Outdoorsy

I used to think I was outdoorsy. But as I’ve gotten older, and to be honest, now that I know my husband, I realize I am more of a city girl.

I enjoy the great outdoors, the vistas, the overlooks, the great landscapes. I enjoy appreciating God’s great creation. It’s beautiful, serene, and a different kind of peaceful than any city-centered peace, and there are some pieces of peace within cities, if you know where to look.

But outdoorsy, I am not.

When out at the river, stream, or lake, I’m more comfortable on the shore than in the water. I don’t know how to swim; just how not to drown. River rocks terrify me. Climbing up anything makes me nervous. This isn’t something I share often because it’s one of those things my husband just doesn’t get.

When camping, I’d prefer a campsite with a bathroom and some showers. Sure, I enjoy a tent camping trip, but I want all the luxury and conveniences of city life! This is definitely due to my camping circumstances growing up. We were frequent visitors to KOA Kampgrounds, complete with activities for kids, a pool, and a weekly campfire for s’mores.

It wasn’t until I started dating Shawn that I realized that wasn’t “real” camping. Shawn grew up camping at less developed campsites. Bathrooms were outhouses with holes in the ground. Toothbrushes and soap weren’t as important as a trailhead for an epic dirt-bike trip. This is when I learned that his dad affectionately referred to my favorite campground as Kiss Our A** Kamping.

He’d never be caught dead there.

Marrying a mountain man has taught me a ton. I’m more hardy than I think. I still struggle outdoors, but I am starting to hold my own.

While they make me nervous still, I can cross river rocks without slipping--most of the time. I happily swim at the lake. I enjoy hiking new trails and seeing new views. As long as all of these are within reason!

I’m excited to have an acre to explore in my backyard, with room to hike, garden, and see actual wildlife from my back window. This new property is giving me a chance to grow and change with our family.

I’m nervous about the amount of work left for me to do on our mountain. We have a chicken coop to build, and chickens to learn how to tend. We have fences to build. We have logs to move and many more trees to cut down. We have a garden to grow, and hopefully harvest. I have a steep learning curve in front of me.

These are all things new and foreign to me. I like the comforts of the inside.

But each of these things are things I’m desiring for our home so just hope my mountain man can be patient as his city girl slowly gets a little more outdoorsy.

He’s slowly converting me, after all. Whenever I visit “home” in San Jose, I’m itching to get back to my simple life away from the hustle and bustle.

Maybe I’m not so city after all.