Live Your Life..

Hiking in Lamani, Belize

As many of my Instagram and Facebook photos indicate, we do a lot of hiking in our little Monson family. I have received a lot of skeptic looks and prying questions as to whether or not I really enjoy being "outdoorsy." The truth is: I would never do the biking, diving, hiking and/or camping that we do without the enthusiasm and encouragement from my guy Dave.

Scuba Diving with Sharks in Grantsville, UT

Which lead me to wonder, why is it that women are told, taught, and expected to hate being outside? My thoughts:

• It is really hard to go pee. I mean, talk about a messy, dusty, unsanitary, and an awkward balancing act. I'm not even going to go into the fear you feel when you realize too late that you've chosen an exposed location...
• Spiders. Enough said.
• Make up.. do you wear it to at least look decent for the first hour of the adventure, only to have it melt and fade without hope for correction or touch up? Or do you take the heroic route and start out clean, then tromp around the forest looking blotchy and plain? Its an endless battle in my mind. 
• No showers. There is nothing I crave more during our outings than a nice warm (or cool) shower with yummy body wash, a fresh layer of deodorant, and a spritz of perfume. I hate being stinky. 
• Exhaustion. No matter how fit I get, I am always going to have to take twice as many steps as my long legged counterpart. I require lots of breaks. 

Lake Blanche trai, UT

With all of these prejudices in mind, I have found that the feeling of accomplishment and the breathtaking views more than compensate for the few inconveniences of exploring nature. I have enjoyed discovering the vast and diverse beauty of a state I have lived in for over seven years, and until now, never fully explored. 

Checking out the Hoodoos at Bryce Canyon

All of this adventuring does not take away from the fact that I am still a total girl at heart. I grew up with a fabulous Mom and four sisters, no amount of dirt can take that away from me. When we did a 20 mile overnight backpacking trip in Southern Utah, I set up a spa for me and the other wives that got roped into the extravaganza. We played some Enya on my iPhone, laid out a few ponchos on a rock, boiled water, and washed our hair with biodegradable shampoo underneath a massive Red Rock Arch.  Us girls giggled as we helped brush each other's hair and gazed at the amazing place we hiked for hours to find. You could not buy this kind of experience from the fanciest of Day Spas.

PhotoCred: David Monson, Coyote Gulch

So, I have decided to be more daring. I am going to go on more adventures, feed my body healthy, and enjoy each place we live in by exploring the unique beauty it has to offer.

Join me? 

After all.. YOLO.

Hobble Creek Canyon, UT