We welcome Rebecca Heaton as our new editor!
Editor’s Letter
So, what do you do?” This is an oft-asked question when people meet for the first time and are searching for a way to break the ice. The strange thing, though, is that these five words can have such different meaning depending on where they are being asked. Let me explain.
I originally hail from the East Coast, most recently from Washington, D.C., where the majority of people are wed to their work. It’s suits and ties, nylons and heels, 9 to 5 (if you’re lucky) in an office. And when people ask the question, “So, what do you do?” they expect the answer to be what your job is.
When I first moved to Colorado 11 years ago, this same question came up in conversations with new people. However, instead of wanting to know your professional stature, those asking the question were more often curious about what you do for fun.
How sane is that?
It really all comes down to how we choose to relate to one another. In D.C., once you find out what someone does, it’s a conversation starter. Hopefully. You find interest in one another’s jobs and get a sense of each other’s personality and passions.
Or it can be the reverse. For some, once they find out what you do work wise, and there is no common ground or you can’t connect them with so-and-so to help advance their career, the conversation comes to a standstill. I say this from experience.
The same happens in Colorado to a degree. When someone asks me, “So, what do you do?” I tell them I mountain bike, I road bike, I hike with my dog, I do yoga, I cross-country ski. And if they do any or all of the above, we have something to talk about. But I’m not much of a paddler or climber or hardcore downhill skier, so when I’ve met people who are passionate about any of these activities, we don’t have as much to talk about.
This isn’t a bad thing, though. And it doesn’t happen all of the time. I am generalizing somewhat. I have had wonderful discussions with all kinds of outdoorsy types, and have given a number of activities a try, such as climbing and paddling. But I only have time to fit so many sports into my schedule—and have only so much room for gear in my closet—so I tend to hang out with others who share in my chosen outdoor pursuits.
Through my years as an outdoor and fitness writer, I have had numerous opportunities to give different sports a try and I’ve taken away something from each experience. My first time rock climbing, I was terrified shimmying up a 100-foot wall, then exhilarated when my instructor belayed me down. I tried ice climbing and was fascinated by how, with the right tools and skills, a human can scale a wall of ice. In a kayak roll class, I learned that I should have been wearing nose plugs and that I was much happier on a sit-on-top kayak in the rapids. And in a steep bumps ski clinic, the moguls were actually polar bears facing downhill and all I had to do was ski around or over the back of them, just not over a polar bear’s “head” where I could risk getting bit.
Life is all about trying new things, and when you narrow it down to the things that you like best, you stick with them. The next time you are posed the question, “So, what do you do?” you could simply answer, “I enjoy life.”
Moving forward as the new editor of Women’s Adventure, I promise to instill this mantra in the magazine’s pages.
Enjoy, Rebecca
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In this Issue (order a paper copy or subscribe to the digital issue and get instant access)
Features
Around the World in 850 Days
Sarah Outen has a background in adventure. She is the youngest person and first woman to have rowed solo across the Indian Ocean. And now she has embarked on her next journey: traveling from London to London on a humanpowered circumnavigation of the planet.
A River Ran Me… Out of Town
From early September to mid-October, the Gauley River in West Virginia becomes one of the rowdiest stretches of whitewater in the country. Rafting guides from around the country flock to the area to work. Heather Hansman is one of them. Having guided for several seasons in Maine and Colorado, she felt ready to take on the Gauley. Or at least she thought.
GEAR
A look at reflective wear, sunglasses, and insulated lifestyle vests for fall.
Wonder
On the Map: A world of adventure awaits
Pinpoint: Underwater destinations
Trends: Cute commuter bags
Media Reviews: Books for fall
Manhandle: Hair today, gone tomorrow
Psychobabble: Head game
It’s Personal: Healing is half the battle
Aspire
I’m Proof: Records are meant to be broken
Destinations: NM, CA & MA
Try This: Skydiving
Dream Job: CEO at Backcountry.com
Roar: Eliminating plastic pollution
Über Girl: Without pause
Beyond: Cowgirl tales
Master
Climbing: Learn 3 great moves
Ski & Snowboard Training: Get ready for the slopes
Parenting: Backpacking with kids
