Are you an adventurous woman?

If you are like me and the rest of the world right now, your head is full of ways to make 2017 your best year ever. As much as people dismiss the power of New Year’s resolutions, I personally love the fresh start and the opportunity to think about goals for the upcoming year. 

However, it’s easy to fall into the work out/dieting/decluttering death spiral of the “New Year, New You” marketplace. So if you like setting goals, but also want to avoid the cycle of negativity and disappointment, I wanted to share this piece that I wrote last year for Camp Cabela’s…

Recently, as Cabela’s hosted their Ladies Day Out event, I started thinking about what it means to be an outdoor woman and mother. I immediately recalled a moment from this past summer, when I was hiking in Acadia National Park with Jeremy and the boys.

We had arrived at the trailhead to Bubble Rock Mountain early in the morning and climbed to the summit without much effort. We all had tons of energy and were excited to be back in one of our favorite national parks. We were also excited to be hiking with our new rescue dog, Maggie, as her enthusiasm kept the boys moving forward with few complaints.

Up at the top of the mountain, we took our photos (including a family selfie) and then enjoyed our favorite hiking indulgence–Cabela’s bags of candy, which our kids believe you are only allowed to eat at the midpoint of a hike.

We’re crafty like that.

The way down was not so idyllic. Our three year old is in that transitional stage where he is too big to be carried in a pack for a whole hike, but too small to finish some hikes on his own. He got tired, so I put all 35-pounds of him into my carrier and picked my way down the mountain, carefully watching my steps along the rocky path.

A woman was walking up the path and stopped and shook her head. She said, “I love seeing strong and adventurous moms out here on the mountain.”

As I huffed and puffed, my first instinct was to argue. In that moment, I did not feel strong or adventurous. I was going soooo slow, and feeling weighed down by a toddler on my back. As the mom of three young boys, the word I would use to describe myself most often might just be…tired.

But the woman’s words stayed with me. She was absolutely right. Even though I wasn’t feeling particularly strong and adventurous in that moment, those are the exact qualities it takes to hike mountains with your kids. It is not easy, and it may not always look pretty. But it sure is an adventure.

So now, when I see all of those pictures shared during the Ladies Day Out event, I think…Look at all those strong and adventurous women out there. Good work, ladies!

Here is to a wonderful New Year full of opportunities to celebrate our accomplishments as women.

Best,

Stephanie