Ep.06: Gaining Confidence in the Outdoors

On this episode of Appalachian Outdoorosity, Dr. Becki Battista, a professor in App State's Department of Public Health and Exercise Science, interviews Heidi Campbell of App State's Counseling & Psychological Services Center and Katie Whitley — now with Wake Forest University Counseling Center — about their experiences and advice on how to gain confidence outdoors.

 

 

Transcript

 

Joy James

Welcome to Appalachian Outdoorosity where we encourage you to Get outside and keep going outside. Here we will share Appalachian State stories that entertain, inspire and inform listeners about living an active, outdoor lifestyle. Each episode features a story with the goal to get you outside and keep you going outside to improve your overall wellness.

 

This podcast is presented by the HOPE lab, where our purpose is to investigate the role of outdoor physical activity, exercise, and play on health, the environment, and human development. The vision of the HOPE lab is to continue developing the perfect foundation for promoting and supporting outdoor physical activity, exercise, and play through interdisciplinary research. Feel free to check us out at hopelab.appstate.edu.

 

Hi, my name is Joy James, I am a professor in Recreation Management at Appalachian State University and an outdoor lover. I will be your host today. On this episode we will talk to 2 counselors from the App State Counseling and Psychological Services Center. Outdoorosity team member, Dr. Becki Battista, a professor in exercise science, interviews Heidi Campbell and Katie Whitley who provide more details about their experiences in the outdoors, advice on how to get outside and gain confidence in the outdoors.  

 

 

Becki Battista

I want to welcome and thank you guys for coming to our podcast. So, Heidi Campbell and Katie Whitley are from App State’s Counseling and Psychological Services Center. We’re going to talk about nature and being outside. So, Katie, let's have you go first. Why did you come to App State and what your favorite outdoor activity is?

 

Katie Whitley

Well, it's great to be here. My name is Katie and I am completing my doctoral internship here at App State in the counseling center. So that means I'm working here this year. And I think that what drew me to App State was the outdoors. I've always been someone who loves being outside, loves moving my body, loves being in green mountainous spaces. And my favorite outdoor activity is hiking. So the thought of being able to come here and get this amazing training in psychology and counseling and every weekend, like dragging my partner outside to go hiking, I was like, “That sounds like a perfect combination to me.” So that's definitely what drew me here to App State and I've loved it so far.

 

Becki Battista

Great. Thank you. Yeah, there's lots of places to hike around here. That's, I think, one of the benefits of living in this area. Heidi, how about you? So where are you from? Why did you come to App State and tell us your favorite activity?

 

Heidi Campbell

Hi, everyone. My name is Heidi Campbell and I am a psychologist and staff counselor at the ASU Counseling Center. I am originally from the Pacific Northwest, so I was born in Seattle, but spent very little time there, moved around a lot in and outside of the U.S. and thinking about my connection to the outdoors, I grew up in a family without much television or video games, so my playground, the outdoors really was my playground. And I think I really thank my parents for instilling that in me and I feel like I  spent my childhood outdoors. I came to Boone and App State over 25 years ago to do my graduate work in App’s Psych department and was really drawn to this area because of the environment and all the natural resources. So I am a real avid outdoor enthusiast. I spent a lot of years in New Hampshire. My family landed in New Hampshire after moving seven or eight different places before I got to high school. We lived in a small town in the middle of the White Mountains, it was a ski resort in the winter. So some of my favorite activities… I do love hiking and camping. More recently, I've gotten really into mountain biking. I would say that is probably what I get most excited about. I love skiing. When we get snow and I get to get out. I have some really old cross-country Nordic gear. So one of my favorite things to do is getting together with a group of women and going out and adventuring.

So just the other day I was able to take it out at the Greenway and tromp around in my old cross-country skis. I like going out to our local ski resorts, mountain biking, hiking, trail running. Pretty much anything that gets me out into the woods or wild places.

 

Becki Battista

I think the benefit of being here in Boone is we have four different seasons. And so to me, there's not really a barrier to getting outside in any season. I mean, you can still go out in the cold, you can still go out and ski and enjoy the snow. Then, in the summer and the spring, it's just beautiful outside. I like to go on a hikes and to see how beautiful when the rhododendrons are blooming. It's just pretty amazing I think so, yeah. That's pretty cool. So Heidi you kind of talked to us a little about how you first got interested in the outdoors and the influence of your family. Katie, do you have any stories similar to that? Like what really influenced you to get into the outdoors and enjoy hiking and being in nature?

 

Katie Whitley

I would also say my family. I love hearing you all talk about how you get outdoors in the winter. I'm originally from Florida. I'm struggling, I'm very cold. But I think that my drive to be outdoors and enjoy nature came from my family. We would go on just big adventures or big trips and then we would usually go hiking or going canyoneering in Utah and like lots of different adventures, lots of different seasons and places. And I think it was, I guess, just as a kid it always filled me with that feeling of like, “this is so exciting, this is so new.” I liked being in situations where I kind of felt small. Like when you're looking out on a really big grand, vast, vista, or you're in a really deep canyon, I think as a kid that feeling comes more easily. But even now, as an adult, that's what I like so much about being outdoors is getting to be part of something that's much bigger than myself, and I feel very connected to the present moment when I'm outside moving my body getting my heart rate up. So yeah, I would say my family definitely instilled that in me.

 

Becki Battista

Yeah. And as I think about that, I'm wondering, you know, what advice would you have for somebody that maybe didn't have a family that got them outside? Like, how do we encourage somebody? I mean, being outside has some barriers to that and can be a little intimidating if you've never been out there. I mean, there's some scary things in the woods. My biggest fear is seeing a bear. I have not seen one in the 13 years I've lived here, but I still look around the corner and wait for that to come out and my friends make fun of me for it. But, it's kind of fun right now to think about it. But then, if it ever did happen to me, I'm like, I don't really know what I would do, but what are some suggestions that you both might have in terms of if somebody hasn't been outside, how do they get started?

 

Katie Whitley

I think in some ways we really saw this during the workshop that we led together, the nature centered mindfulness workshop in which we met with students in a small group. We were outdoors kind of leading a hike, doing some like five senses, scavenger hunt type things. And because we were kind of leading that, it was a new experience for all of them. I think they’d probably have been outdoors, but maybe they hadn't been to the nature preserve and you know most of them came by themselves. It was a totally new experience. So, I think that sometimes being able to be a little bit vulnerable or putting yourself out there in a small way, you can reap some really big rewards and benefits because we saw how surprisingly, even though it was just an hour and a half, we were like walking around talking that the students really seemed to connect with each other. And we heard them make plans to go have dinner together after this hike. Heidi and I were just so excited to bring that connection to those students. So, I think sometimes doing those activities if you’re new with other people, maybe someone that you already know or trust and also like even if you're trying to start a new friendship or a new idea of going outdoors for yourself, like acknowledging that it can be a little nerve wracking at first, and that's not uncommon.

 

Heidi Campbell

I would echo, I think often if you haven't grown up or been exposed to that, it doesn't feel comfortable or natural. It can feel more intimidating and daunting than it actually is. It's sort of like I equate it to how I feel a lot of times about technology where it feels like, Really, I didn't, I didn't. I'm not a digital native. I didn't grow up, you know, learning a lot of that. I had to learn it as I go and kind of jumping into it and not being afraid to ask for help, but also just having the courage to give it a try. I think what a lot of people find is that it's not as scary as it seems. Also,  that's how you get more confident and comfortable just by doing it and learning. I remember early on having some kind of hysterical experiences around gear of like the stuff I would bring or not bring and feeling really embarrassed about that. But then you learn next time I'm going to, you know, make sure I have just this one thing that makes a big difference. I think about doing it with other people, too. And if you don't have friends or family or people familiar to you, you know, maybe joining a group like an outdoor program trip or something organized where you have the security of somebody instructing or guiding or providing a gear list. So, just be willing to go for it and take that risk and realize that there are going to be things that don't go great and things that go well and you'll learn from it and next time feel a little more comfortable.

 

Becki Battista

Yeah, I think that makes a lot of sense. I mean, I also kind of grew up in a family that really encouraged us to be active and go outside. And my favorite experiences really were at my grandparent’s cabin in the woods and just playing in the woods was just really fun. Then when I came here and I met some faculty members and some friends that go outside, a lot, you know, they started taking me places.  There are still a few friends that I have that I know that they like to take risks and I'm aware of that, but I trust them that everything's going to be okay. Like they know some things that I don't know and I know some things that they don't know. And so in some ways, going with one of them, I know what the activity is going to be. I know that I can kind of rely on them a little bit for my concerns, but I also know that they're aware of my fears too. So, I think going with people is really kind of fun and you learn a lot and then you learn people's strengths and weaknesses and can go as a group. So, I think that's really some great points that you guys bring up. So, we kind of talked a little bit too about kind of becoming comfortable in the outdoors and maybe equipment. So, what is one thing that you always like to bring with you when you go outside? Like, what's that one thing that always needs to come along?

 

Katie Whitley

Well, I feel like this doesn't fall quite under equipment, but I have been known to get really excited about a hike and just like to jump out into it and not bring any food. So, snacks are really important. I think I get so wrapped up in like, you know, going up the trail, getting really excited and I realize I've left my partner behind and he's like, “Where's the food?”  And I’m like, “I don't have it. I thought you were bringing it.” So, I would say food because I think not being “hangry” helps to keep you in the present moment and enjoying what's going on for you, enjoying the climb, getting up that trail. Actually now I really love stopping along the way and like sitting and having a snack and talking with the people that I'm hiking with and just knowing that like you don't have to rush to get to like the view or the final place. I think the journey is also important and it's important to fuel yourself.

 

Heidi Campbell

I have several pieces of gear that I love and have become attached to. Like I am very, very in love with my mountain bike. But that's a more kind of elaborate thing. But in terms of just like day-to-day gear, especially if I'm out on something a little bit more extended, warm socks to me just have almost like karmic power. If I'm like on a multi-day or even like a long, long day being able to change socks, even if I'm just out for the day, like I will pack warm fuzzy socks to change into or out of my hiking shoes or boots or my mountain biking shoes or like when I get out on my ski boots. I just I love the comfort of warm socks. I would say in terms of practically probably my raincoat, I learned the hard way early on to not be prepared to stay dry. Gear has come a long way. And you know, I think we're fortunate in this area because we have Re-Gear where people can go, students can go and find more affordable, good gear that is lightweight. I have had like learned the hard way and over the years, just like, have a nice, lightweight, pretty foolproof, rain proof jacket that comes with me that can roll into a little ball and go into, like, a fanny pack or a backpack, but warm socks, knowing that I have those there like to change into, makes me happy.

 

Becki Battista

Yeah, I have to think about that next time I go out that's a really nice added benefit to on your finishing anything because I know in the summer I like to just take my shoes off. I mean because your feet are just kind of swollen and just feels good. I have kind of a hand thing, so I always like my hands to be warm, so I've got to change my gloves and make sure that my hands are safe, nice and comfortable too. So that's pretty cool. I enjoy your stories and your favorite items that you have. One of the other things we can kind of think about is like, how do you think you’ve become more comfortable in the outdoors? We kind of talked about this a little bit, but are there other ideas about comfort like how did you become more comfortable on some of the things that you have done in your past?

 

Katie Whitley

I think it definitely helps to have some of those early experiences where I was doing those things with other people. But, I also know that for me, being outdoors brings that sense of curiosity and excitement, like being able to explore, you know, or see something that you've never seen before. Like I've never looked off of this, you know, like Blue Ridge outlook and seeing this, you know, expansive view before. So, it's kind of like I'm really enjoying seeking out those new experiences. So I think it brought me a little bit of comfort to know that like some of these things I can choose if I don't want to go all the way on a really, really long hike that lasts all day long, like, maybe like my body's not up for that today. Maybe for today, I just want to, you know, move my body in a gentle way or what would make me feel really connected to nature today. Sometimes that is a super long hike where you need those warm socks and you need those experiences, but sometimes it's just getting outdoors and driving along the parkway. So, I think even acknowledging for yourself what will make you feel the most comfortable and then kind of building on that over time because there's no one right way to be outdoors. And I think even hearing your experiences, like we all have different experiences of hiking or mountain biking and how long we go for and like what we like to bring, which I think is really powerful. Like if we all went on a hike together, we would all bring different, important pieces that would help us to have a good time and have a great experience.

 

Heidi Campbell

I mentioned growing up in a family that really got me outside, but I was really blessed to go to a high school in New Hampshire that had a really active outing program, so similar to our local high school here. Watauga Mountain Alliance offers this fabulous opportunity for any student, regardless of financial means, to be able to get out and do regular trips and extended trips. So,  I had a high school that had an out outing club that I was really active in and where we would just go out pretty regularly. I feel like thinking back on that, I got exposed to all different kinds of weather and places and environments that stretched me sometimes. One of the programs that we did in my high school was in the middle of the winter in New Hampshire, in the White Mountains. It was a ten-day program for all during junior year, third year of high school that included a solo experience in the middle. It was a three day solo and when I look back at that, I'm like, yikes, I can't believe they had us all do that I got through that. But so, I think the more experiences you have that kind of stretch you where you realize, “I can, I can be in like a downpour and get through that or be in the cold and learn to kind of survive that or figure out that.” There's so much that is unpredictable in the outdoors and novel. I think learning that you can kind of face those challenges. I think about just spending time. Then, the other piece for me I think is having worked at camps right after college as a like a camp counselor. I led trips and got some learn some hard skills such as like for example just getting comfortable like it was really daunting to me like setting up a tent and a stove and things like that or and so getting some experience, getting some instruction in that to where I just felt like the more, I did that now if I were to try today, I'd have to be really rusty because I haven't done that in a while. So, I think taking advantage of, you know, classes you might take, you know, around, like if you're somebody that gets really excited about it, maybe you decide to take like a wilderness first aid class so that you feel comfortable if there was an emergency that came up or if you're going to be doing more mild outdoor activities, becoming familiar with like reading a map. Just learning some of the skills that just like I had just signed up to do like a bike maintenance class for women because that's an area that feels really scary to me if I'm like out on a trail and I can do basic bike maintenance, but not a lot beyond that. So, I am going to try to do this series of classes where I can really understand how to fix my bike and not have to rely on other people around me, which often tends to be men who have those skills. That's been helpful for me and being more comfortable and getting to pick up some of those skills along the way.

 

Becki Battista

Yeah, and I think that's a great point, you that there is no one way to do outside activity. You can do activity outside however you want. And I think that's the important piece to think about. You can go stay outside and camp for, you know, a day or five days or you can just go and drive on the parkway and look at the overlook. Any of that still as being outside.

You’re still kind of getting that benefit in terms of mental health, physical health, and just looking at something that's just absolutely beautiful and just breathe. And so I think that's a benefit of us living in the environment and the area that we live in is that we have those opportunities and that's kind of nice because I do think we can do it however we want to do it.

We can be active outside in whatever way fits us best. And then the more comfortable we come with those short bouts, then the longer bouts become a little bit easier and a little bit more comfortable. That's great.

 

 

 

Joy James

Listening to these stories hopefully makes you think about ways you can get outside or new things you wish to try. Putting yourself out there, while challenging, can lead to great experiences, new friendships and an increased self-confidence. Evidence suggests exercise outside can lead to greater feelings of increased energy, motivation and a positive engagement compared to exercise indoors. Additionally, recent research has indicated decreases in tension, anger and depression are also associated with being active outside. One of the goals of the HOPE Lab is to further understand the impacts of being outside on both physical and mental health.  Visit www.appstate.hopelab.edu to learn more.  Now let’s listen to more stories and experiences from Heidi and Katie!

 

Becki Battista

Okay, so tell us a story about an outdoor experience that has influenced you. It can be something funny, any lesson learned. So, what is one particular event that really kind of influenced you?

 

Katie Whitley

I feel like I have so many. I am thinking about a time in which I went on a trip with my family and we were canyoneering and like going deep down like into a canyon and then hiking back up probably somewhere within like Utah or like the Four Corners states. It was like an intense experience and it was really fun up until the point that we had to rappel down into like a ravine and no one had prepared me for that. I don't know how to do that. The guides were really kind and really nice. And I watched, I think maybe like my dad went down first and I was like, “okay, I can, I can do that.” A lot of like false confidence there, but I kind of like rappelled down over the edge. And then I looked down behind me, which was my first mistake, and I got really scared. I kind of just like, like a pinball machine, just like pinballed back and forth between the walls of this ravine just hanging on to this rope. And, you know, I made it down eventually, but I think the way that that influenced me is that it was really scary and it was something that came up in the middle of a trip that I was like, I had no idea I needed to do this.

And I think that it really helped to make me feel more, I guess adaptable, but also just acknowledged that, like, you can do hard things and feel a little bit scared and keep going. We still then went deeper into this ravine and then hiked all the way back up out of the ravine and had lots of like funny stories after that. Like my mom’s shoe literally, like, broke open and we had to like tie it together and you know, even to this day, like we talk often about that trip and about I remember that time that Katie was like a pinball, you know, like, you know, being able to share those memories with the people around you I think is really important. So, I feel like that had a big influence on not letting hard things keep you kind of like what you were just saying, like not feeling a bit overwhelmed or scared or nervous, keep you from doing something that will be an awesome experience. Like, did it hurt a little bit? Yes, but it's a really good story that I love that is a part of my family now.

 

Heidi Campbell

So, I think I mentioned that I spent my high school years in New Hampshire and it's a pretty mountainous state. And there is this legendary area on the side of Mount Washington called Tuckerman Ravine, which is this kind of head wall that you can ski. During certain times of the winter there’s conditions where you can ski it. You have to hike in. It's kind of a big adventure and you hike in for like an hour, an hour and a half with all your gear and then you hike around the side of the head wall and then you can ski down. And so, this was sometime toward the end of high school or early college. I was with a group of friends. Part of why this story is so memorable to me is the people that I was with. Most of my fond memories in the outdoors have to do with the companionship of being with friends or family. And you know, the story, the adventures that you share and the memories that you make. So, this was a group of friends, so we were all pretty young. I think this might have been the first time for most of us up there, but  one of the friends I was with had a dog, their dog with them, and before we knew it, the dog had climbed up and gotten into this really precarious part, like up on the top of the head wall where they were obviously like panicked and we could hear them sort of yelping and they could not get down.

They couldn't go up. They couldn't, they were stuck. And so, my friend and I, without thinking, we were not being very thoughtful or rational as sometimes happens and you know, because this animal was in danger we just started going after it. I think we were probably in our ski boots and were hiking up this head wall and we got ourselves into a really precarious position that could have actually been pretty scary. I laugh about it now, but at the time it was pretty scary where we were sort of hiking and we looked down and there's like running water beneath us, like the meltwater of this snowy head wall that if we had, you know, fallen through could have been really dangerous. So, we look at each other and, you know, we're trying to get this dog and we are just stuck and panicked and like the dog, we can't really go any farther. We can't go back down because of where we were. It all ended up being, okay, somebody came to assist and we got the dog and we were able to get down safely but that adventure stands on my mind because I learned a lot of things and one of them was just the value of being and trusting people that are with you, but also being able to stay calm in situations. Because, I think if we had panicked and tried to really react in that moment, we, you know, might have fallen through the snow that we were on. I think about that often when I'm in situations that scare me or I'll just take a couple of deep breaths and slow down and calm and realize that, you know, I can kind of get myself out of this and rely on other people if needed.

So, it's one story that has stuck with me.

 

Becki Battista

That is great and we're all happy that the dog was saved, too. Okay. So in kind of our last segment here, we're going to talk about “The Dirt on Getting Outside.” I have a few questions for both of you. And my first question is, what is your biggest fear?

 

Katie Whitley

Well, coming from living in Miami…living in Florida, My biggest fear is sharks. I'm terrified of sharks. I don't go in the ocean. Let's say it sounds really counterproductive for someone who should be enjoying the ocean. Like, I'm not an ocean life snorkeling kind of girl. Like, really could not. Yeah, I really don't want to go into that.

 

Heidi Campbell

I do not like feeling out of control. So, I've always kind of lived by this rule. When I’m skiing and mountain biking, I never go faster than I'm willing to hit a tree. I know that sounds kind of strange but I do not like feeling like things are out of control. When I think about being outdoors and some of the activities I do, I tend to like to plan a lot or make less. So even if I'm just going out for the day and my husband, who's also an outdoor enthusiast and my kids will laugh at me, you know, I'll make these lists and I'll pack up the night before to make sure, like, I have everything. So, winging it, you know, just kind of going by the seat of my pants, like, scares the heck out of me. So, yeah, I do not like being out of control.

 

Becki Battista

Yeah, I can understand that. I'm probably the slowest one going down the hill. I'm great at climbing a hill, but then down the hill I'm like, “Ooh, I don't know about this. It's a little scary.” Yeah, I completely understand. Okay, so the second question for this section is, what is your most embarrassing outdoor moment that you're willing to share with us?

 

Katie Whitley

I just talked about this with Heidi I said, “I don't think I can share my most embarrassing moments,” so I don't want anyone to know about that. But I'll take a moderate, mid-level, embarrassing moment. On one of the last hikes I went on with my friends from grad school back in Louisville, we set out to go on this really beautiful hike that was a circular hike. And the first decision we could have made, like left or right, we picked the wrong decision. We went on the completely wrong trail that ended up being like an out and back ten miles, which we were not prepared to do. I was like, “Why aren't we going in a circle? Does it make any sense?” So, we got very lost and we ended up having to turn around in a graveyard and we were like in the middle of the woods. So, we laugh about it now, but I definitely remember thinking, “I can't wait to get back to the car. I'm very tired.”

 

Heidi Campbell

So, I have a tendency to take spectacular falls, like just out of the blue when I am just hiking or backpacking or sometimes running. Sometimes it involves tripping on roots, but I generally feel like I'm pretty coordinated, but when I fall it's kind of like a sack of potatoes. I was out on a trail run on the Mountains to Sea trail, which is a really awesome trail that goes through our area. It iskind of like the Appalachian Trail but it traverses North Carolina, I believe, and just goes right through our community and there's stretches of it that are just so beautiful. So, this was an area east, kind of off the parkway, on the mountains to sea trail. I was running and it was at the end of our run, this beautiful trail, and I tripped. I still don't know what I caught my foot on. I fell so hard that I had mulch from the trail. Fortunately, it was not like Rocky, or particularly there weren't like sharp objects. But I had mulch like in my nose, in my mouth, in my ears. I don't know how I got mulch in so many places. This older couple came up behind me and I think I was kind of in shock and I was just sitting there. I wasn't aware that I was covered in mulch like a Chia Pet. They came up and they were just looking at me like, “What on earth? are you okay? What happened?” I was just kind of like breathing and trying to make sure I hadn't broken any bones. They were looking at me and then I assured them I was okay. I got to my husband who was like way ahead of me, as he always is running…I got to him and he's like looking at me and I realized that have all this mulch like in every, like, space. So, then I realized that's why those people were looking at me like I was some kind of, like, woodland creature. So, one of many embarrassing moments I've had.

 

Becki Battista

Yeah, I have a few of those stories too, with some rips in my pants, my leggings from falling, you know. You always seem to fall in front of people like you never fall on your own. You always take your best falls when there's people around and you're like, “Oh, great. Okay!”  Thank you both for sharing that. So, my next question is, what is the must have piece of outdoor equipment that you never leave home without, no matter the weather or conditions?

 

Katie Whitley

I would say my boots, I feel like I have a really good pair of boots now and I finally broke them in adequately. So I just love having my boots. And kind of similar to what Heidi said, I love having socks, but for me, it's not so much the warmth. It's like the funky “funness” of the sock. I like to make my socks bright or colorful or have fun things on them, like mountain ranges, things like that. So, I like to coordinate my outfit with my socks.

 

Heidi Campbell

I would probably say my water bottle. summer, winter, rain or shine, that's probably something that I would like if I had to pick one thing that I would take with me and also has, you know, some karmic value. I think, like I think of the students that I work with and see when they like come into my office and all the stickers and the ways that you can express yourself with your water bottle that you know, the type of the water bottle, the color and then stickering it up.

But yeah, hydration is good. Don't want to get dehydrated. I've definitely had experiences where I've learned the hard way, where I've gotten out and not eaten or not had enough to drink and definitely paid the price and it doesn't feel very good. So, that would be something I would probably always have.

 

Becki Battista

Yeah, I think water bottles are kind of like your favorite pen or pencil, right? Like, you can't leave home without it. And it's just that that other pencil just doesn't feel right. I need to have a water bottle with all my favorite stickers on it. Yeah, I totally agree. So, what is your favorite local spot? Where do you like to go? What's your favorite one?

 

Katie Whitley

I really loved hiking out to Hebron Falls (Boone Fork Trail). The hike out to the Falls is really good and pretty rigorous in some areas. When you get to the base of the falls it is just huge rocks. I think that speaks to what I shared earlier. I enjoy being in front of something that's so big that it makes you feel kind of small and I love that you can climb up those rocks to get to the top where the waterfall is. It’s just an adventure within an adventure. I've been there so far in the summer, which is really hot and really fun. I got to get into the waterfall a little bit and like to cool off. But, even recently, like in the winter time, some of the water was frozen and just being able to have that adventure and have that big climbing experience and all those different seasons was really exciting to me.

 

Heidi Campbell

So, I really love Moses Cone Park. There's something like 27 miles of these carriage trails. It was in an estate of this blue jean-denim baron I think maybe from Greensboro. It was their summer playground. So, they developed it. They had horses and carriages and they developed all these just beautiful trails. It’s so different. Becki was talking about the four seasons and how, you know, just when you're getting tired of winter, spring pops up and you can start to see the flowers and a little bit of warm sunshine and at Moses Cone, you really notice those seasonal changes. There's some lakes and ponds and so they'll freeze over and the colors in the fall there are just beautiful. So, I have really fond memories of when my kids were really little of going out, having them in their baby jogger type of stroller we had where we could push them or run with them out there and they're nice, like gradual trails. So, it's a nice place to take family when they come to visit who maybe aren't as comfortable on steeper or rockier trails. There are so many different trails that you can, you know, not repeat yourself or do the same loop. You could go out there a hundred times and find something new.

 

Becki Battista

So yeah, those are my favorite too. I go out there every weekend and run on those trails because they're just simple and it's kind of like it's my safe place, you know, I just it's comfort to me and it feels like home. And just at the end of the week, it allows me to feel kind of more complete. I come home, even though it's cold out or raining out or whatever, I come back home, have my breakfast and a cup of coffee, and I just feel like I finally accomplished something.I just feel so much better. Like, it's just a wonderful feeling. It's my safe place, my sanctity out there. So, as we kind of wrap this up, I do have one last kind of question that we can and a meld a few things together in… If you had one piece of advice for students or faculty staff or really anyone to get outside and expose themselves to nature, like what would be what would be some advice that you would give them?

 

Katie Whitley

I guess I would want to share that. I feel like the outdoors is for everyone. Like I've always found it to be a very welcoming space. I think that whether that's you experiencing the outdoors by yourself or with a group of people that you know or a group of people that you're trying to get to know better, there are so many things about the outdoors that I feel like bring people together or allow them to kind of sit with their own thoughts. I think a lot of the things many people do, including myself, are geared at making sure that you're not sitting alone with your own thoughts because sometimes life can be really difficult and really stressful. So, I think I like to imagine the outdoors, whatever season it is, whatever it looks like as a space, it's kind of like you were just sharing kind of like a sanctuary and that it's, it's always there to welcome you with open arms if you want to partake in that and that you can engage with it in whatever way feels comfortable or like what feels right for you. So even like what Heidi was sharing earlier, I feel like it allows a good sense of, I guess, like autonomy or control in that way.

 

Heidi Campbell

One thing I would say is to not let fears or other barriers get in the way of just getting outside, that it can be as simple as just stepping outside of your apartment or residence hall and going for a walk. So, it can be just whatever it is you want it to be or need it to be. It is accessible and welcoming to everybody. You know, I think we spend a lot of time in our heads. It's so easy to get in our heads and too much of that isn't good for any of us. And there's something about being outside. It's like it immerses us in all five of our senses, helps us gain perspective that our problems and issues are pretty small. It has just a wonderful, calming and energizing effect on most everybody. And so just to not let those barriers keep you, it doesn't have to be anything elaborate or fancy or require a lot of gear or you have to have certain skills. Just get out in the sunshine, get out in the wind, get out in the rain. You will learn a lot about yourself and also realize that your fears aren't as big as you think they are…Give it a try.

 

Becki Battista

I think that's great advice for any of us, really. We do live in a beautiful country, a beautiful area right around here in the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Appalachian region and even our campus is very striking, too. So, I'm very grateful for where we are. Thank you both for talking to us on this podcast today. We will list some resources from your facility on our site, but I appreciate all of your assistance today, so thank you both Heidi and Katie for joining us.

 

Joy James

We hope you enjoyed listening to Heidi and Katie talk about why they chose to come to App State and learn more about their experiences in the outdoors. Whether you are considering going hiking, mountain biking, or even skiing, think about ways to make it fun.  Bring your must-have-item like snacks and wear something fun like socks that have karmic power. Above all else, just experiment with the outdoors and see what it may bring to you.  After all, the outdoors is for everyone! We want to thank Heidi and Katie for sharing these stories. As we sign off let’s end with a quote from Henry David Thoreau, “I took a walk in the woods and I came out taller than the trees.”

 

We just want to thank all of our interviewees for sharing these stories. And as we sign off we want to end with a quote and encourage you to get outdoors. From Henry David Thoreau, I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees.