Strength To The Body And Soul

“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in where nature may heal and cheer and give strength to the body and soul.” - John Muir

A common passion for the outdoors is a thriving element in the mind of the Outdoor Mindset folks. I know I can speak for all of us when I say that John Muir could not have been more spot on.

Last week, Outdoor Mindset held our second “official” board meeting in a local office boardroom downtown Boulder. The meeting kicked off with each of us sharing our most memorable outdoor experience. I don’t know about the rest of our group, but I had a pretty difficult time narrowing it down to just one story. Somehow, each of us managed to tell one of the amazing experiences we’ve had throughout our lives. As our stories circulated the room, I began to notice a similar theme in each. Whether it was my own personal story of hiking Yellowstone’s pristine backcountry, with 3 people I had met a week prior, and experiencing a full on charge from a grizzly; or Jake’s experience in the Wrangell-St. Elias Wilderness of Alaska for 12 days carving fresh telemark lines into the mountain every day, we each gained a sense of therapy, healing, or strength from the experience while connecting with relatives, friends, or people we had met only days earlier.

I wonder if John Muir could amend his quotes, he would mention the connection he also made with the individuals with whom he shared his experiences.

With three board members currently affected (or have been affected) by neurological challenges, each of us were able to see our mission of “uniting and inspiring individuals affected by neurological challenges to live big through a common passion for outdoor adventure” actually come to life. Our goal is to take individuals like these three, and match them with similar individuals where the same experiences can be shared. Our hope is while these individuals connect with the outdoors, they also have someone to connect with on the same neurological level….someone who’s been through or is going through a similar situation. As we’ve mentioned in prior posts, it’s great to have the love and support from family, but it would be nice to speak with someone who’s been there and done that….case in point, Jake and Diane Van Deren. This element of a similar diagnosis connection was missing from each story told last week, which in turn gives each of us more drive and determination to make OM a success for all affected by neurological challenges with a passion for the outdoors.

As summer begins to shed it’s light on The Rocky Mountains, the variety of outdoor activity only increases so stay tuned for more exciting news to come from the OM crew.

"You have to go on and be crazy" -Jimi Hendrix

Some people would call us crazy. We probably ARE crazy to start a nonprofit during the current economy. However, this group gets excited about challenges. Outdoor Mindset has developed because of the passion brought to the table for the mission, the talents of each board member and the willingness to do what it takes to get the organization off the ground (warning for friends and family – begging for donations may occur soon). My experience includes over fifteen years of volunteering and working in the nonprofit sector. What we have accomplished as a group in just six meetings blows me away - vision, mission, values, major services, committee work and a name. Okay, the name took a little longer than we thought and thank you marketing committee for getting us through our wall of sticky note brainstorms (see pic). I have to admit, I am somewhat of a process snob. I like process, but if it goes too slow I get antsy. Outdoor Mindset is keeping me on my feet. Stay tuned for what’s coming down the pike: an official logo, outreach events, party, partnerships and official 501(c)(3) status (IRS jargon for being a tax-exempt nonprofit). Join our craziness – follow us here, on Twitter and on Facebook.

Home From a Great Adventure

On April 23, seven of our OM crew (and three friends of OM) embarked on a great journey to New Zealand. Our goal was to explore one of the outdoor capitals of the world, and NZ exceeded all of our expectations. We started the trip by flying into Christchurch and immediately getting out of town to Lake Tekapo and Braemar Station where we enjoyed the serenity of staying on a sheep farm (in the sheep shearer's quarters), taking in views of Mt. Cook, and going for an icy morning dip in the lake. It was the perfect way for us to start the trip with a clear head and then jump in our 10-passenger van that took us safely through the South Island for two weeks and on countless adventures.

Next we headed to Queenstown to gather supplies for our first NZ "tramp" on the famous Routeburn Track. Unfortunately, we were greeted in QT by rainy weather and news that the Routeburn was closed until further notice due to flooding. We weighed many options (including jumping a flight to Fiji!) and decided that we came all the way to NZ to experience a "Great Walk" and wanted to stick with that mission. The Department of Conservation informed us that our only option would be the Kepler Track, 3 hours southwest of Queenstown. The track would be twice as long (and arguably twice as difficult) as the Routeburn, but we were up for it!

Along the Kepler Track we encountered lots of rain (a sustained downpour for most), lots of wind, lots of laughs, and a few tears. However, I think we would all agree that the tramp was one of the most challenging and rewarding things many of us had ever accomplished. After each day on the track (about 10 miles and 4-5 hours), we were rewarded with magnificent views from our huts, delicious backpacking meals, woodburning fireplaces, and much-needed mulled wine. Even some of our most trying times on the track made for some of our favorite memories... Seems like I don't even need to point out the obvious metaphor for life here.

After the tramp, we headed back to Queenstown for showers, beds, massages, and BUNGY JUMPING! Queenstown is home to the Nevis Bungy, the world's highest jump, and an amazing canyon swing that is no less harrowing. Six of us opted for the bungy and four of us the swing. Luckily, we were allowed to watch one another take the plunge and vicariously experience the thrill over and over again.

The next day, we headed out on a 14-hour road trip through Wanaka and all the way up to Abel Tasman National Park. Surprising to most, we had a blast in the car with some good music and plenty of snacks. Our next stop was a campsite on the beach to which we were taken by water taxi. A boat dropped us off on our own private beach where we had some beers, green curry, a campfire, and tent sleeping under the stars. When we woke up, we enjoyed coffee and yoga on the beach before taking another great hike to our boat pick-up location. Along this path, we made a slight mistake when we took the low tide track during high tide and ended up wading in chest-deep water. Again - most trying time = favorite memory.

We ended our trip with three days in a luxurious home that overlooks the marina of Picton. We did a wine tour, some trout fishing, a boat trip around the sounds, and cooked some great family-style meals.

When it was time to catch our flight home, we were sad to leave NZ but knew that we had definitely made the most of our time there. The trip surely meant different things to different people, but it was a shared experience we will never forget. Read more about our trip at TrampingforTreatment.blogspot.com

My AWESOME Neuromentor!

Since my last post and many crazy neurological tests later, I had a very powerful and unique experience. Our fearless leaders, Kyle Martin and Sara Turner, introduced me to a woman named Diane Van Deren, who had a similar surgical procedure on her brain that I am currently being evaluated for. The procedure is called a temporal lobectomy, which means they remove the part of the brain where the seizures start (in hers and my case, the right temporal lobe).

Up until the day I met Diane, there was always a part of me that yearned to have someone to talk to who can REALLY relate to what I'm going through, both neurologically and emotionally. Someone who has experienced it. Don't get me wrong, I have had unbelievable support from friends and family as I continue the process, but there is something incredible about this connection.

First, let me tell you a bit about Diane. This woman is an international adventure phenom! Since her surgery 10 years ago, which has freed her completely of seizures and meds, Diane has conquered incredible outdoor pursuits. Check out these links to learn more about her:

http://www.thenorthface.com/catalog/sc-brand/diane-van-deren.html

http://www.9news.com/rss/article.aspx?storyid=112503

To make a long story short, Diane is an inspiration to me. She represents what is possible, despite facing a serious reality such as brain surgery. Her first-hand experience with brain surgery, and support as I go through the evaluation process has been invaluable. We share a common passion of challenging ourselves in the outdoors, which makes the relationship even more unique and exciting. I look forward to sharing in outdoor adventures with her (after she returns from running the Great Wall of China in May!!).

At Outdoor Mindset, our hope is to provide a network that inspires these types of mentor connections among individuals who face similar situations, much like Diane and I have. Check us out! Your involvement will be instrumental in helping yourself and others live big, despite our f'ed up brains.

Over and out....

Dominatin' Diagnosis

First off, let me say this organization rocks... I've never see anything like it in the neuro-support world. Most stuff out there is WAY too clinical, depressing, and just no fun. This organization is all about living big, despite pesky neuro baggage!

My friend Kyle contacted me a few months ago, asking me if I wanted to grab a cup of coffee. Being a full on 'Joe addict', I naturally took him up on it. That's when he threw out his situation (you all know the story). Knowing Kyle and his 'get at it' dogma, he wasn't gonna let this neuro diagnosis sway his spirit. After an in depth conversation, with ideas flowing, the seeds of Outdoor Mindset were planted.

Kyle thought I might be interested since I was in the non-profit management world in my previous life. He also knew I had uncontrolled epilepsy.

Long story short (bear with me), when I was twelve, I dropped in front of my friend while on summer vacation, and freaked him out pretty good. Turns out it was a grand mal seizure. Lots of tests, and visits with a bald neuro doc later, I was tagged epileptic. Hmm, epilepsy. That's interesting, I thought. So, I got put on some meds and life went on as normal. I eventually grew out of the spastic grand mals, and have had partial complex seizures ever since. I'm now 38.

Thankfully, 95% of my stuff goes on in my sleep. The other 5% have occurred anywhere. On the ice during hockey games, on a glacier in Alaska, or watching TV with friends. They have occurred pretty regularly for the past 26 years. My stance on my diagnosis has always been 'I have epilepsy, no big deal'. Over the years, docs have tried several meds to control my seizures, but they're persistent little buggers. I've failed three meds, and am now on a high dose 'cocktail' of two newer meds- still having weekly seizures. None the less, I've been an avid athlete all my life, and have been adventuring in the mountains on all sorts of toys since 1996.

This status quo changed a bit this past fall when my doc leveled with me. For the first time, the word 'brain surgery' reared its ugly head!

Stay tuned...

Outdoor Mindset is Tramping for Treatment in New Zealand!

So a long, long time ago (ie November) when all of this brain stuff with Kyle was first going down, we got the travel bug. I say 'we', but Kyle was really the ‘mind’ behind this genius idea. After all, travel and adventure are sometimes the best medicine and that’s exactly what Kyle needed. In fact, that was what we all needed. We needed a two week, all out adventure to New Zealand and we wasted no time planning this excursion. Before we knew it, we had racked up 10 amazing friends and individuals (7 of who are on the Board of Directors for Outdoor Mindset!) who were ready to buy tickets for this trip. We booked our tickets in February and immediately started a countdown for our departure.

Along the way, we tried to figure out exactly what we wanted to do while in New Zealand, but the truth of the matter was we wanted to do it all! So we decided to dominate just the south island, and pack in the activities. We fly into Christchurch on April 25th and jump in our 11 person van with a gear trailer and take off to Braemar Station, where we’ll be staying in the sheep shearer’s quarters overlooking the lake. The next day we drive to Queenstown and hit the Routeburn Track for 3 days! The Routeburn track is one of the “Great Walks”, so we’re really excited to see what all the hype’s about. After 3 days on the trail, we’ll go to Milford Sound for the night after our hike and take in all the beauty it has to offer. Then it’s back to Queenstown to do some crazy adventure stuff for a couple of days and pick up David (the 10th member of the group!) The second week of the trip is our PIBE week (Play It By Ear- Kyle’s favorite saying). Here are the things we KNOW we are doing at some point or another: staying at a Schoolhouse hostel in Okarito, driving up north and hiking/exploring along the way, see some whales and dolphins, drink some wine, hike and play, etc. The last 3 days of the trip, we’ll be at this amazing beach house in Picton where we are right on the water, down the street from wineries, hiking, and relaxation!

This trip is so appropriate at this time because things have been so hectic lately for all of us: moving, bills, brains, work, car problems…. This list can always go on. But the one thing that’s truly amazing is that we can put ALL that stuff on the back burner for two weeks and experience a beautiful place we’ve never been before. We can laugh at the funny accents (no offense anyone), enjoy the amazing scenery, hike in the beautiful mountains, and get to our ‘zen place’… the outdoors. That’s the one bond that really pulls us all together and makes us all so passionate about Outdoor Mindset and the benefits it can bring to individuals facing challenges in their lives. Think of this trip to New Zealand as a ‘test kitchen’ for Outdoor Mindset. While living the active, adventurous lives we all love, we want to see how far removed we can get from the pain-in-the butt portions of our lives and evaluate the benefits we will undoubtedly receive from this trip. Wish us luck…. I think this research is going to give us positive results.

Bon Voyage!