The Power of Adventurous Women: A Man's Perspective

Let's take a moment to honor the adventurous women in our lives and thank them for being amazing! For being strong and deciding they won't give in to the pressures of what others say it means to be a woman. For inspiring guys to look at the outdoors from another perspective and for bringing a feminine touch to nature. Let's remind them they are more beautiful when the clay and minerals on their face come from a gnarly mountain bike ride rather than a makeup counter. Who needs the great hair when you have a sweaty trucker hat on all day, right? We should encourage the adventurous spirit in young woman to help them overcome the challenges they are sure to face growing up. Let's praise them for never settling for "you're pretty good, for a girl..."

I am lucky to have married my adventure partner back in 2008, and my life has been greatly enriched by someone who truly loves being outside. She always understands me when I say, "I need to head into the mountains soon before I go crazy," because she feels the same way. If we both can't go, we help each other out with the logistics of normal life so the other can enjoy their recreation time. We are both excited to hear what happened out on the trail and are more than happy to pick up some extra chores to make it possible for the other. The experience is heightened when we are able to adventure together, and I never get tired of seeing her navigating slippery waterfalls or tricky boulder fields. She is always up for any activity and has done many crazy things I have never experienced, such as skydiving and hiking the Haiku Stairs on O'ahu. I find that kind of stuff really exciting and inspiring, and it lets me know I will always have a partner in crime for any upcoming outings.

The love of adventure usually starts at a young age, and that is often thanks to family experiences. Taking our sisters, nieces and daughters out frequently into nature at a young age is very important and vastly expands their horizons and self confidence. A woman who is not afraid to face her fears in an unpredictable wilderness is the same type of woman who can overcome another intimidating moment in her life at work or at home. The lessons women learn in the outdoors can help them be more courageous, resourceful and capable on any path they decide to follow. As the poet Maya Angelou once said, "Courage is the most important of all virtues, because without it we can't practice any other virtue with consistency."

The positive effects that hiking have on our brain have now been proven by science, and so has the understanding of the negative effects of social media on youth self-image, particularly in young girls. Let's help make the outdoors a judgment-free zone, a place where anyone can get away from the advertisements, television, billboards and social media that is telling them they are somehow inadequate. Adventurous women aren't slowing down for anyone, and sometimes they need the guys to just get out of the way. They say behind every great man is a great woman, but maybe that great woman is actually half a mile ahead of the guy who can't seem to keep up. Real men aren't afraid of strong women, they are inspired by them, and it is up to both genders to make sure there will be many more adventurous and courageous women in our future.

Support the spirit of adventure in the women of your life. After all, we do call it "mother" nature for a reason...