleeping bag. It is ultra-lightweight, sized for women, and keeps me extremely warm. With a temperature rating that goes down to 15-degrees I found myself warm each night only sleeping in my sports bra and shorts.
LuLuLemon Beanie: This is the warmest beanie I have ever felt. I will never live another winter without it. It is absolutely amazing and worth every penny! Don’t talk yourself out of this one. You need it!
Jet Boil: A jet boil is defiantly something to save up for and purchase if you like to spend significant time outside. It boils water in one minute and is perfect for meals, hot chocolate, etc. Light and small this is a necessary backpacking item. Also, a great emergency prepardness item to keep at home.
I’ve known Rachel since she was a teenager. My first experience with meeting her was when I moved into her house at 8 months pregnant. My husband and I moved to Washington D.C. and needed a place to stay until we found an apartment. Rachel’s dad is my husband’s second cousin and offered to let us stay with them. Rachel gave up her room for me. She even decorated it with a welcome sign. What teenager in high school does that?! She willingly gave up her space and did it with a smile on her face. We stayed for a few weeks and she eventually got her room back. Her kindness and selflessness impacted me and made me want to be a better person. It was a big deal for her to leave her room. A sacrifice that I will forever be grateful to Rachel for. Since then Rachel has done dozens of similar acts of kindness for me. Rachel is good for all the right reasons and I am so grateful to call her my friend.
Rachel’s Story:
I have always been uncomfortable in my own skin. Always insecure with my looks, my personality, my sense of humor, my intelligence. My lack of self esteem drove me to being so worried and wrapped up in all my insecurities. I was so busy worrying about how I looked and acted that I forgot to really enjoy life. Which is why when I found out about Get Out There Girl I was instantly pulled in. It killed two very personal birds with one stone for me. The first stone is enjoying life by going on fun adventures with women who are accepting and nonjudgmental who are striving for the same things as me. And the second stone is loving yourself and building confidence. I really love this organization and what it stands for. I’m not going to pretend that I still don’t struggle with low self esteem, it’s a continuous battle for me on a day to day basis. Even just a few months ago I was able to go on trip with my husband to Costa Rica, a once in a lifetime vacation. I was 7 months pregnant. We were able to hike up to this amazing waterfall and there was one fall that you can jump off of which I was so excited about. But as soon as I saw the other girls in their swimming suits I instantly self imploded and sunk into an emotional downward spiral. I refused to be seen in my swimming suit and therefore passed up the opportunity to jump off the waterfall. I was so upset with myself that I let myself get into my head and robbed me of a fun life memory even after all I feel I have learned and tried to get over. Which is why it is so important to have a group of empowering women who get it and who fight the same battles. A chance to be reminded of true beauty: creating lasting happy memories, getting outside in nature, and myself just as I am.
Sheri is my mom’s bf and coworker. For years I have heard how amazing and how adventurous she is. Every word was true. Sheri is a woman who has values and knows her value. I have loved getting to know her through GOTG activities. Now I know why my mom loves her so much. She is fabulous!
Sheri’s Story:
I grew up as the youngest of 6 children. A belief that I held in my childhood was that I needed to fight for attention. That felt that I was unwanted and unloved. This carried over into adulthood and into a marriage that was unhealthy. This situation created more self-destructive beliefs about who I was. I believed that I was hard to be around and unlovable. I believed there was nothing special about me at all. I ended up in a divorce that was a roller coaster ride. I started dating and this was a train wreck. One thing I did gain from dating is that I did have qualities that were at least likable. I learned through so many years of self-doubt and self-disapproval that I was unable to love myself. This caused me some serious self-reflection. I am very skilled in self-doubt and feelings of inadequacy.
I am a professional at self-reflection. I like to examine every story that I find bouncing around in my head. This can be both good and bad. Through self-reflection, I have learned some habits of self-compassion. I ask myself- Is this true? Then I reflect on how the story that is my head is from my perspective. Did this person intentionally think “how can I make Sheri’s life horrible?” And the answer is always no. They have their own story. This process is something that I ask about myself as well. Did I intentionally hurt myself or others? And the answer is always no. Do I know better now? Was I doing the best I could with the knowledge I had at the time? This helps me from feeling shame or disappointed in myself. This is a practice I DO EVERYDAY. How can I use the experience to learn and grow? When I ponder truths that I know about myself, such as I am a divine daughter of God and I was created with special talents that I need to create a life full of love and compassion for myself and others. That I am sent to earth to fulfill a purpose that only I can fulfill. When I think about these things I am able to process the frustrations of life. Sometimes when thoughts come into my head I ask myself is this true? And when it is not, I visualize the thought on a conveyor belt and tell myself “It was just a thought it is not your truth” This helps me be more compassionate with myself and others.
When I went on the retreat with Get out their girl, I expected to be the uncool and socially awkward one in the group. After meeting and being around all the women at the retreat I realized that we are all the same. We all feel insecure at times. I was blessed to get to know and be around such a fun group. I felt love and acceptance from each of them individually and as a whole group. I will continue to work on my self-compassion every day until I am a self-compassion, self-love guru.
Sheri is my mom’s bf and coworker. For years I have heard how amazing and how adventurous she is. Every word was true. Sheri is a woman who has values and knows her value. I have loved getting to know her through GOTG activities. Now I know why my mom loves her so much. She is fabulous!
Sheri’s Story:
I grew up as the youngest of 6 children. A belief that I held in my childhood was that I needed to fight for attention. That felt that I was unwanted and unloved. This carried over into adulthood and into a marriage that was unhealthy. This situation created more self-destructive beliefs about who I was. I believed that I was hard to be around and unlovable. I believed there was nothing special about me at all. I ended up in a divorce that was a roller coaster ride. I started dating and this was a train wreck. One thing I did gain from dating is that I did have qualities that were at least likable. I learned through so many years of self-doubt and self-disapproval that I was unable to love myself. This caused me some serious self-reflection. I am very skilled in self-doubt and feelings of inadequacy.
I am a professional at self-reflection. I like to examine every story that I find bouncing around in my head. This can be both good and bad. Through self-reflection, I have learned some habits of self-compassion. I ask myself- Is this true? Then I reflect on how the story that is my head is from my perspective. Did this person intentionally think “how can I make Sheri’s life horrible?” And the answer is always no. They have their own story. This process is something that I ask about myself as well. Did I intentionally hurt myself or others? And the answer is always no. Do I know better now? Was I doing the best I could with the knowledge I had at the time? This helps me from feeling shame or disappointed in myself. This is a practice I DO EVERYDAY. How can I use the experience to learn and grow? When I ponder truths that I know about myself, such as I am a divine daughter of God and I was created with special talents that I need to create a life full of love and compassion for myself and others. That I am sent to earth to fulfill a purpose that only I can fulfill. When I think about these things I am able to process the frustrations of life. Sometimes when thoughts come into my head I ask myself is this true? And when it is not, I visualize the thought on a conveyor belt and tell myself “It was just a thought it is not your truth” This helps me be more compassionate with myself and others.
When I went on the retreat with Get out their girl, I expected to be the uncool and socially awkward one in the group. After meeting and being around all the women at the retreat I realized that we are all the same. We all feel insecure at times. I was blessed to get to know and be around such a fun group. I felt love and acceptance from each of them individually and as a whole group. I will continue to work on my self-compassion every day until I am a self-compassion, self-love guru.
I’m honored that Brendy would share her story with us and I’m honored to now call Brendy my friend. Her strength and positive attitude are contagious.
Here is her story:
“We all have struggles, shortcomings, and challenges in our lives. It’s unfortunate that some of those we create for ourselves and even more so that someone else has left us in the wake of theirs. What is it that we can do?
If you’re wanting to build muscle, you cannot just walk up to a weight, pump it a few times and expect your body composition to change. It doesn’t work that way. Muscle just like your inner self needs a reason to grow. Resistance, exertion, heavyweight, time.
A seed planted, pushing up through the soil, needs that struggle to be strong enough to survive, Just as we do. To grow, change, bloom. Enter adversity.
I am a changed person from who I was even 4 years ago. Adversity, courage, and growth has done that for me. That’s not to say that I have always been the hero for myself and others that I have grown to be. I began with no voice, no self-worth, and no belief in what I was capable of doing. I was only living but not alive. A toxic relationship will do that to you. It takes until you can only define who you are by their opinion. You don’t even realize its happened until there is an awakening.
I was in an unhealthy relationship for a long time. I withstood emotional, mental, and physical abuse believing I deserved them and I was to blame for those actions. I was told that his behavior was my fault and that I was responsible. If I was better, did more, gave more than it would improve the relationship was my mantra. It was not always as volatile but became more so as time went on, especially after his accident. Even though he went through a battery of tests and evaluations and the doctors could not find anything “medically”, it intensified the behavior.
I remember the day when the “strings” where cut. It was clear as day to me. I wanted out but had no idea how to. My ability to make decisions was long gone, so I felt. Leaving a situation like this would seem so easy to the outside world. It is hard to understand and explain.
I struggled to find my identity at that time in my life. I had never had one of my own. I had missed out on so much personal growth.
It has been nearly 4 years ago since I felt the cut of “strings” within and almost 2 through a very high conflict divorce.
Through the last 2 years, I’ve been attacked. It has been a continual array of false allegations, manipulation of the legal system, and police along with other people’s perception that I have endured. There has been a level of self-compassion that I have had to give myself. It was extremely difficult in the beginning for me to have compassion for myself but as I have made strong connections with others, it has become easier. I’ve become aware that I have needed to have that compassion in order to make those connections. They have been a saving grace for me. Sometimes we allow darkness to consume us. Making time for yourself and building healthy positive relationships with others releases you from turmoil. It untangles you from the darkness and lets you breathe. I have found that the connections I have made due to the adversity I have encountered have enriched not just my life but theirs as well. I am now stronger in every way than I ever have been before. I decided for my healing I will be an advocate for others who have faced similar adversity. It has freed me. I am no longer struggling through adversity, I am evolving.
Your journey has lead you to where you are and it might not be just about you. There is someone you will meet that YOU will make a huge difference in their life. Be your own hero and it will be more than likely that you will be someone else’s also. Through self-compassion and my connections I now have awakened my thirst for adventure, which had been lost. Adding adventure is the last key to having found yourself and realizing that your life, your journey of light or dark is your daily choice. Chose to let your adversity do what it was designed to do. Awaken your compassion, connections, and adventure.”
I’m honored that Brendy would share her story with us and I’m honored to now call Brendy my friend. Her strength and positive attitude are contagious.
Here is her story:
“We all have struggles, shortcomings, and challenges in our lives. It’s unfortunate that some of those we create for ourselves and even more so that someone else has left us in the wake of theirs. What is it that we can do?
If you’re wanting to build muscle, you cannot just walk up to a weight, pump it a few times and expect your body composition to change. It doesn’t work that way. Muscle just like your inner self needs a reason to grow. Resistance, exertion, heavyweight, time.
A seed planted, pushing up through the soil, needs that struggle to be strong enough to survive, Just as we do. To grow, change, bloom. Enter adversity.
I am a changed person from who I was even 4 years ago. Adversity, courage, and growth has done that for me. That’s not to say that I have always been the hero for myself and others that I have grown to be. I began with no voice, no self-worth, and no belief in what I was capable of doing. I was only living but not alive. A toxic relationship will do that to you. It takes until you can only define who you are by their opinion. You don’t even realize its happened until there is an awakening.
I was in an unhealthy relationship for a long time. I withstood emotional, mental, and physical abuse believing I deserved them and I was to blame for those actions. I was told that his behavior was my fault and that I was responsible. If I was better, did more, gave more than it would improve the relationship was my mantra. It was not always as volatile but became more so as time went on, especially after his accident. Even though he went through a battery of tests and evaluations and the doctors could not find anything “medically”, it intensified the behavior.
I remember the day when the “strings” where cut. It was clear as day to me. I wanted out but had no idea how to. My ability to make decisions was long gone, so I felt. Leaving a situation like this would seem so easy to the outside world. It is hard to understand and explain.
I struggled to find my identity at that time in my life. I had never had one of my own. I had missed out on so much personal growth.
It has been nearly 4 years ago since I felt the cut of “strings” within and almost 2 through a very high conflict divorce.
Through the last 2 years, I’ve been attacked. It has been a continual array of false allegations, manipulation of the legal system, and police along with other people’s perception that I have endured. There has been a level of self-compassion that I have had to give myself. It was extremely difficult in the beginning for me to have compassion for myself but as I have made strong connections with others, it has become easier. I’ve become aware that I have needed to have that compassion in order to make those connections. They have been a saving grace for me. Sometimes we allow darkness to consume us. Making time for yourself and building healthy positive relationships with others releases you from turmoil. It untangles you from the darkness and lets you breathe. I have found that the connections I have made due to the adversity I have encountered have enriched not just my life but theirs as well. I am now stronger in every way than I ever have been before. I decided for my healing I will be an advocate for others who have faced similar adversity. It has freed me. I am no longer struggling through adversity, I am evolving.
Your journey has lead you to where you are and it might not be just about you. There is someone you will meet that YOU will make a huge difference in their life. Be your own hero and it will be more than likely that you will be someone else’s also. Through self-compassion and my connections I now have awakened my thirst for adventure, which had been lost. Adding adventure is the last key to having found yourself and realizing that your life, your journey of light or dark is your daily choice. Chose to let your adversity do what it was designed to do. Awaken your compassion, connections, and adventure.”
