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I’ve had something on my mind for the past two weeks.

And I mean, reaallly on my mind. I wasn’t sure if writing about it here would fit in amongst my BWCA trip blogs and camping recipes but, what the hell, I’m going to write about it because it’s been pounding at the spot between my eyebrows for two weeks:

Consumerism and Sustainability

“Why in the world is the outdoor blogger obsessing over consumerism and sustainability??”

Well, I’ll tell ya:

It has been almost one year since I quit my job, left Florida, and moved into my 200 sq ft cabin in the remote wilderness of Northern Minnesota.

I used to shop constantly. I ate out all the time. I had heaps of stuff. I had a handsome paycheck from my corporate job, full benefits, a nice car, fancy clothes, regular vacations. Some version of the American Dream.

And I was unhappy.

I hate saying that. I’m incredibly grateful for and proud of everything I’ve received and achieved in my twenty-seven years of living so far. BUT, I lacked one crucial thing.

The thing that my whole house of cards should’ve been built on:

Connection

Connection to my own spirit.

That sounds very airy-fairy and hard to pin down…maybe it even sounds too obvious but I have a hunch that our lack of connection is at the heart of our need to consume “stuff”

I didn’t see any of this when I was living it. For me, it took physical isolation in the woods to see it.

Removed from the city, I look back on my life there and see a colorful exterior swathed in material excess but on the inside, it was all muted tones of beige.

“Hold the phone lady. You’re saying consumerism was to blame for your dull internal life?”

I’m not really sure what or who was to blame. All I know for sure is that my identity as a consumer got out of hand. It was the biggest distraction to finding my own happiness. My relationship with stuff was broken.

So that’s why I’m here writing about it…because I don’t think I’m the only one who feels this way and I don’t think everybody should have to move to a cabin in the woods to figure it out. But I do think it’s a far bigger issue than we, as a country, realize.

Not only is consumerism impacting our richness of life, but it’s also impacting nature’s economy.

We’ve placed so much value in appearance, material abundance, and status that we’ve lost our connection to ourselves AND our wilderness. In turn, we’ve lost sight of which values truly deeply make us feel good.

So for my own happiness and Mother Nature’s, I’m healing my relationship with “things” and I want to write about it all as I go because I don’t think it’s a black and white issue.

“What do you mean it’s not a black and white issue?”

So many blogs will tell you to get rid of everything, be a vegan, own nothing, ride a bike everywhere. They’ll tell you it’s either the zero waste way or global doom. You’ll hear the word minimalism a lot.

But that’s not how we get the ball rolling. That approach isn’t practical and I don’t believe you should be made to feel like a hypocrite for not “following all the rules”.

I say, try taking one step forward and, if that feels right, take another step! Get outdoors, go for a walk, and rediscover your connection to freedom from stuff but don’t beat yourself up because you haven’t made the jump to reusable straws.

Also, I think “things” have the potential to bring us joy! However, it’s the specifics of which things bring us joy that matter.

Here are some examples of “things” that bring me joy:

• My mug made by a potter in town. (and it’s pretty)
• My Frost River bags that I know will last me a lifetime, can be repaired, were made in Minnesota, and made by wonderful people. (and it’s pretty)
• My Bending Branches paddle that was made sustainably from scrap material in Wisconsin with a portion of the proceeds going to American Rivers. (and it’s pretty)

• 

• 

• 

So…while I like my belongings to be pretty, I’m learning to take great care in the things I bring into my space and the things I put back into the world.

Isn’t that just the bottom line? To connect spirit, environment, and belongings into one harmonious freeing experience?

So I’ll go back to the question at the top of this post: why is an outdoor blogger obsessing over consumerism and sustainability?

My answer: because it is all connected! Living amongst the pine trees has offered me a freedom I wasn’t able to find in the chaotic consumerism of modern-day society.

And that’s what this blog is all about – the fullness of a life lived outdoors. My life can’t be full if it’s full of plastic junk. Everything I learn living on the Seagull River, I’m sharing with you in hopes you can apply it to your life.

Go for that walk in the woods we talked about and start thinking about the “things” you own.

What could you do to bring more joy and less waste?

Happy Trails,