Is Adventure Travel For Me?

April 8, 2021

Among the notes of excitement and encouragement you all shared in response to the SheTravels launch announcement, there were many that sounded like the following exchange from my brilliant and supportive friend, "S." She wrote,"I always assumed those sorts of things were beyond my physical abilities, but I will definitely stay tuned and see if I am brave enough to try any of them! In the meantime, I'm rooting for you!"

I read her words and wanted to cry, not only because I was touched by her support, but also because I know exactly what it feels like to see something amazing and think, "but that's not for me..." (cue all the messages I've internalized about who outdoor adventures are for: thin people, tall people, young people, white people...none of those words describe me).

I used to think “but that’s not for me” about most things outdoors. I've had a number of negative experiences where I couldn’t keep up, or felt like I was holding others back. I walked away from those experiences feeling overwhelming shame for all the things my body COULDN’T do. So even though I LOVE being outside, I got in the habit of turning down opportunities to hike or go on other outdoor adventures.

Then I went outside with like-minded black women and the dynamic was 100% different. The need to “keep up” was no longer relevant because the point of being there was simply to 1) be in community, and 2) appreciate our surroundings. When that’s the goal it no longer matters how fast we go, or whether we reach the highest point of the trail or not. And an amazing thing happened - when the point was to enjoy one another and our surroundings, it made me that much more open to trying the hard things. Not only that, I actually began enjoying them! Those experiences changed my whole perspective on outdoor activities (and who I was willing to try them with), and opened up an entire universe of possibility that has literally changed my life. After lots of positive experiences my brain is re-conditioning (it’s a work in progress, y’all) so that when I see something amazing I now think, “I need to do that. How do I make it happen?”

So, if you saw the initial SheTravels launch announcement or looked through the website and got excited, I hope you’ll consider trying out an adventure. I hope you'll give us the chance to show you that adventuring in the outdoors is for you, too.

-Melinda