Outside Day 730

Mount Ashland, Oregon

This was originally published on July 25, 2020.

As of today, I’ve been outside and active for 730 days in a row, completing my #outside365 challenge twice consecutively. When I first set this objective for myself many years ago, I had no idea that I’d ever be able to hit two years in a row, much less rocket right past that milepost!

In these tumultuous and stressful times, Outside 365 has proven to be so incredibly grounding for me. The simple act of getting out into the fresh air and moving my body—every single day, excuses be damned—continues to help me deal with both the normal and extraordinary anxieties of life in 2020.

I’m seeing many other people turning to this same medicine, and I’m ecstatic about this increased pursuit of vibrant experiences in the natural world!

And yet, I’ve observed other people that have taken the exact opposite approach during this pandemic by not leaving the house at all, not having any structure to their lives, not pursuing any goals or objectives.

We haven’t yet evolved to be solitary, sedentary indoor creatures. We evolved to be social, active hunters and gatherers living under the bright blue dome of the sky. While our social lives may be taking a hit, the outdoors are still available to us. No matter our socio economic status, no matter where on earth we live, we can still leave our claustrophobic buildings for the air and freedom of the wider world.

I’m not saying that going outside will cure all that ails the world... just most of it.

Outside Day 730.