Our Wildway Crew highlights ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
Within each of us lies the potential to live life to the fullest. We have the ability to choose our own destiny, live without fear or limits, challenge ourselves and grow, do and be whatever makes us happy. We have the ability to be free. It's how you live a Wildway of life and there are people all around us inspiring others with their actions. We want to celebrate that by highlighting and honoring those who #LiveWild.
Meet our newest Wildway Crew member:
Hillsboro, OR
Wildway of Life = Backpacking
Life Motto: "I actually don’t live by any saying, I believe in following your own path in life. It’s great to be inspired by a saying or motto, but I try not to hold myself to any standard."
My love for the outdoors was instilled into my core from a very young age. My parents never skipped a beat when it came to integrating me in the outdoor lifestyle. Whether it was camping, canoeing, skiing, or hiking (even as a little baby in the backpack), my parents made sure I was able to experience as much as I could. However, growing up in Chicago made it difficult for me to fully appreciate the outdoors, although my weekends were always filled to adventures in Wisconsin and Michigan. Around the time I was 11, my parents knew it was time to move out to the Pacific Northwest. My world view shifted, but I still wasn't fully immersed in the outdoor lifestyle.
After moving back to the area when I had finished college I would go on a couple different hikes, to eventually branching out to backpacking. I think my own individual passion and Wildway of Life came the first time I felt like I couldn't complete a hike, everything hurt and the path in front of me felt impossible, I wanted to quit many times. As I reached the top, I felt a sense of accomplishment that I had never felt before. It sounds cliché, but I almost feel like my overall perspective changed the more I was able to accomplish these challenging hikes. Suddenly, I realized I could take these same mindsets and apply them to challenges I was facing in my day to day life.
Recently, I have been getting more involved in the outdoor community, and have been overwhelmed by the amount of support and respect these people have for each-other, as well as for protection of our lands. I look up to so many women conquering challenges in the outdoors, that sometimes I feel like I don't belong. I am definitely not the most accomplished 'outdoorsy' person, but when people tell me that they look up to me, I am absolutely flabbergasted and honored. All I ever wanted to do was share my love of the outdoors, adventures, and my Wildway of Life. So many of these people make me feel at home and like I belong in this community.
I'm still not sure where I'm going in life, but as long as there are mountains involved, I know I'll be ok.
