Unleashing the Wild Wanderer in All of Us
How Spider Web Battles and Dirt Time Can Transform
This stamp is so close to my heart. It captures exactly what we were searching for when we sold everything and hit the road in 2020. Don't get me wrong, living in Colorado meant weekends of trails, dispersed camping, and 14ers, but we wanted more. We longed for that feeling of not knowing what might be around the next bend to become a way of life.
When I designed the main traits of this stamp, I knew I needed to draw inspiration from my lifetime pursuit of adventure. It couldn't just be another ode to the outdoors or a list of pretty places to visit. I had to include the adventurous side of outdoor life, that thrill of not knowing what you might see or run into when you’re with Mother Nature.
If this call from nature speaks to you, this post may be further confirmation that you are a Wild Wanderer. But please know, this stamp isn't about being the most extreme or adventurous person out there.
It's about honoring that part of yourself that knows you belong outside, that craves challenge, and that finds peace in wild places.
The Wild Wanderer stamp is part of the Adventure & Exploration pillar. For more information about the framework, see THIS POST.
Find YOUR Places Stamp HERE.
Want more Wild Wanderer basics? See HERE.
Download the Wild Wanderer Planner & Journal at the bottom of the post to track your adventures (I may have gone a little survival-heavy on this one. Please let me know what you think!).
While on the road, we've encountered our share of wildlife on the 400+ trails (LOVE the AllTrails app, btw) we've explored. Snakes, scorpions, and other dangerous critters have kept us alert. But the most consistent "dangers" we face are ticks and spider webs on remote trails. We take turns being the one in front, wielding a stick to try to knock down webs before we blow through them – glamorous, right?
The irony is that the truly risky stuff has been entirely self-inflicted. We've parachuted, cliff-jumped, ziplined, and sway-bridged our way across the country, choosing calculated adventures that probably pose more real danger than any wildlife we've encountered. Yet those are precisely the moments I feel most alive – when we're pushing our own boundaries rather than just reacting to nature's surprises.
I thank my parents for raising me to take risks, like BMX racing as a kid (Top 10 girl in the state of Wyoming, though granted, there were only 10 of us). That foundation planted something deep that refuses to quit, even as this body ages. While we're here on the Pacific coast, my latest obsession is parasailing. I watch those colorful chutes floating along the coastline and can already feel myself being lifted, suspended above the ocean. There's still an extreme athlete living in this aging frame, just waiting for the next chance to remember what it feels like to fly. I suppose I'm still figuring out new ways to feel free.
The Psychology Behind Your Wild Side
When helping people, especially kids, I love it when we can move our time together outside. It's remarkable to observe how exposure to nature alters stress responses. The science behind it is pretty cool, too. Which, of course, I’m going to go into. I might as well share my favorite ways of connecting with nature while I’m at it.
What happens is your amygdala, that little alarm bell in your brain, finally gets to stand down. Meanwhile, your hippocampus (memory and mood central) starts producing BDNF, basically Miracle-Gro for brain cells.
Nature calms your whole being. Your brain doesn't just relax; it actually changes. Experts say within 15 minutes of forest bathing (yes, that's the technical term coined by the Japanese, shinrin-yoku), your cortisol drops, your prefrontal cortex gets a break from decision fatigue, and something called "soft fascination" kicks in. Translation? Your mind stops ping-ponging between anxiety spirals and finally gets to just…be.
The sun’s Vitamin D offering. Low D doesn't just make you tired – it cranks up anxiety, tanks motivation, and makes everything feel harder than it needs to be. Sure, I get vitamin D from food and supplements, but I've found that twenty minutes of morning sun exposure does something those methods can't: it gives me actual peace time while my body soaks up what it needs. I've noticed this simple ritual helps me at least start the day from a steadier, perimenopausal mood baseline.
Earthing – aka the fancy term for "take your shoes off outside." Sounds woo-woo until you realize it's just physics and that humans have been connecting with the ground for a really long time. Basically, it's believed that direct earth contact helps balance your nervous system. The earth has a negative electrical charge that neutralizes the positive charge buildup in your body from… well, our modern life. Direct skin contact with the earth – sand, grass, dirt – transfers electrons that may reduce inflammation and reset your circadian rhythms. I try for some sort of shoes-off time every day, like walks on the beach. It's a nice time to throw in some internal grounding (as in mindfulness time), too. This article from the Cleveland Clinic breaks down both forms nicely.
So, if you want a little more Wild Wanderer in your life, stop treating nature time like a luxury. It's maintenance. Like brushing your teeth. Your nervous system doesn't care if it's an Amazon rainforest or a city park trail. It just needs regular reminders that you're an animal who belongs outside.
Building Wild Wanderer Time Into Your Daily Life
For Wild Wanderers who can't always escape to the wilderness, try out these ideas.
Daily Nature Micro-Dosing (15-30 minutes)
Morning ritual: Coffee or tea outside. Every day.
Lunch break adventures: Find your nearest state park. Even 30 minutes rewires your day.
The commute hack: Take the scenic route. Windows down. Deep breaths.
Evening grounding: 10 minutes barefoot in your yard or local park
Weekend Warrior Mode (2-4 hours)
Local trail exploration: Use the AllTrails app to find new paths, likely within an hour of home
Adventure challenges: Set monthly goals (new elevation gain, distance, or skill)
Weather warriors: Don't let conditions stop you – gear up and go anyway
The 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique
This technique works anywhere, but I like to go through it on a trail: 5 things you see, 4 you hear, 3 you touch, 2 you smell, 1 you taste. Okay, I've got to admit that taste one requires some discretion – I'm not asking you to lick a tree. What I love about this simple exercise is how it pulls you out of your head and into your body, connecting you to the immediate environment.
Finding Your Wild Wanderer Places
The beautiful truth about Wild Wanderer energy is that it's scalable. You don't need to quit your job and buy an RV (though if you do, contact me, we'll swap stories). You just need to honor that part of yourself that knows you're meant for more than cubicles and concrete.
Here are some ways to up your adventure exposure:
Challenge Level: Places that make you work for the reward. The view from the parking lot is nice, but try for the view you earn after a 5-mile climb.
Remoteness Factor: Minimal human interference. If you can hear traffic, you're not remote enough. Look for places where you might be the first person on the trail that day. (Watch for spider webs.)
Natural Obstacles: Rivers to cross, rocks to scramble, elevation to gain. Your body needs to problem-solve, not just walk.
Unpredictability: Places where you don't know exactly what you'll encounter. Wildlife possible, weather changeable, terrain varied. (Please go prepared!)
Here are a few places across the US that I've enjoyed exploring:
Mountain regions: Anywhere in the Rocky Mountains or Smoky Mountains – elevation changes, weather challenges, vast wilderness views
Desert landscapes: Joshua Tree and Arizona's Superstition Mountains – extreme environments that test your limits
Coastal adventures: Pacific Coast Highway stops, Oregon's rugged coastline (like Ecola State Park) – where land meets sea in dramatic ways
Canyon country: So many in Idaho: Box Canyon, Bruneau, Twin Falls – steep terrain, epic waterfalls
Forest wilderness: Olympic Peninsula rainforests, along the Natchez Trace Parkway – like a big tree hug
The Adventure Element: Why Safe Isn't Always Better
Adventure-based movies and shows are the one genre my husband and I can agree on – survival in jungles, snowed-in mountains, water challenges, the more treacherous the better. "Alone" is a favorite; we're always debating how contestants choose to build shelters and start fires. Watching these shows taps into something within us, but it's also a safe way to explore survival scenarios.
The thing is, all that couch adventuring eventually makes me want to test myself in real life. That Wild Wanderer spirit needs to feel alive, and that requires some element of the unknown. So I've tried translating what I see on screen into controlled risk experiences – NOT reckless endangerment, but calculated adventures that remind me that I’m capable of more than I think. Here are some ideas that I’ve tried out. Please consider doing the same.
Building Adventure Into Your Life Gradually:
Start with guided experiences: Explore kayaking and guided backcountry trips. Guides provide safety nets while you build confidence.
Learn skills progressively: I'm fairly certain I'll never master navigation (whether it's on trails, water, or even highways), but I keep trying. I encourage you to challenge yourself as well.
Weather reading: I feel like I'm getting better at this, given the box we live in and the many climates we've encountered – hurricanes, tornadoes, flash floods, high winds, monsoons, tsunamis, hail. Tap into the many apps that track climate and prepare accordingly.
Partner with experienced adventurers: I've learned so much from local experts, who are always willing to share their lessons.
Every Wild Wanderer started somewhere. Your wild side isn't about being fearless – it's about being brave enough to start where you are.
Tap Into Your Wild Wanderer
You don't need anything special. You just need to honor that voice inside that says, "I want to feel more alive."
For the hesitant: Start with your local park. Walk a trail you've never walked. Notice how your body feels different when your feet hit dirt instead of pavement.
For the busy: Nature doesn't require a ton of time. It requires intention. Five minutes of morning sun, lunch eaten outside, evening walks in the trees.
For the afraid: Fear is information, not a stop sign. Start small, build confidence, and find your tribe of fellow adventurers to support you.
For the skeptical: Try it for two weeks. Notice your sleep, your mood, your energy. Your body will convince you faster than I ever could.
You're wired for a wild connection. The mud on your boots isn't mess – it's evidence you're taking care of yourself the way evolution intended. Your wild heart isn't asking for too much. It's asking for exactly what it needs to keep you fully alive.
Dear Wild Wanderers,
Thanks for keeping us close to nature, reminding us of the world's beauty and power. Your courage to seek the untamed places gives others permission to step onto the path less traveled. You transform "I could never do that" into "maybe I could try." You turn weekend warriors into lifetime adventurers.
Your dedication to wild places is a form of rebellion we desperately need to break from our digital-run lives. You're not just chasing adrenaline – you're preserving what makes us human.
Thank you for keeping the wild alive, in yourself and in all of us.
With gratitude and feet in the grass,
Natalie
Download the Wild Wanderer Planner & Journal to track your adventures. I may have gone a little survival-heavy on this one. Please let me know what you think!
