Moms these days wear a lot of hats. It can be stressful, to say the least. We've found that one thing can help relieve some of that stress: getting outdoors.
From backyard yard lounging to hiking deep in the mountains, being outdoors in nature is restorative. One mom described being outside "like going to a spa and having a therapy session, all at once." We asked some of our favorite mamas to share what being in the outdoors means to them.
You are never to old for some girl talk on the trail.
My name is Connie Morrison, I am 56 years old, a mother of one, and a grandmother (Nonie) of 3. I love to spend time outdoors with my family, friends, and also alone. There are a TON of things I love to do outdoors. A few favorites are watching my grandkids swim in a creek, look for special rocks or watching a Golden Eagle rest on her nest.
I also LOVE to hike and mountaineer with my girlfriends. Having chick time outside is like going to a spa and having a therapy session, all at once. It rejuvenates your mind, body, and soul. Nothing like girl talk on the trail, it’s honest, truthful, and fun, it’s a very special time for me.
Spending time outside makes my life better. I have never gone outdoors and wished I never went. For me, being outside makes me a better mother, daughter, grandmother, wife, and friend. I’m happier and feel more at peace with myself. When we immerse ourselves into the mountains, ocean, forests, I feel we renew our bodies, soul, and mind. I crave being outside. It’s a very important part of my life. Every time I spend time outside, I come home changed. I have a better attitude, I have confidence, and I feel energized and healed inside.
The saying is… if Momma isn’t happy, nobody is happy. So, I make sure I get outdoors daily, so I can be better for myself and others around me. It’s a gift I give myself. There is nothing like the great outdoors! Get out and give yourself that gift.
– Connie Morrison | Connie is a mother, a grandmother, and runs an outdoor guiding company called Sierra Mountain Center.
A connection with the outdoors can be passed down from mom to daughter.
First of all, I’d like to say that I am the proud mother of a wonderful, beautiful, strong, smart daughter!
I also come from a wonderful, beautiful, strong, smart mom! My mom imparted to me a love for the outdoors and I have passed that love down to my daughter!!
My mom, Gigi planned the most fun, adventurous trips for our family as we were growing up. We camped in Yosemite, Arizona, Canada, Colorado, and California, we backpacked and packed into the backcountry on horseback in the Sierras, house-boated on Lake Powell, hiked down into the Grand Canyon, and cross-country skied in Utah.
All this has given me a deep connection with nature and I experience joy, contentment, and thankfulness to the one who created it all. I love it when I’m standing among the pines and it’s quiet except for the wind blowing through the needled branches. I love it when I’ve climbed to the top of a peak and looked at the sheer beauty all around me. And I love breathing in the fresh air in my lungs as I’m hiking on a mountain trail. It’s so fun cooking outdoors, having a campfire, and laughing with the ones I love!
I am eternally grateful to my mom for giving me a love for the outdoors and I get great satisfaction knowing that my daughter loves nature too!
- Nancy Kilgallon | Nancy is the mother of one of our founders. Her love of the outdoors helped plant the spark for Tera Kaia.
Little outdoor moments matter: like backyard hangs with your toddler.
The outdoors has always been a place I seek out for comfort, to center myself, and to get away. Since I was a child, I have loved running through the tall trees, feeling the leaves crunch under my bare feet, and dipping my toes into cold water.
As an adult, rock climbing has become my most prominent avenue into the outdoors. Climbing has led me to countless breathtaking locations, both local and remote. It has also led to numerous lasting friendships.
In recent weeks, my access to the outdoors has changed. I take my daughter for walks along a stream fed by runoff from local neighborhoods. We sit in the grass and smell (and sometimes try to eat) the flowers and watch the bees. We hold hands and teeter around the yard in bare feet. I take my yoga mat outside for Zoom yoga meetings with climbing friends while social distancing in my backyard.
Although the setting looks vastly different, the experience is the same. The outdoors, even my little backyard where the sound of speeding cars is ever-present is still my place of solace. Mostly, I am happy that despite events that are far out of my control, I am able to continue to share the outdoors with Lilja.
– Kristina Suorsa | Kristina is an outdoorswoman and new mom to a beautiful daughter named Lilja.
Moms love to try new outdoor activities too!
Most of my life I never had an affinity for the outdoors. Growing up, my family never hiked or camped; we weren’t the type. The first time I ever went camping I was 20; the second time was about 20 years later.
At age 43, I’m now slightly more outdoorsy than I once was, but I didn’t set out with this goal in mind, it was just because of rock climbing. Indoor gym climbing, to be exact. A friend introduced me by taking me to his gym on a visit back home to San Diego. I didn’t expect to like it much, but something about climbing that day really struck me and I wanted to do it again, which I did, back here in Denver, where we also have a few climbing gyms.
I never imagined I’d take up rock climbing, much less after hitting 40 and getting divorced. Maybe when a couple of big changes hit your life you realize you need some more. After that first time climbing with my friend I wasn’t yet hooked, but it made me want to keep trying, which I did. Mainly inside, in a gym, which I liked.
It’s funny to say this now, but I didn’t really know that climbing inside often leads to climbing outside. I really thought I’d be satisfied just climbing at the gym. But the more I learned about climbing, the more I realized I wanted to learn. Of course, what I also learned was that there were tons of things you couldn’t be taught in the gym, so I had to go outside to do them. That was what finally started to make me feel like I could enjoy the outdoors on its own merits, not just as a place to go climbing.
I think I’ll always enjoy rock climbing, but I’m actually glad I find myself wanting to do it less, now that I’ve finally discovered a lot of other ways to enjoy the outdoors. And I really want to get that third camping trip in before I’m 60!
– Elizabeth Senouci | Elizabeth is a mother who discovered the outdoors as an adult. Now she’s an outdoorswoman who enjoys nature in many different ways.
Nature is the best stress reliever.
The outdoors is magic to me. It provides beauty, solace, and entertainment. I love to run, climb, and be in the ocean. When I am running, I like to think of it as meditation in motion.
Going for a run, a trail run, or a beach run, is the best stress reliever I know. I love climbing for the sport of it but also because it takes me to such wonderful and wild places, most often with an amazing group of friends or one of my children.
A few years ago, when I turned 55, I completed a goal of climbing at 55 different crags in a year. One of my favorite memories of that year-long adventure is that each of my kids was with me for at least one crag. Nature is food for the soul and a beautiful reminder to live simply. I love to share that with my family.
– Karey Garcia | Karey is a mother, badass rock climber, and overall kind soul.
Happy Mother's Day 2020.
Thank you to all the amazing moms out there that get outside and inspire us to do the same. It's never too late to be your outside self and these wonderful and resilient outdoor moms above prove that.
Want to read more about moms who get outdoors? Check out some of the articles below:
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Here we tell stories about the outdoors, sustainability, and life through the lens of outdoor women. Get the latest on TK events, and a "behind the seams" look at everything that's going on with our brand.
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