Out There

Shannon Prince's ancestors were skilled at using plants as medicine. But her family’s eco-literacy had been stripped away over the generations. Yearning to rediscover forgotten knowledge, Shannon traveled across the world, to a place where ancient traditions were more intact. On this episode, she shares her story. She takes us from Texas to Mongolia, exploring the surprising things that can happen to us on a personal level, when we attempt to preserve a way of life that’s slowly being stripped away.

We often hear about people escaping to nature as an antidote to stress. Quiet places can help us find inner peace, we’re told. But what if it isn’t so simple for everyone? What if some people need busier urban environments — and not just for the career opportunities, or the lifestyle — but in order to feel at peace? This episode draws us into one woman’s realization that living in a big city might be just what her soul has been searching for all along. Alex Eggerking tells her story.

This episode is about control: control of wildfires, and control of your own life. My guests are Alex Jablonski and Kahlil Hudson, producers the film Wildland. We talk about the deeply personal forces that draw people to wildland firefighting; about the mental highs that come with the job; and about the surprising bonds that form between people who seem to have nothing in common. Finally, we discuss how controlling nature can help you gain control over your own life, too.

Most of us want a life partner. But what if your soulmate never materializes? On this episode, writer and photographer Mara Kuhn shares a story about being single well past the age when most of your peers are paired off. It’s a story that takes us from the deep south to the highest peak in Colorado, and it explores why being single might actually make you happier.

We hear it again and again: relationships require compromise. But what happens when you realize you’ve been letting your own identity slip away, for the benefit of a relationship? Today’s story, by Dani Harris, is about young love and a cross-country road trip, and it shows just how hard it can be to stand up for yourself when you care deeply about another person.

This is a story about our beliefs — about things we’re brought up to know to be true. Beliefs so strong and powerful that they shape the identity, culture, and attitudes of an entire nation. We all have these kinds of beliefs. But what causes us to begin to question them? On this episode, we have a guest story from Kerning Cultures, a podcast dissecting the complex narratives of the Middle East. It’s a story about what happens when we’re faced with a truth that contradicts our own.

Beth Jusino was neither outdoorsy nor religious, but, craving a break from her hectic life, she set her sights on the Camino de Santiago, an ancient pilgrimage route through Europe. Her book Walking to the End of the World chronicles the trip, and she joins us to talk about it. Beth’s story is a testament to the beautiful things that can happen when you stop saying, “I could never do that.” And it’s a reminder that disentangling ourselves from our responsibilities and compulsions can help us thr

What happens when you realize the quest to achieve has been holding you back? On this episode, producer Noam Osband shares the story of something surprising that happened while he was researching his PhD dissertation. His story that takes us from the hills of Arkansas to the forests of Canada, introduces us to the world of migrant tree planters, and shows what happens when you're willing to take your gaze away from your goal.

Tear-jerking stories of joy, pain, hope and love, from Out There's first cohort of ambassadors.

Part of our mission at Out There is to make the concept of ‘the outdoors’ more accessible to all. But so far, we don’t have a great track record. Contrary to our intentions, this has become a show mostly about white people — and while we’re at it, mostly straight, upper middle class white people. On this episode, Host Willow Belden and Business Development Director Alex Eggerking sit down for an honest conversation about how we got here, and what we hope to change in the future.

Adrian Fernandez thought he would never speak to his father again. His dad had ruined everything, and the situation seemed hopeless. But sometimes, the people who hurt us most are the only ones we can turn to for help. On this episode, Adrian shares his story. It’s a story of anger, desperation and longing. It takes us from suburban New Jersey to rural Montana, and it explores the surprising things that can happen when you feel you’ve hit rock bottom.

On this episode, we have a guest story from the podcast Hear in the Gorge, about what happens when something goes terribly wrong in the outdoors. Producer Sarah Fox brings us the story of an accident that happened to a 10-year-old boy in Oregon, and she gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the Crag Rats, the oldest mountain search and rescue team in the U.S. They’re the people who get called to save lives in places where ambulances can’t get to. And they’re all volunteers.

Bill and Linda Ware live in the middle of Maine's notorious 100-Mile Wilderness. The only people they see on a regular basis are thru-hikers on the Appalachian Trail. On this episode, we explore why people would choose to live like that — totally removed from friends and family. How do you keep from getting lonely, when your only human interactions are with hikers who stay a night or two at most? Can the magic of strangers really sustain a person?

When Halimah Marcus moved to Brooklyn, she took pride in getting to know Prospect Park. But eventually, her little oasis lost its luster. After logging hundreds of miles on the same loop, she knew every twist and turn, every tree. There was nothing new to look forward to. On this episode, Halimah shares her story. It’s a story about finding adventure when your only access to nature is city parks — about trying to ward off boredom when the places you play become overly familiar.

In 2015, Tiffany Duong was living the life: she’d finished law school, joined a big law firm, and traveled as much as she could. And yet, she was miserable. Then, on a whim, Tiffany signed up for a scuba diving trip to the Galapagos Islands. At the time, it seemed like just another bandaid — a way to escape her angst for a few days. But what happened on that boat, and in the wild blue ocean currents, ended up changing her life completely. On this episode, she shares her story.