Hello, my name is Shelby, and I am in an outdoors rut.
It didn't used to be this way. When I first moved to California, I would hike the same place three days in a row and have a blast every time because it was All! So! New! And! Beautiful! The shiny-new-state lustre is beginning to wear off now, though. No longer is going outside a compulsion. Now it's a random impulse. Yes, I still get out at least a few times a week for a long hike or a beach bouldering session, but I'm in a rut and I know it.
Maybe you're in the same situation. Here are some ideas for climbing out of the rut. I'm going to take my own advice as soon as I finish writing this post and register for hang gliding lessons...
New element Are you a water junkie, pursuing SCUBA diving, snorkeling, surfing - anything with water? Then catch some air. Try kitesurfing, hang gliding, rock climbing, or anything else that gets you out of your element.
New hobby Watercolor landscape painting? Storm photography? Botany? Stargazing? Get into something where going outside is a byproduct, not the end in itself.
Learn something Take a mushroom identification class through your local community education organization. Or how about a survival course?
Get away Maybe you can't jet off to Bali on a whim, but surely you can drive an hour or two to a park you've never visited. Sometimes all you need is a change of scenery.
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Greg, thanks so much for your thoughtful comment. :) I think you're onto something re. the lack of seasonal change. Despite how everyone out here is like, "OMG it's soooo cold, I can't wait until summer," it's really not that different compared to the change I'm used to.
To that end, I'm thinking about going to MN for a visit at the end of January. Some friends of mine from Duluth are going ice climbing for a weekend in Orient Bay, Ontario, and I want to go. That will be a stiff dose of seasonal change, that's for sure. :-0
This is a really good post because I think it's a common problem. Maybe more common than your average outdoorsperson is willing to admit. I think al four of your suggestions are spot-on. I would add that just looking closer when you're at your familiar spot can be all you need sometimes. If you're usually looking for the vistas (like I am), start studying the moss or the flowers at your feet, or the bark on the trees, or the canopy overhead. Or look closely at the geology and see what the lay of the land tells you. I think that's what you were alluding to in suggesting folks "learn something..." It's amazing how much wonder can be hidden in plain sight. :)
I also like your suggestion to learn a new hobby that will serve as an excuse to get out there. Fishing has done that for me. I enjoy fishing, but I think catching fish is of much less importance to me than most the people I fish with. To me, it really is primarily an excuse to get out on some water.
Lastly, I wonder if going from Minnesota to California has been a tough transition because of the relative lack of seasonal change. I only say so because a couple friends of mine who have moved out there have complained about missing the seasons. For all the unpleasantness of a Minnesota winter, there's nothing to make the old new again like watching the seasons come and go... In any case, I'm sure things are always happening in your new ecosystem too, might just be a matter of learning what to look for. :)
Anyway, liked your post. Very thought-provoking!
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