I have had some time to ponder and discover what "staying wild" means to me.
Within Wild Boyz Photography, the
phrase “Stay Wild” is a large aspect of the company culture. It is important to everyone on the team to continue spending their time outdoors. WBP promotes this core value of staying wild by finishing their emails with the phrase, as well as our general goal to promote the natural environment by getting more people outside through nature education. With this phrase constantly coming up, I have had some time to ponder and discover what “staying wild” means to me.
Growing up my family was heavily focused on the outdoors. I remember family vacations in which we would travel the United States sleeping out of tents and filling our days with hikes and adventures. These are blissful memories of not a single worry in my world besides when will this--what felt like 200 miles--hike was going to be over. As a kid, I was active in Boy Scouts. I spent a lot of time camping and filling my time with other outdoor activities. Although these activities and road trips sparked my love and interest in the outdoors, as I grew up, I found myself weaning away from these activities.
For the past four years with my major life changes of college, paying rent, growing up, and COVID depression; I found myself becoming a recluse in my apartment building. Although there were a few camping trips in that period, I would primarily spend my days in my room completing schoolwork, studying, and playing games online with friends. Although this was fine for a while, I became even more depressed and could not understand why…
Breaking free from COVID quarantine, I picked up the hobby and sport of rock climbing. Initially, I picked up the sport to get back into the routine of exercising and to lose some weight. What I did not know is that I would quickly become obsessed and addicted to the sport. Rock climbing has had huge positive effects on my health and wellness.
It has given me a strong motivator for getting my health and fitness to the best it has ever been. I am becoming comfortable with failure. Lastly, it is bringing me back to the outdoors, which unknowingly I had been gravely missing.
Breaking free from COVID quarantine,
I picked up the hobby and sport of rock climbing.
Lastly, it is bringing me back to the outdoors, which unknowingly I had gravely been missing.
Getting back to my roots and spending time outside has given me a more well-rounded,
focused perspective on life, and what I desire from it.
Falling into the habit of staying indoors rather than exploring nature, I forgot what it was like to be outside and all the benefits accompanying it. Currently, my favorite pastime is to get outside and spend the entire day climbing. Partly this is about the climbing, but even more so it is for the outdoor aspect. It is the sunshine on my face, birds chirping in the background, and the absence of Austin traffic and construction noises. These are the days when I feel that I am staying wild. Through climbing outside I have become happier, healthier, and I am living a more balanced life. These days give me something to look forward to during the week, providing me with the motivation that I need to complete my work, and even to work ahead. Getting back to my roots and spending time outside has given me a more well-rounded,
focused perspective on life, and what I desire from it.
Having fallen out of the “stay wild” principle and now entering back into it, I can see how truly important it is to hold onto this principle. Whether it be kayaking, hiking, climbing, taking photos, reading a book, or participating in any other activity, I believe that everyone should take some time out of their busy lives to get outside. Find what is personally enjoyable for you and create your own meaning of staying wild. I believe that spending time outdoors doing something that you love, reaps huge benefits. So with that, I encourage you to get outside, and don’t forget…Stay Wild!
I encourage you to get outside, and don't forget... Stay Wild!
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