She Explores

Judith Sadora, a licensed marriage & family therapist (LMFT) who practices wilderness therapy, shares how she applies some of her backcountry work into her everyday life, and how we might be able to use those tools in the front country, too.In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s difficult to get out the way we’d like to. Here in the US, states have been under varying levels of lockdown for the last two months. And it’s been wearing on us all in different ways - whether it’s coping with loss, the stress of isolation, grappling with the unknown, or trying to make sense of the inequities and injustices that continue to harm our fellow Americans.Judith joins us on the podcast to talk through some tips for tapping into nature to manage stress during this time and into the future. We also get to learn what wilderness therapy is and why Judith is so connected to and moved by the practice.Featured in this episode: Judith Sadora, LMFT & Wilderness TherapistHosted & Produced by Gale StraubA production of Ravel MediaSponsored by SalomonJoin the She Explores Podcast community on FacebookVisit She-Explores.com & Follow Us on InstagramResourcesJudith Sadora: InstagramJudith's Recent WritingOn Adventure Mamas: "Prepped in the Woods for Everyday Life"Judith on Finding You, Evoke Therapy's PodcastREAD: The Nature Fix by Florence WilliamsMental Health ResourcesBetterhelp is a remote therapy option and a spring/summer sponsor of She Explores - you can get 10% off your first month by heading to Betterhelp.com/explore Grizel Williams does a great series on her Instagram called "Mental Health Mondays." Follow along here!She Explores Landing PageRavel MediaSponsors and Discount CodesSalomon: Learn more at Salomon.comFeatured in midroll: Chelsea Murphy of @she_colorsnatureEpisodes air weekly on Wednesdays-- subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

Chris Fagan isn't a professional adventurer, but she’s spent a good deal of the leisure time in the last 30 years of her adult life seeing what she’s made of. Chris has skied unguided to the South Pole, run 100-mile ultras, sailed and paddled thought the Inside Passage, and cycled in Tanzania. Adventure is a big part of her alone time, but it’s also formed the foundation of her marriage and family life. Today, it's helping her lean into the unknown of her husband Marty's cancer diagnosis. Chris is also a really thoughtful mom. And though Mother’s Day is a holiday that many of us have our reasons for choosing to celebrate or choosing not to celebrate, what Chris says about caring for family really resonates, especially living during this global pandemic. We recommend listening to this conversation through a COVID-19 filter: what Chris says about small moments, resilience, and appreciating the people in your life feels especially poignant today.Featured in this episode: Chris FaganHosted & Produced by Gale StraubA production of Ravel MediaSponsored by Salomon and DeuterJoin the She Explores Podcast community on FacebookVisit She-Explores.com & Follow Us on InstagramResourcesChris Fagan: Website & InstagramChris's Book: The ExpeditionShe Explores Landing PageRavel MediaSponsors and Discount CodesSalomon: Learn more at Salomon.comDeuter: Learn more at Deuter.comFeatured in midroll: Nicole Brown, founder of @womenwhohikeEpisodes air weekly on Wednesdays-- subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

Lindsey Falkenburg is feeling the loss of a 2020 thru-hike... and remembering what she's made of. Like a lot of 2020 thru-hikers, Lindsey canceled her plan to hike the Continental Divide Trail in June. In its absence, she's allowing herself to feel the loss - and also filling her cup with urban hiking, art, and re-discovering her resilience.Featured in this episode: Lindsey Falkenburg & outdoor memory voice memo by Sarina ClarkHosted & Produced by Gale StraubA production of Ravel MediaSponsored by Salomon, Deuter, and Travel South Dakota.Join the She Explores Podcast community on FacebookIn this episode, you'll hear:What thru-hiking has added to LIndsey's lifeA bit about Lindsey's previous hikes of the Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest TrailWhy she's intentional about building a career and balanced life between thru-hikesThe decision that went into canceling her 2020 southbound thru-hike of the CDTWhy Lindsey feels a sense of community with fellow thru-hikersWhy Lindsey thinks it's important for outdoor-lovers to grieve the loss of what they were hoping for this seasonAdvice for thru-hikers who had to cancel their hikesAdvice for all  people who are experiencing the outdoors differently todayVisit She-Explores.com & Follow Us on InstagramResourcesLindsey Falkenburg: Website & InstagramSarina Clark: Website & InstagramShe Explores Landing PageRavel MediaSponsors and Discount CodesSalomon: Learn more at Salomon.comDeuter: Learn more at Deuter.comFeatured in midroll: Nicole Brown, founder of @womenwhohikeTravel South Dakota: Download the vacation guide for your future trips at TravelSouthDakota.comEpisodes air weekly on Wednesdays-- subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

Win Kelly Charles says it best: "People with cerebral palsy are strong and people with cerebral palsy are determined." In this episode, we hear about all the different ways she finds joy outdoors (snowboarding, climbing, and e-cycling to name a few activities), as well as why she's so motivated to share her life with CP with more people.Plus, we'll listen to Cherie Schaller's outdoor memory of comfortable silence on an alpine hike in Colorado.Featured in this episode: Win Kelly Charles & Cherie SchallerHosted & Produced by Gale StraubA production of Ravel MediaSponsored by  Appalachian Gear Company, Cusa Tea, and Travel South Dakota.Join the She Explores Podcast community on FacebookVisit She-Explores.com & Follow Us on InstagramResourcesWin Kelly Charles: Website & InstagramWin's PodcastsWin's BooksChallenge AspenWatch Win SnowboardinShe Explores Landing PageRavel MediaSponsors and Discount CodesCusa Tea: Try a FREE sample pack at CusaTea.com or get 30% OFF your first order using code EXPLORE at checkout!Travel South Dakota: Learn more about your future trips by heading to TravelSouthDakota.com.Appalachian Gear Company: Learn more about the All-Paca  Fleece Hoodie. Get 10% off at checkout using code SHEEXPLORES.Episodes air weekly on Wednesdays-- subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.Music is by Kai Engel, Josh Woodward, Meydan, Swelling, and Lee Rosevere using a Creative Commons Attribution License

The memories of outdoor adventures are precious and nourishing. They connect us to our friends and certain versions of ourselves. They're our happy places. And they give us the fortitude to push through hard times. This is a compilation of listener outdoor memories that feel especially salient today.There’s a palpable sense of longing in the air, so we created an  episode that provides space for that longing — and the potential for celebration for the moments we've lived outside, too. Featured in this episode:  Becky Marcelliano, Fran Turauskis, Genevieve, Madi Salvati, Mary Straub, Gretchen Powers, Amber, Iz La Motte, Nikki Smith, Andrea Di Maio, Jasmine Jones, Erin Espinosa, Lindsay, Paola Lopez, Annelise Del Rio, Julie Hotz, Sharlene, and Somang Lee.Hosted & Produced by Gale StraubA production of Ravel MediaSponsored by Deuter, Appalachian Gear Company & Travel South DakotaJoin the She Explores Podcast community on FacebookVisit She-Explores.com & Follow Us on InstagramResourcesBecky Marcelliano: InstagramAndrea DiMaio: Ample Movement Instagram  & Adventure InstagramAnnelise Del Rio: InstagramFran Turauskis: Instagram & Seize Your Adventure websiteGretchen Powers: InstagramMary Straub: InstagramIz La Motte: Instagram & WebsiteJasmine Jones: InstagramJulie Hotz: InstagramMadi Salvati: InstagramPaola Lopez: InstagramSharlene: InstagramShe Explores Landing PageRavel MediaSponsors and Discount CodesDeuterAppalachian Gear Company: Learn more about the All-Paca  Fleece Hoodie.Travel South DakotaEpisodes air weekly on Wednesdays-- subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.Music is by Kai Engel, Josh Woodward, and Lee Rosevere using a Creative Commons Attribution License

For Anna Brones, the point of creating is rarely the end result - it's all about the satisfying act of doing. While a lot of us are missing the time we normally spend outside, Anna reassures us that there's inspiration to be found with the materials we have on hand. In this episode, we talk with Anna about the Creative Fuel Challenge she started for anyone who wants to join in and Women's Wisdom Project. The latter is the culmination of two years of work and celebrates the wisdom of inspirational women through beautiful, deceptively simple papercut portraits. These women are environmentalists, artists, writers, advocates, and more.Featured in this episode: Anna BronesHosted & Produced by Gale StraubA production of Ravel MediaSponsored by Danner & Appalachian Gear CompanyJoin the She Explores Podcast community on FacebookIn this episode, you'll hear:Why creativity is so important in the age of COVID-19About Anna's Creative Fuel challenge - creative prompts sent to your inbox that anyone can do to step outside of their daily routineHow Anna is experiencing the outdoors, very close to homeAnna's Women's Wisdom Project: 100 paper cuts of inspiring womenWhy quotes need contextWhat Anna learned from taking on such a big creative challengeVisit She-Explores.com & Follow Us on InstagramResourcesAnna Brones: Website & InstagramCreative Fuel ChallengeAnna's booksWomen's Wisdom Project:  Vashon Center for the ArtsCheryl Strayed on She ExploresLearn a bit About Word Choice: Spaz and othersShe Explores Landing PageRavel MediaSponsors and Discount CodesDanner: Learn more about the Trail 2650 hiking shoe at Danner.com.Appalachian Gear Company: Learn more about the All-Paca  Fleece Hoodie. Get 10% off at checkout using code SHEEXPLORES.Episodes air weekly on Wednesdays-- subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.Music is by Kai Engel, Josh Woodward, and Lee Rosevere using a Creative Commons Attribution License

Beth Bradley can confidently say that hiking changed her life. Call it her hobby, her love, her self-care. Doing the 52 Hike Challenge has changed the voice in her head from one that says "I'm too fat" to one that believes, without a doubt, that we need to change who we think of when we think of a hiker. We interviewed Beth live at No Man's Land Film Festival on March 8th PLUS Gale checked in with Beth this past Monday over the phone because a lot has changed in the world since they met up in Denver.Featured in this episode: Beth BradleyHosted & Produced by Gale StraubA production of Ravel MediaSponsored by Deuter, Appalachian Gear Company, and  South Dakota TourismJoin the She Explores Podcast community on FacebookVisit She-Explores.com & Follow Us on InstagramResourcesBeth Bradley: InstagramBeth's First Moth Grandslam StoryNo Man's Land Film Festival: Website & Instagram52 Hike ChallengeUnlikely HIkers: InstagramFat Girls Hiking: InstagramDown With Adventure: Instagram & FilmCurvy Kili Crew: Instagram & She Explores EpisodeA Moment of Growth: She Explores Podcast EpisodeJenny Bruso on She ExploresLeave No Trace Guidelines: Outdoors & COVID-19She Explores Landing PageRavel MediaSponsors and Discount CodesDeuter: Learn more about Deuter's outdoor and travel bags at Deuter.com.Appalachian Gear Company: Learn more about the All-Paca  Fleece Hoodie.South Dakota Tourism - Get your FREE South Dakota vacation guide at travelsouthdakota.comEpisodes air weekly on Wednesdays-- subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.Music is by Kai Engel, Josh Woodward, and Lee Rosevere using a Creative Commons Attribution License

For Shon’t Savage, divorce was a bad thing that turned out to be a good thing. Ten years ago, while sharing custody of her then two year old son, she found herself with free time. Shon’t grieved the days she lost with her son, but filled the space with a newfound love for hiking, camping, backpacking, and cross-country skiing. In doing so, Shon’t found herself once more -- which ultimately made her a better mother.Featured in this episode: Shon’t SavageHosted & Produced by Gale StraubA production of Ravel MediaSponsored by Danner, Appalachian Gear Company,  South Dakota Tourism, and BetterHelpJoin the She Explores Podcast community on FacebookVisit She-Explores.com & Follow Us on InstagramResourcesShon’t’s InstagramShe Explores Episode 119: Adventure MomsWomen on the Road PodcastAdventure MamasAdventure Mamas InstagramShe Explores Landing PageRavel MediaSponsors and Discount CodesDanner: Learn more about the Women's Trail 2650's at Danner.comAppalachian Gear Company: Learn more about the All-Paca  Fleece Hoodie.South Dakota Tourism - Get your FREE South Dakota vacation guide at travelsouthdakota.comBetterHelp - Get 10% off your first month by heading to Betterhelp.com/explore and use code 'EXPLORE' at checkoutEpisodes air weekly on Wednesdays-- subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.Music is by Kai Engel, Josh Woodward, Meydan, and Swelling using a Creative Commons Attribution License

Meet Amanda Monthei, a hotshot wildland firefighter and creative who has made it her mission to empower women and all qualified firefighters to know there is space for them in wildland firefighting. We spoke to Amanda about her path to fighting fires as well as her project “The Women Before Me” that celebrates the women of the Zig Zag hotshot crew, the legacies they humbly left behind, and the qualities they brought to the US Forest Service.In this episode, we learn how the common traits women bring to the firefighting field are important and why it’s valuable to have those traits in any typically male-dominant field. Amanda wants more women to be wildland firefighters, as well to do other outdoor work like trail building or outdoor management. She encourages them by showcasing the impact and lives of the women who have paved the way for her and asking others to be open to alternative career paths.Featured in this episode: Amanda MontheiHosted & Produced by Gale StraubA production of Ravel MediaSponsored by Sierra Designs, South Dakota Tourism, and Better HelpJoin the She Explores Podcast community on FacebookIn this episode, you’ll hear:How Amanda got from Michigan to the Pacific Northwest to become a wildland firefighter.What a hotshot firefighter is and what the job entails.How women bring a unique and important perspective to the group dynamic of a crew.About the legacy other female firefighters have left Amanda to carry on and why she wants to honor them.How Amanda’s “The Women Before Me” project came about and how she came to pursue it.Why everyone should believe they belong in the jobs they might not see themselves in yet.The value of feeling companionship while breaking barriers.ResourcesAmanda Monthei’s WebsiteAmanda Monthei’s Instagram“The Women Before Me”Outdoor And Travel Work: Instagram & WebsiteGetting Started in Outdoor & Travel Work: GuideShe Explores Landing PageRavel MediaSponsors and Discount CodesSierra Designs: Learn about their Reach Out Initiative.SheJumps: Find out more about what they do to empower girls and women in the outdoorsTravel South Dakota - Get your FREE South Dakota vacation guide at travelsouthdakota.comBetter Help - Get 10% off your first month by heading to Betterhelp.com/explore using the code EXPLOREEpisodes air weekly on Wednesdays-- subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode. 

Ever dreamed of going to space? Analog astronaut and geoscientist Dr. Sian Proctor shares how she lives out her childhood dream of space exploration here on earth. We talked to Sian just a week after Sensoria, a first of its kind, all-women’s Mars simulation at the HI-SEAS habitat on the Big Island of Hawaii. In this episode, we learn how proudly pursuing your passions (in the outdoors and otherwise) helps open up opportunity. Sian followed her curiosity scuba diving, getting her pilot’s license, traveling around the world, and studying science. While not the end goal, all helped her in applying to be an astronaut with NASA. And though she didn’t get the final call, she’s kept herself open to analog space exploration on Earth. We hear how preparing for life in space encourages us to be better environmental stewards and fellow humans on our home planet.Featured in this episode: Dr. Sian ProctorHosted & Produced by Gale StraubA production of Ravel MediaSponsored by Victorinox Swiss Army, and Alpenventures Unguided.Join the She Explores Podcast community on FacebookVisit She-Explores.com & Follow Us on InstagramIn this episode, you’ll hear:How Sian became an analog astronautWhy going on a backpacking trip is a mini-analog space expedition!What Sian hopes to accomplish before age 50Sensoria, an all-women’s Mars simulation which Sian completed at the end of JanuaryWhy Sian believes diversity must be considered when training and sending people to spaceHow as an African American scientist, Sian hopes to bring in more women of color to to space explorationThe importance of proudly pursuing your passions throughout your lifeWhy investing in space is an investment in planet EarthResourcesDr. Sian Proctor: Website, Instagram, Facebook, and TwitterFlight Ready Systems: WebsiteAnalog Astronaut: WebsiteSensoriaProject PoSSUMShe Explores Landing PageRavel MediaSponsors and Discount CodesVictorinox Swiss Army Learn more at Victorinox.com and use code EXPLORE15 to save 15% now through April 6th,, 2020  Some exclusions apply.Alpenventures Unguided: Learn more at alpenventuresunguided.com. Use code EXPLORE at checkout for 10% off a summer alp adventure.Music in this episode is by Meydan, Josh Woodward, Swelling, and Kai Engel using a Creative Commons attribution license.Episodes air weekly on Wednesdays-- subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.