Out Here: Wisdom from the Wilderness

I loved this book and the thoughtful metaphors for how nature and sports can teach us valuable lessons. The chapters are short and can stand alone - I’m sure I’ll want to go back and revisit some. It’s well written and makes you want to go out and explore! Lots of great perspectives throughout the book on how to embrace life to the fullest, be present in the moment, love and value yourself, and much more!

Carolyn is a great writer, but I had a hard time connecting with her stories. She's a very accomplished endurance athlete, but nothing in the book was very earth shattering to me. She has overcome some adversity (breakups, injuries, did not finish, exposure paralysis, eating disorders...list goes on), but I didn't feel like any unique wisdom from surviving those episodes was passed on to the reader. When writing about the did-not-finish in the Grand Traverse, I felt that she overly-congratulated herself for being a human that wasn't a complete jerk to her touring partner for having a severe asthma attack. Also, the 2nd half of the book was very obviously just a compilation of magazine articles. The problem with this is that it caused the theme of the book to constantly bounce around while sharing the same anecdotes in slightly different ways. I didn't gain new perspective from the events with this method, rather it just felt like she was wringing as much mileage out of an adverse event as she could. I'm optimistic that in 10 years, Carolyn will have a new perspective on life that will match her writing ability.

Loved! Inspiring! Especially if you love the outdoors this book is a must read

Incredible wisdom pulled some simple and not so simple wilderness moments. A very grounding read.

Beautifully written, insightful collection of essays

With some masterfully structured essays that seamlessly weave love, loss, growing up, forging a path, depression and body image with a range of lessons learned in the outdoors (including the horror of having to pee in the middle of the night when you're camping in the cold rain), the author will have you in her grips simultaneously relating and rooting for every move. My only complaint is that I now desperately want to go on backcountry hikes I am not yet skilled enough to endeavor.

Such a beautifully written book with incredible perspective. I found myself eagerly flipping through each chapter, heart filling with each lesson learned. This is a great book not only for the adventurer, but also for those who are more "adventurous at heart". I'll be re-reading this one for sure to remind myself how to live fully and appreciate the lessons Mother Nature is constantly teaching me. Keep them coming, Carolyn!