Fact: Working a 9-5 job can be daunting.
But having passion projects to keep you on your toes, accountable to yourself, and to both challenge and motivate your inner creative to go a little crazy every once in a while is a really good thing.
Here are a few things I can be found doing outside of the office.
The 58 Peaks Project
As a woman, I understand how intimidating it can be to get outside and into the wild.
I don't want anything mansplained to me. I don't want any raised eyebrows or condescending instructions. And I DON'T want your snarky sarcasm.
This project's mission is simple: Summit all of Colorado's 14,000+ feet mountains, together. In 52 weeks.
I've teamed up with my two best friends to take on this project. But to be clear, this project isn't just about us. It's about every woman who has ever questioned her place in the wilderness.
The purpose of this entire project is not only to encourage each other and every other lady who wants to get after it, but to do it in a way that is approachable, relatable, and that drives a community of fierce, like-minded and badass women together. Women who don't mind a few mosquito bites or dirt under their nails. Who would rather sleep outside than in their own beds. Whose eyes sparkle at the sight of high alpine meadows and jaw-dropping vistas. And whose spirits are as wild as the environments they constantly find themselves in.
We're here to tell you, show you, encourage you, and support you.
But most importantly to prove to you, and to every woman everywhere, that you belong.
Follow our project @the58peaksproject on Instagram
Fences for Fido
Fences For Fido improves the quality of life for dogs living outdoors by building fences free of charge for families who keep their dogs on chains, tethers, and in small enclosures. In addition to the fence, we also provide an insulated doghouse for each dog as well as spay/neuter services and emergency veterinary care when needed.
When a dog is unchained, a transformation begins. It starts with what we call “zoomies": The running, jumping, exuberant joy our Fidos display once unchained – many for the first time in years. That visible happiness puts smiles on the faces of our volunteers and most importantly, on the faces of our client families who, through this process, begin to connect with their pets in a more meaningful way.
The Moth
The Moth is an acclaimed, not-for-profit organization dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling. It is a celebration of both the raconteur, who breathes fire into true tales of ordinary life, and the storytelling novice, who has lived through something extraordinary and yearns to share it. At the center of each performance is, of course, the story – and The Moth’s directors work with each storyteller to find, shape and present it.
Each show starts with a theme, and the storytellers explore it, often in unexpected ways. Since each story is true and every voice authentic, the shows dance between documentary and theater, creating a unique, intimate, and often enlightening experience for the audience.
I'll be uploading the audio files of the stories I've shared in the next few days. They're each 5 minutes long and have a specific theme assigned to them ranging from "heartbreak" to "coincidence" to "guts." Stay tuned.
“It is brilliant and quietly addictive”
Altitude Seven
The goal of Altitude Seven is to continue amplifying the visibility of women in the outdoors, travel, action sports, exploration, and conservation. We share stories of everyday women to inspire others, to encourage, to motivate, and to remind women everywhere that we belong in the outdoors.
This project means so much to me. As a woman who loves surfing, running, hiking, climbing, mountaineering, skiing, and just being outdoors, it's important to me to let other women know that they belong here, too.
Read more about this awesome project, headed up by Altitude Seven's founder, Georgina Miranda, here.
