Out There

Camille von Kaenel lost her mother when she was just 18. Her mom’s death left a gaping hole in her life. But in the years that followed, Camille discovered things about her mother that would give her a whole new appreciation for the parent she lost. On this episode, Camille shares her story. It's a story that takes us from the Swiss Alps to a volcano in Ecuador. And it shows us just how much we can learn about - and gain from - our loved ones, even in their absence. 

On the first episode of our advice segment, The Nature Fix, we tackle a question from a listener who feels trapped in his own life. He's desperate to move away from a place he hates, but feels obligated to stay, in order to care for his daughter and elderly mother. We look at whether he should follow his dream, or resign himself to his responsibilities.

If you have a problem, but others are worse off, should you shut up? This episode is about Australian journalist James Bennett, who moved to India in 2015 to take up a long-coveted role as a foreign correspondent. James was an outdoorsy type: he liked to cycle, surf, camp, and fish. So he knew the move to New Delhi was going to be hard. But what he didn’t realize was how the experience would change his perspective on speaking up about your problems.

We're thrilled to be launching a new segment on Out There: an advice series called The Nature Fix. Each month, we'll use wisdom from the outdoors to address your most pressing personal questions. On this episode, we introduce our wonderful new advice columnists, Becky Jensen and Angus Chen. And we dive right into advice giving, with questions about career, happiness, success, and work-life balance.

When Mary Roberts went on a backpacking trip in the Sangre de Cristos, she was looking for an epiphany — a vision that would help her sort out her life's problems. What happened out in the wilderness wasn't at all what she'd expected or hoped. The "vision" she got (if that's what you'd call it) was as perplexing as it was disturbing, and it seemed to have nothing to do with the problems she was trying to solve. But as she would learn, sometimes it's the most perplexing events that affect us most profoundl

When it comes to making decisions, we often know what we should do. But then there's that little voice, urging you to throw caution to the wind. What happens when we give into that voice - when we make a decision that's clearly irrational - that everyone tells us is a mistake? This is a story about young love, a cross-country road trip, and a tough question: whether you should follow your head or your heart.

When Bassam Tarazi set out to hike the 23-mile Presidential Traverse in New Hampshire, he wasn't worried. It was a nice summer day, he had a lifetime of mountaineering experience behind him, and compared to his other outdoor conquests, this would be easy. But over the course of the next few hours, he would come to realize what a dangerous miscalculation he had made. It was a miscalculation that would scare him to the point of tears and would cause him question the value of his own confidence.

This is the story of a homeless man named Michael and a lost cat named Tabor, who find - and adopt - each other. On this episode, we talk with Britt Collins, who wrote a book chronicling their story. It's a story of love and tenderness, and of the surprising things that can happen when those who have nothing left to give, decide to give anyway.

Throughout most of her life, whenever things weren't going well, Susan Conrad's tendency was to run. But seven years ago, she embarked on a trip that would change all that. She decided to kayak the Inside Passage, a 1,200-mile coastal route from Washington State to Alaska -- by herself. Hers is a story of a troubled past, and of a journey that changed the way she approaches life -- a journey that taught her patience, and showed her how to appreciate where she is -- right here, and right now.

On this episode, we bring you excerpts from an episode of Wild Ideas Worth Living, a podcast about people who have wild ideas and do them anyway. We talk with host Shelby Stanger about her choice to give up a stable career in order to pursue her passion and launch her show. And we bring you excerpts from her interview with Rob Greenfield, a man who has created a life he loves through living with less.

When we lose a loved one, distracting ourselves can sometimes make grieving easier. But it can also make you forget things you didn't think you could, like what your loved one looked or sounded like. Writer Lara McCaffrey had such an experience, and on this episode, she shares her story. It’s a story about trying to heal yourself in the wake of a devastating loss—and about the struggle to dull the pain, without losing that special connection with the person you’ve lost.

Mari Andrew was leading a charmed existence. Then one day, she came down with a mysterious disease -- a disease that would turn her life on its head. The illness kept her hospitalized for a month -- and disabled long after that. It took her away from the things she loved and shattered her sense of identity. But it also resulted in something unexpected: a relationship with the natural world that was as powerful as it was surprising. Producer Greta Weber brings us Mari's story.

On this episode, we preview some of the stories we have in the works, share feedback from you (our listeners), and introduce you to the people behind the scenes at Out There. We also offer a vision for the future. We talk about what we want to build with Out There, what kind of company we hope to become, and how you fit into that picture.

Journalist Maya Kroth was in Mexico City this fall, when a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck. Hundreds of people died; it was the deadliest quake in a generation. But in the weeks after the earthquake, Maya watched something happen out in the streets of Mexico City that made her think about disasters a little differently. As she would learn, tragedy has a way of bringing out the best in people -- a way of weaving us together into a giant invisible tapestry, held together by our common humanity.

Becky Jensen was that girl with the acne and the crooked teeth. The girl who always felt she had to hide. As she grew older, even though her complexion improved, the emotional scars persisted. But last year, on a backpacking trip in Colorado, something happened that changed how Becky sees herself. This is her story. It's about one of those tiny moments that ends up having a profound impact on our lives. And about what it takes to learn to accept your own beauty.