Now, I’m starting up a new mountain, developing a new business. Here’s that part of the story (Part 2, published in Wyoming Entrepreneur.)

(And, if interested, here is Part 1).

Click here: Part One, published in Wyoming Entrepreneur.

The book, Last Child in the Woods, by Richard Louv, tells the story of today’s staggering divide between children and the outdoors. It is not a new book. I think I first read it three years ago. It has since been expanded.

Enjoying northern California's Muir Woods on a trip last week.

The book should be required reading for all parents – and heck, even for all educators.

Louv is a journalist and author of seven books about the connections between family, nature and community. In Last Child in the Woods, Louv links today’s wired, “nature-deficit” generation with rises in obesity, attention disorders, and depression. This important book has essentially created a national conversation about the disconnection between children and nature, and its message has inspired “Leave No Child Inside” initiatives throughout the country.

As a very wired person, myself, and someone who adores the outdoors but also loves technology for its connectivity and enabling features, I’m very interested in nature-deficit disorder. Specifically, I’m interested in seeing that it doesn’t penetrate my family and the upbringing of our three young sons.

I am so enriched by my own time spent outdoors and in nature, that I really think people are robbing their lives from being full when they don’t allow for the experience of being outdoors. In my humble opinion, there is no more effective way to “create space for oneself” than to step outside. Sure, I like to go for miles outside, usually on foot. And, I’m lucky that I live on the frontier of Wyoming, where it’s pretty easy to create space. Heck, there is nothing but space here. Big open, empty space.

Our sons and some of their friends playing for hours in an old tree.

But a person needs only to step outside to find the opportunity for creating space and solitude. A bird’s song, the sound of a creek flowing nearby, the smell of pine, or of rain on sagebrush, fresh air or the sun’s warmth against the face. All of these things are effective in creating not only a physical, but emotional and mental space that facilitates a clearing of sorts, as well as rejuvenation, creativity, restoration and other outcomes. (Again, John Muir said it best: “Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.”)

Some of my most successful business ideas came to me when I was exploring some trail. I most easily solve problems or find answers to big questions during solitude in nature. And, time shared outdoors with my family often feels richer than time shared indoors.

By the way, I am grateful to my parents, who got us out often for weekends in Yellowstone, picnics on the South Pass and in Sinks Canyon and on ski outings. All of this exposure to the outdoors at an early age had a big impact on me.

Articles like Solitude and Leadership, which does a compelling job of linking solitude to leadership, are intriguing. (Thanks to friend Dan Mezick for sharing the article with me).

I am a huge fan and evangelist for the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), which is headquartered here in my town of Lander, WY. NOLS teaches leadership to thousands of young and old using nature and the outdoors as a platform. Courses are provided throughout the world.

As parents of three young sons, my husband, Jerry, and I do not take the outdoors and its impact on a person lightly. We want to give it to — and require it for — our sons, Wolf, 10, Hayden, 8, and Fin, 3.

Here are some of the moments that the outdoors have facilitated for our family:

Here, watch for yourself!

I am out of the frontier, but the frontier is not out of me.

Where I'm from and what I'm used to. (Photo by Florian Herrmann)

I rented a car so I’d have more freedom and ability to sightsee while here. I have Google Maps, and I have navigation on my phone, featuring the voice of a friendly lady who provides directions without raising her voice at me when I make wrong turns.

Still, I feel lost. And stressed out. Comfort zone? I left it when I left the frontier.

Remember, my beloved frontier is Wyoming, a state inhabited by only 540,000 people. When I get lost in Wyoming, it isn’t because there are many routes or roads to choose from. It’s because there is only one road and no signs, or the end of a road. The land is huge and expansive, and well, yes, lonely. There are only five people per square mile, thank you very much.

Often people refer to Wyoming as being in the “middle of nowhere.” And that’s fair.

For the record, I would much prefer to be lost in the middle of nowhere than in the middle of somewhere.

You see I have maps — lots of them — for the San Francisco area. And I have the navigation system.

But I don’t have the right kind of “maps.” I’m referring to those emotional reference docs we have stored up in our brains that accumulate as a result of experiences. I have “maps” for the frontier, where the hazards are wildlife and isolated, harsh, rugged country. Here, the hazards are getting struck and even killed by a fast-moving vehicle, or — if crossing a bridge and veering off course  – the ocean. I don’t have the maps for this. I just don’t.

So, as I collected the keys to my rental car at SFO, I said a prayer — and tried to psyche myself up — for driving in the fast lane and trying to find my way to the hotel. Those of you know me, or read this blog, have gathered that I love epic adventures. Well, this drive from the airport to my hotel in San Rafael would be an epic adventure, all right, but one that I dreaded.

When I’m at home, I don’t drive very often. It’s a 2-minute commute to my office and it’s a 3-minute drive to the grocery store. The entire length of Main Street is probably one mile. When I drive around the state, I drive far, and fast, but I own the lane I’m in. There aren’t fast lanes like there are here, and exits (options) are far and few between. There aren’t that many cars.

So with white knuckle grip on the steering wheel, my Droid’s navigation all set up, the radio off, and seven pieces of gum in my mouth, I set off into the fast lane(s).

The situation I'm in right now. (Gasp)

I can’t remember being so uncomfortable and out of my element. I was too busy keeping my eyes in front of me to count, but I think there were, like, 10-11 lanes of traffic, each one full of zooming cars. And, there were exits every quarter mile it seemed. In Wyoming if you are unsure of a direction or exit, you simply slow down, or (gasp), stop. I would be killed instantly if I did that here.

One of my friends suggested in a Facebook message to me that I read after arriving safelyto my hotel, “Why are you driving in the fast lane?”  If there were a slow lane here, I would pay extra for it. But I don’t think there is?

So, to wrap up this blog post, I’m reporting that so far, so good. I have been stretched outside of my comfort zone and in the process have overcome some fears and gained some new “maps.” As a result, I was able to drive myself to Stinson Beach and hike from surf to top of East Peak (of Mt. Tamalpais). (Post coming soon with photos and videos from the hiking adventure).

P. S. I think it’s probably no accident that Alamo rented this small town, frontier girl a nondescript car that isn’t worth very much. I’m trying not to take it personally.

(And while I’m at it, I also want to be a nutrition consultant, for which I’m working on certification, and a NOLS instructor. And, what the heck, I want a Family Vs. Wild show, too. But I digress.)

Me on an epic hike in my backyard, Wyoming's Wind River Range.

As Frontier Consulting Group and/or HaveMediaWillTravel, I will continue, part-time, as a consultant to businesses and/or organizations in the areas of content development, marketing, destination marketing, tourism promotion, travel PR, media production, social media, etc.

But I will also be reinventing my professional self.

What will be the outcome, you ask?

This is how I’ll answer that:  My family, national parks, the outdoors, epic hikes, the Wind River Range, the frontier that is Wyoming, social media, technology, fitness, coffee, nutrition, etc., are passions of mine. As a result, I read and share a lot about these things across all my “networks” of friends, family, colleagues and people I’ve never met — in an effort to motivate people to travel to Yellowstone or Grand Canyon, to improve their fitness, to embark on epic outdoor adventures such as climbing the Grand Teton or doing the Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim of the Grand Canyon or snowboarding at Jackson Hole. To explore the backcountry, including my beloved Wind River Range, and the frontier of Wyoming.

Motivating others — or at least trying to — to do any of the above things is fulfilling. Helping to motivate people to affect positive change in their own lives would be particularly fulfilling, not to mention an honor.

But there are other reasons for embarking on this journey.

The life coaching coursework and in-person learnings should help me become a better listener, and to be more present in the various moments and experiences that comprise my life. Such learning should help me in all of my relationships, in consulting, at home and with family, friends and colleagues.

During the years leading up to the September 2008 sale of our business, I met and enlisted Betina Koski as a life coach. I found her after reading Jim Collins’ Good to Great. Betina was a phenomenal help to me. She did not have the answers, or even offer answers (although I would have welcomed them on many occasions!) What she did do was listen to and ask me a bunch of powerful questions. She made me think and reflect and focus, and she provided direction. She “coached” me, and always, I was better for it.

Finally, human will and potential are fascinating to me. So ultimately, it would be a tremendously rewarding challenge, to play even a small part in helping people master and realize theirs.

So, back to the first sentence in this post – about wanting to be a life coach. I’ve enrolled in the Coaches Training Institute (CTI). I will be making five monthly weekend trips to the San Francisco area for hands-on coaching learning between now and March. I will then begin a 25-week certification to become CPCC-certified, which will include taking on clients and conducting 100 hours of coaching, supervised coaching, and additional work and instruction.

Check back here often because I will be generous in my sharing of what I learn on this journey.

Most importantly, thank you for your readership, friendship and support.

Getting ready to enter my office for a productive morning of work.

So, as a Plan B, my husband, Jerry, found a 1973 Sportscoach RV. It’s old, but it has character. It could be the ugliest vessel ever seen. But beauty is on the inside, remember. And besides, it came complete with a ceramic trout bolted to one of the walls.

I love it. Jerry and his dad, Harlan, installed a whiteboard wall panel for me (I love writing on whiteboards), as well as some reclaimed pine plank flooring and a customized desk. It has a toasty propane furnace to keep me warm on cool mornings, a stove, fridge and microwave, and the all-important Wireless connection.

My mobile office comes with complete amenities, including a bathroom, stove, fridge, microwave, toasty furnace, wireless and good views.

Most of all it has atmosphere. Nestled in big trees, on the bank of the Middle Fork of the Popo Agie River and with views of Table Mountain, the office is an inspiring place from which to (try to) work.

My coworkers are deer, Canada geese and sage grouse. There aren’t any people nearby, but that’s okay. That’s why I have Facebook.

Sitting in the "Driver's Seat" getting some work done.

My mobile office by the river is sometimes referred to “cousin eddy rv mobile office.” If you’ve seen National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation you’ll understand why. And, our family sometimes refers to the office as The Downgrade. Heck, it cost only $2,000 (it’s bought and paid for) and costs only $60/year to insure.

At first we jokingly also called it the “HaveMediaMayTravel” because, well, we weren’t sure it would travel. But with only 56,000 miles on it, it not only starts up, it travels. In other words, it’s “Adventure-Ready,” which is important for a travel blogger.

I can say, with 100% certainty, that this little office of mine is in fact not The Downgrade, but a significant Upgrade.

NOTE: What’s super duper cool is Inc Magazine recently included it as one of the “world’s coolest offices” for indoor/outdoor space. Check it out! (It’s number 4)

Thanks to my husband, Jerry, for finding this gem, and for the work he and his dad, Harlan, did to make it extra special. Thanks to my parents for allowing it to take up space on their land (probably bringing property values down!), to Trey Warren, for giving us some surplus pine flooring for it, and to Mike Lilygren, for getting the furnace running.

I recently participated in a Leadership Navigation Challenge, which was developed and offered by the National Outdoor Leadership School.

The National Outdoor Leadership School – also referred to as NOLS – is headquartered in my hometown of Lander, WY. I was raised in Lander, and I think my only regret in life is that I have never taken a NOLS course. Participating in the Oct. 9 Leadership Navigation Challenge, although only a few hours long, would be a start for me, and I was pretty excited about the opportunity.

My team huddles while looking at cache locations plotted on a Google Earth map before setting out on the challenge.

I want to become a better leader. The NOLS website says the Leadership Navigation Challenge focuses on the core aspects of NOLS’ leadership training in a format that is hands-on, fun, and effective… This condensed expedition mimics challenges that teams face anywhere: making expedient decisions, balancing task achievement with group development, blending distinct individuals to form a cohesive team, and working through unforeseen hurdles.

This is a good time for me to point out that in my travels throughout the U. S., I have many a time met a leader in an industry that after getting to know him/her reveals he/she has taken a NOLS course at some point in his/her life. This happens often, and always, these people are leaders. I just can’t believe that’s an accident. In addition to many other corporations and organizations, NASA and Google are regular clients for NOLS’ Professional Training. (For more information, learn about the various Professional Training programs offered by NOLS.)

I reported to City Park at 1:30 pm on Oct. 9 under a damp and gray Autumn sky.

Participants were divided into groups of four and two facilitators were assigned to each group. Our facilitators were Kat Smithhammer, NOLS Professional Training Program Coordinator from Victor, ID, and Jaret Slipp, NOLS’ Yukon director.

Have any of you ever seen the reality travel show called The Amazing Race? This is how I would describe some of the moments in our experience, only minus the drama. We were collaborating and working together as we were “racing” quickly to find the next cache and to hopefully beat the the other teams to it, while also racing against the clock. Suffice it to say that this was a pretty exciting adventure from the start.

For this particular exercise, we were given a GPS (global positioning system), along with a packet containing a detailed accounting of about 25 caches to locate throughout the town of Lander, including GPS coordinates for each, point value for each, as well as thumbnail photos that provided visual hints of each “target”/cache.

Clarifying the rules and instructions with Kat Smithammer, one of our facilitators, and team member Katie Baum.

There were two kinds of caches, physical and virtual.

Physical caches describe those where we located the target (thanks to a photo hint and GPS coordinates we had on hand, and then after locating the target, the cache would be within 12 feet of the target. Physical caches were little plastic containers that held three paper tickets, one green (most points), one pink (second-most points) and one white (the least amount of points). The fourth/last team to discover that cache was to simply “clean up” (take the container, but get no points).

Virtual caches describe those where we located the target (illustrated via a small photo and GPS coordinates), then answer a question provided with the photo. Hints and clues to the answer were to be observed near the target.

We started the experience at 1:30 and were instructed that we had to return to the gazebo at City Park by 3:30. Any teams arriving later than that would be automatically disqualified. So instantly, we realized that our return was more important than getting all the caches (if we couldn’t achieve both.)

I acknowledged to my team from the start that I’m not the best at “finding my way” if there’s not a trail or defined path. I told my teammates that I was not qualified when it comes to route-finding using a GPS. Turns out I wasn’t the only one without good GPS experience. No problem, though. Rob Bethge, one of our team members, offered to be responsible for the GPS and attended a quick pre-exercise learning session about the device.

Still, options are good, and we had some. We could choose to spend (future) points to purchase additional information that would help us in our quest. We took advantage of this option and spent 1,500 points to get a Google Earth map printout that had the caches plotted on a map.

We spent some of our future points on a Google Earth map printout that had the caches plotted on it.

That decision was huge. Being a long-time Lander resident, I know the town pretty well and suddenly we had a visual of all the cache locations. I think this helped all of us in determining a strategy.

After the instructions and a quick review of the our packet of information, our team strategized.

Should we try to get them all and start with the one closest to us geographically and work our way around? Should we head out and get the ones that are farthest away first then work our way back? Should we identify in advance which ones hold the most point value and only go for those? Should we “cluster” them according to location and proceed that way?

The latter was Rob’s suggestion and we all agreed that was a sound strategy. So off we went with our strategy, our objective, our hints, our trusty GPS, our map printout — and each other.

My team strategizing before hitting the streets and starting our hunt.

Well it wasn’t long and we modified our strategy. As we made our way down S. 5th Street, we noted on our map printout that there were a handful of caches not too far from our path. We surmised that, despite the fact they were not located in the far cluster we had originally set our sights on, it might make sense to pick those up now so there wouldn’t be any unnecessary back-tracking later.

Turns out, it was only a minute or so later that we found our first target: A wagon wheel in someone’s yard near the sidewalk we were on. It was exciting!

It was a “virtual” cache. The wagon wheel’s center matched the photo hint that was provided in our packet. (See photo below) To get points we had to correctly answer the following: “I am surrounded by_____.” We quickly jotted down “spokes,” and were on our way.

This was the photo hint of our first cache target.

From there, we went another block or two out of the way to be the first to locate a physical cache near a utility pole that had a license plate on it with a number and symbol that matched the photo hint in our packet. About four feet away we found a little plastic container with the tabs in it. We were the first there so collected the most valuable one, the blue one, and went on our way. A couple blocks later, off an alley, we found our second physical cache, and again we were the first to find it.

We were off to a great start. I would say we were cranking. I found it exhilarating for our team to find the early caches, especially to be the first team to find them. These early successes provided instant gratification and served as a confidence booster.

We also had finished in pretty good style/time our first team challenge which involved us holding a tent support on our two index fingers and as a team lowering it almost to the ground without the extended tent pole ever leaving any of our index fingers.

We were walking briskly and at times even jogging. At this point I had no complaints and I think our whole team was feeling pretty confident and “in the running.” Dare I say, we were in the “flow.”

Unfortunately, it was short-lived.

It all changed with our second team challenge, which was worth 2,500 points. A big one with a lot at stake. A lot to potentially gain; a lot to potentially lose.

Enter one of those wooden puzzles that as kids we’ve all seen and tried — basically a square frame/base that measured approximately 7″ x 7″ and contained geometric puzzle pieces. To be exact we had 2 big triangles, 2 small triangles, a parallelogram and a square. And darn it if we couldn’t figure it out!

Time was ticking as we all took stabs at it, but to no avail.

At this point, I began to feel anxious. The confidence I had for our team was slipping. I’m guessing that what felt like an eternity as we struggled at the puzzle was five or six minutes. We were losing time and had nothing to show for it.

The others, I’m sure by their nonverbal gestures, were feeling the same anxiety. It was at this juncture that we had the important question to address: With so many points at stake and having invested a significant chunk of time already, at what point do we scrap this and try to make up for time and points? This is no easy question to answer. We all knew we could be seconds from solving the puzzle and gaining 2,500 points (not to mention fruits for our labor). We also all knew we could keep struggling, spending time that was dwindling, and still get zero points if unsuccessful.

If that wasn’t challenging enough, it was at this point that our facilitators, Kat and Jaret, instructed us to spend 2 minutes being completely quiet, for “reflection.” After that, we’d have 2 minutes of “sharing.”

This was hard! We had just spent a significant amount of time and effort on a challenge that was worth a lot of points, without success, and now we were being forced to take another four minutes, during which we would not be discovering caches and/or racking up points.

In hindsight, this was a brilliant time for such forced silence and reflection.
For the record, I’m not good at living in the present. This continues to be one of my biggest personal challenges. I have a lot of energy and ambition, and am a planner who is always looking ahead. I’m not good at stopping and “reflecting.” So this in itself was quite a challenge — and with no points attached, I might add!

Interestingly, after the silent reflection, Lou wanted to take another stab at the puzzle. Wow. I can tell you trying the puzzle again didn’t occur to me once during my own quiet time. I had had enough of that puzzle. Instead, I had focused on how we would be able to get to the most targets, holding the most points, in the shortest amount of time.

Unfortunately we did not solve the wooden puzzle, and we all agreed rather quickly that we should identify the most valuable caches that were “within our reach” with respect to our current location and the remaining available time. (At this point, because I am familiar with Lander, I knew we were about .6 or .7 miles from our “finish line.”) We did a quick review of remaining caches in our vicinity and agreed to forego any that were of little value or too far out of the way.

Fortunately, we were able to locate and collect points for a couple more caches en route back to City Park. But we didn’t hit a home run. The second-to-last cache we discovered was a virtual one and for the life of us we could not figure out the answer. The photo hint looked like a piece of chipped paint the shape of a maple leaf, but much, much smaller. The question we had to answer, whose clues would be evident near the target, was “What state is to the south?” Hmmm. This one was a head scratcher for us. After walking down and then back to the street’s mid-way point the only thing we could find that had anything remotely resembling the hint in the photo was a manhole covered with scrapes and little marks with various shapes.

Most significant about the manhole was it had printed on it, “Wisc.” We thought we hit the bulls’ eye on the target. The big debate was in determining the answer to the question. We wondered, is Wisconsin the answer, or is the correct answer the state that is south of Wisconsin (Illinois)? We argued in a friendly manner before settling on Wisconsin.

The last cache we tried to “win” was in City Park. We figured we’d get some more points right at the finish. Er, it was the most difficult one yet. We didn’t even have a guess at what the answer was.

Another valuable aspect of the experience was our debriefing at the end. As a team, our facilitators asked us to offer input and observation about our individual experiences as well as our team’s. Some really interesting and useful insights were shared during this activity.

The Leadership Navigation Challenge was a terrific experience. I know I have described it like a GPS scavenger hunt. And that, it was. I also make it sound like it was fun. And was it ever!

However, the fun GPS scavenger hunt facilitated far more important activities. Namely, it was an afternoon of working on leadership skills. At various times, our team collaborated, built consensus and strategized. There were times for each of us to follow and for each of us to lead. At times one of us was more decisive than others and that initiative was helpful. Fortunately we worked like a team, at times like a well-oiled machine, even.

I can think of ways that my experience and learnings during the NOLS leadership experience will help me in my work (and life) in the future.

One thing I was well aware of is prior to my participating in the NOLS Leadership Challenge is that I prefer to lead, and am not super experienced at following. In fact some of my friends even (lovingly) don’t think I’m capable of following. Well, despite thinking of myself as a natural leader, I was made almost immediately uncomfortable with the notion of “leading” from the start of Saturday’s event.

I have no experience using a GPS and am not a person who is experienced when it comes to navigation. So in addition to not feeling like leading, I also felt pretty insecure, which is another feeling I’m not too accustomed to having. What I learned from the start of the Challenge, and at various times throughout the Challenge, is that often another person or persons will step up and take initiative and that I can do better to let them. I actually learned that I can effectively follow, as well as a leader might be one that follows at particular times.

This is not a small deal for me, and I can already imagine instances in my work where I will be better at following and letting others take initiative and leadership in decisions, roles, and other instances.

I also learned that there can be many leaders on a team – that leadership doesn’t necessarily refer to a single person or a “standout performer.” Our team during the NOLS Leadership Navigation Challenge had four members on it, and I would say throughout the challenge, each of us took initiative and led strategy, direction and decision-making at one time or another.

In other words, having more than one leader, or strong member of a team, doesn’t necessarily translate into competition or inaction or poor teamwork as a result of egos or in-fighting. This, too, will be valuable for me, particularly the next time I’m working with a team on a marketing campaign or product innovation or selecting people with whom to start a business. It’s possible for there to be multiple leaders and that there can be still be success and forward progress with more than one leader on the team, and/or leadership being distributed across multiple members of the team.

As a bonus, here is a very short video composite of my experience. (Thanks to Brian Fabel/NOLS for the video production and permission for me to use)

NOLS’ Leadership Navigation Challenge – 2 minute recap from Brian Fabel on Vimeo.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
NOLS PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
Call 800-710-6657, x. 3

I love my Motorola Droid X.

My Driod X is the droid I was expecting.For one thing, as we traveled for hours across the wide state of Nebraska, the boys and I voice-commanded topics from which Google queried searches for us.

My family travels a lot. And, our three sons have inquiring minds. As we’re motoring across southwestern Wyoming, we often pass the time by expanding our knowledge, thanks to my “smart” phone.

They want to know things like, have ghosts and/or UFOs have been reported in the vicinity?How much blood is inside a great white shark? They like to confirm things they agree with, such as why broccoli is a “cruciferous” (to bear a cross) vegetable.

My Droid is happy to look these things up for us. It helps pass the time during road trips and we gain new knowledge while logging miles.

One of the most exciting things is when I, a small town girl — a country bumpkin — look to my Droid to navigate and help me find my way to places when I’m in a big city. Recently I was in a big metropolis and needed to find a Walgreen’s. It was rather exciting to hear my Droid voice her commands, left turns and right turns (and even u-turns when I made mistakes) and which exits to take.

And I found my way. The only beef I have is after such lengthy play-by-play navigation, the navigation’s voice should include a huge “Congratulations!” or “Nice Work!” Instead, all I got was “You have successfully arrived at your destination.” No duh. Oh well. Beggars can’t be choosers.

The funny thing is that in all the excitement, by the time I got to Walgreen’s, I totally forgot why I needed to go to Walgreen’s in the first place. So, I just bought some Gingko Biloba and was on my way.

I love my Droid. It is (more than) the droid I was expecting.