#11 | JUST SAY YES: A Float Down The Grand Canyon Might Change Your Life

A few years ago, Robbin Voight said yes to a 14-day rafting trip down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. Well, she actually said yes 2 years before then, but we’ll get to that. A while back, I wrote my own account of seeing it from the South Rim for the first time. You can check that out HERE. Contrary to what you might think, not all outdoor adventure is reserved for 20-somethings living the van life. It’s for folks like you and me, too. Some of my favorite outdoor adventure stories are those of ordinary folks who’ve had extraordinary experiences. And this one would certainly qualify. 

In the course of our interview, we’ll also get to all of the reasons she considers that trip to be life-changing. She’s even been kind enough to share a few of her in-the-moment journal entries with us. I’ve posted them along with the episode over at fisherofzen.com. We talk a little about impetus, a little about an average day on the river, and a lot about Zen of being disconnected from what one river guide referred to as “the fake world,” and immersed in the beauty that abounds in the real one. 

#6 | EVERYONE HAS A PLACE IN THE OUTDOORS: Kate & Danielle Nolan of DNK Presents

In this installment, I have a heart-to-heart with Kate and Danielle Nolan of DNK Presents, Brown County Bikes, and a nonprofit called Live Adventurously. Like Episode #4 of my recent conversation with fellow van camper, Stephanie Burks, there wasn’t a set agenda for this interview. I wanted to just allow these ladies to talk about what they are passionate about. And believe me, there’s plenty. But the main thread that runs through our exchange is a focus on empowering and educating others, especially women, to embrace their sprit of adventure and self-reliance. To reconnect with themselves be immersing themselves in nature. Sound familiar? 

#2 | MANATEES-D: An Unforgettable Encounter in Crystal River FL

A Brush with Fame

Have you ever had a brush with fame? At the airport, at a restaurant, on the streets of New York or LA? It’s one thing to see a celebrity on television or in a movie. And I think most of us would agree that it’s yet another, even better thing to attend a live taping, movie shoot, or concert. But if you’ve ever had that “brush with fame” in your daily life, you know that experience is in a category of its own. Now imagine you happen to run across that same person and instead of walking away, they come over and strike up a conversation with you and then ask you to rub their back. Well, that’s basically what happened here. Only the airport was a Florida spring head and the rock star was a vegetarian with flippers.