Wild Ideas Worth Living

Aspen’s Wild Idea: To rebuild her mental and emotional strength by hiking the entire Pacific Crest Trail, and her journey in the book, Girl In the Woods Editor's note: This episode contains references to sexual violence and may not be suitable for all audiences. After being raped her second night of her freshman year in college, Aspen Matis grew depressed and was shocked at how her school didn’t believe her, and how little they did to protect her. She’d spent a lot of time in the outdoors in growing up, and knew that getting into the wilderness could bring her a sense of peace and healing. Instead of returning to school, she dropped out and embarked on a 2,000-mile journey to walk the PCT from Mexico to Canada.  She shared the story of her journey in the 2015 book, Girl in the Woods, which became an international bestseller. It’s a story that’s equally vulnerable and fearless, one where Aspen shares moments of magic from the trail and its healing power. It’s also a book I couldn’t put down and has resonated with many, including receiving praise from people like Lena Dunham, Cheryl Strayed, Oprah Magazine, and many more. I talk with Aspen about her time on the PCT, her favorite things about the hike and how she made it through some of the most challenging days. We also dive deep into her gear recommendations, especially for those who like to go lightweight, and what she had with her. At the end, Aspen shares with us a book she’s working on now, the first time she’s shared this information with the world. Listen to this episode if:  You or someone you know is a victim of sexual assault. You’ve ever wanted to hike the PCT.  You love geeking out about gear. You think nature has magical powers. For full show notes, including guest links and books mentioned during the episode, visit: http://wildideasworthliving.com/80

Beth’s Wild Idea: To become a world class rock climber, and inspire others to find their own drive and definition of happiness and success.  Beth Rodden started climbing in indoor gyms when she was 14. She quickly won national competitions, and then began climbing outside around the world. She became famous for free climbing the nose on El Capitan. She also completed many other first ascents, like free climbing the Meltown, a 5.14c route in Yosemite, where she showed the world women can climb as well as men. It hasn’t all been easy on and off the wall for Beth, though. In 2000, Beth and three of her climbing partners were on a climbing trip in Kyrgyzstan when they were captured by members of the IMU, a militant group. They escaped on the sixth day, but no one at home even knew they’d been kidnapped. A few years later, Beth went through a divorce. After that, she decided to break down her own ideals about perfectionism and being a constant overachiever.  I love Beth’s story because it’s honest, and perfectionism is something I’ve struggled with and many listeners told me they struggle with. While Beth speaks about breaking the perfectionist cycle, she’s also achieved a version of success and happiness that works for her.  She still climbs. She’s a sought-after speaker, a beautiful writer, she’s remarried, and a mom to a four-year old son. We talked about what it was like to share the story of her kidnapping with the world, what she has learned from being a mom, and how you can shatter your own ideals about perfectionism. We also dive into her relationship with climbing today, and what’s it like to live in the magical valley of Yosemite.  Listen to this episode if:  You’re a climber. You are a recovering perfectionist. You want to visit or have been to Yosemite. You are still looking for your own sense of drive and passion. For full show notes, including guest links and books mentioned during the episode, visit: http://wildideasworthliving.com/79

Michael’s Wild Idea: To write captivating stories about people who live on the fringes of society and do wild things. Michael Finkel is the author of the New York Times bestseller, The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit, which we dive deep into on today’s show. The story chronicles a highly intelligent man that lived alone in the woods of Maine for 27 years without lighting a single fire, or talking to a single soul. An outdoors lover himself, who splits time between Montana and Southern France, Michael has a penchant for stories about those who live on the edges of society, and people who live with less. On assignment as a journalist for the likes of the New York Times and National Geographic, he’s skied off the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, set sail on a Haitian refugee boat, joined a cult in Colorado, been in a car that was run over by a tank in Afghanistan, and covered the last hunter-gatherer tribes. His previous book, True Story, was adapted into a 2015 major motion picture produced by Brad Pitt starring James Franco and Jonah Hill. Listen to this episode if:  You want to be a writer. You’ve ever thought of leaving it all behind to live alone in the woods. You enjoy hearing from amazing storytellers. You love stories of survival and those who can thrive with less. For full show notes, including guest links and books mentioned during the episode, visit: http://wildideasworthliving.com/78

Rebecca’s Wild Idea: To encourage others to take risks, push themselves physically and mentally, and get everyone in the world on a bike. Today we welcome back Rebecca Rusch, this show’s first repeat guest. Rebecca has been called a modern day wonder woman and the queen of pain for her ability to not only withstand harsh conditions in endurance racing, but for her well-versed career. She has been a pro athlete for over three decades. She’s a seven-time world champion, author, philanthropist, and she’s shattered the glass ceiling in everything she’s done from finishing ahead of every guy in major mountain bike races, becoming a fire fighter, breaking records, and winning major adventure and endurance mountain bike races. Since we last spoke, Rebecca was on tour with the feature film Blood Road, which follows her journey along the 1200km Ho Chi Minh Trail to find the site of her father’s plane crash during the Vietnam War. This year, Rebecca is about to celebrate her 50th birthday, and she’s had some time to reflect back on her life. We get deep into her philosophy about how to pave your own path in life and how to make it in a career without a clear road map. We also dive deep into taking risks, how she trains her body, and most importantly how she trains her mind. She also shares tips and science she’s learned from the Red Bull coaches. Listen to this episode if:  You love biking, any kind. You want to take more risks in life. You are interested in pushing your body or your mind. You want to hear from a badass athlete and get motivated. For full show notes, including guest links and books mentioned during the episode, visit: http://wildideasworthliving.com/rebecca-rusch

Cheryl’s Wild Idea: To share her story of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, encourage others to get outside, share their stories, and embrace kindness.  Cheryl Strayed is the author of #1 New York Times bestselling memoir Wild about her trek along the Pacific Crest Trail. The book was adapted into an Oscar-nominated movie starring Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern. In addition to writing Wild, Cheryl also wrote the New York Times bestsellers Tiny Beautiful Things and Brave Enough, as well as her first novel, Torch. She is the co-host of Dear Sugar, an advice column turned WBUR podcast, and a true force of nature.   On this episode, we talk about hiking, how to choose your best adventure, how to make better decisions about what to do with your life, the party she’d throw, and so much more. I have wanted to interview Cheryl since I read her first book, so this was a real treat. I hope you enjoy this show. *Please note, we are taking next week off, which is important for living wildly.  Listen to this episode if:  You love Cheryl Strayed. You want to go on a big adventure. You’ve ever thought about being a writer of any kind. You love hiking. You think the world needs more kindness. For full show notes, including guest links and books mentioned during the episode, visit: http://wildideasworthliving.com/76

Catra’s Wild Idea: To spend maximum time outdoors trail running while breaking ultramarathon records and helping people and dogs along the way.   After battling drug addiction, Catra Corbett hit her bottom, finding herself in jail. Soon after she got sober, Catra discovered her love of fitness. She also started running, and running more. To date, Catra, aka “the Dirt Diva” has run over 260 marathons, over 137 100-mile runs, and set numerous records including becoming the first to run the 424-mile round trip of the John Muir trail in just over 12 days. While she is known in the ultra-running community for her brightly-colored hair, loud running outfits and, numerous piercings and tattoos, most know her now for her tenacious spirit and giant heart.   A lover of animals, the vegan runner has adopted numerous dogs including a dachshund named Truman who she’s trained to run and who now has a following larger than most Instagram stars himself.  Catra recently penned a book, Reborn On The Run, where she shares her story in its most raw form. We talk about her book, being an unlikely runner, her love of dogs, and why and how she decided to share her most intimate truths. Listen to this episode if:  You love running.  You want to try an ultramarathon race. You or someone you know has struggled with addiction. You love dogs (especially ones that run).  For full show notes, including guest links and books mentioned during the episode, visit: http://wildideasworthliving.com/75

Karen’s and Adriana’s Wild Idea: To encourage diversity in the outdoors and change how the media portrays who plays outside. Part of living wildly is standing up for what you believe in. After not seeing people who looked like them represented in the outdoors, today’s guests took action. Karen Ramos and Adriana Garcia are two young women who started movements to encourage diversity and representation in the outdoor industry.   The daughter of migrant farmers turned entrepreneurs, Karen loved being outdoors and camping with her family when she was younger. She wanted to provide that same opportunity to kids today, so she founded Get Out, Stay Out, an organization that connects indigenous-migrant children with the outdoors through hikes, camping trips and multi-day backpacking adventures.  Adriana Garcia grew up Mormon, half-Mexican, and in the south. She said she never felt like she belonged until she got outside. Last year, she left her accounting job to co-found LatinX Hikers with her friend, Luz Lituma. It’s become a platform to showcase people from diverse backgrounds participating in outdoor activities. They are offering meet-ups and hikes all over the south. On this show, I talk to Karen and Adriana about their history, some of their unique experiences in the outdoors, how they’re trying to change the landscape of who plays outside, and how you can get involved. Listen to this episode if:  You want to see more diversity in the outdoors. Hearing new perspectives matters to you. You want to see people like you represented in the media. The outdoors has helped you. For full show notes, including guest links and books mentioned during the episode, visit: http://wildideasworthliving.com/74

Mark’s Wild Idea: To become a professional photographer taking photos of what he loves. I enjoy interviewing photographers, especially ones who take photos of things I love, like the outdoors, and activities like surfing and snowboarding. Today’s guest, Mark McInnis, is an accomplished photographer who works with a lot of my favorite brands and publications. A lot of his work takes place along the Pacific Northwest, and he loves shooting pictures of freezing cold climates, empty waves and stunning landscapes.  Mark has a great personality and a positive outlook on life. We talk about how Mark got his start taking photos, how he contacted his favorite photographer to be his mentor (who happens to be a guest of the show), and how he makes a living doing editorial and advertising work around the globe.  Not only does he have a great personal story (I’m going to let you listen to hear it for yourself), but Mark has great advice for those starting out. He shares how he’s made a living as a photographer, and how you can get started today. Listen to this episode if:  You love photography or want to be a photographer. You’re close to your family. You love photos of nature, the outdoors, and empty waves. You are trying to not sweat the small stuff. For full show notes, including guest links and books mentioned during the episode, visit: http://wildideasworthliving.com/73

Diane’s Wild Idea: To run great distances and do what she loves while raising awareness about epilepsy and other great causes. Running 100 miles is remarkable. Running and winning 100+ mile races as a 58-year old who-has had part of their brain removed is a different level. Diane was a professional tennis player before she had epilepsy, but when she started having seizures, running helped stave them off. Ten years into her disease, she decided to have a risky, radical surgery where doctors removed a part of her brain. Once she healed, she started running, this time much longer distances than ever before. While the epilepsy went away, Diane lost some things with the surgery. Today, she struggles with her sense of time, and she has a hard time with her sense of direction, both integral to long distance trail running.  Running, however has become is her ultimate medicine, and she’s set some incredible records on her journey. She won the infamous Yukon Arctic Ultra, a 430-mile footrace pulling a 50-pound sled through temperatures below 50 degrees for eight days. She climbed South America’s tallest peak. She completed the worlds’ hardest 100-mile race, running for 45 hours straight. She also ran and set record for the 1,000-mile Mountains to Sea Trail, where she traversed the state of North Carolina in just over 22 days for a cause.  In addition to being an athletic force, Diane is a long-time athlete for The North Face. She is also a speaker at events like REI’s Outessa series, which is how I found out about her amazing journey. I love how endlessly positive she is, and how she relates to everyone on and off the trail. Diane is a true survivor, an amazing performer, and she has a wonderful perspective on reaching your own potential. Listen to this episode if:  You’ve ever wanted to run an ultramarathon or a long-distance trail race. You or someone you know suffers from epilepsy. You’re not one to let health issues keep you from the outdoors. You want to reach your full potential. You are curious what it’d be like to miss your sense of time and direction. For full show notes, including guest links and books mentioned during the episode, visit: http://wildideasworthliving.com/72

Lacey’s Wild Idea: To protect the environment by fighting fires in the wild. I’ve always been interested in people with careers that allow them to spend time outside and contribute to the greater good. That’s how I found out about wildland firefighter Lacey England. REI recently made a video called “Women in Fire” that features Lacey and some other badass female firefighters and launches April 30th. Lacey was also profiled in the National Forest Foundation series, “Drawn to Flame: Women Forged by Fire.” Fighting wild fires is a career I never heard much about as a kid, so I was fascinated by how Lacey got into it. She shared her story, plus the unglamorous life of her job (it involves Spam and carrying insanely heavy packs), what her day-to-day training entails, and what it’s like to be in a field that is dominated by people that don’t look like her. Plus, she tells us why she’s passionate about inspiring the next generation of young women to pursue careers that may fall outside the norm. Listen to this episode if: You want to protect the environment. You’ve ever thought about being a firefighter. You want to be incredibly strong. Like Hulk strong. You’re a woman in a male-dominated field. You like being alone in the outdoors. For full show notes, including guest links and books mentioned during the episode, visit: http://wildideasworthliving.com/71