I’m going to admit something from the start, New York City is not the rocky mountains. We don’t have massive summits, world class skiing, paddling, and climbing 15 minutes from our front door. Heck, most of us live in apartments, we don’t really even have a front door in the normal sense of the word.
But those images we see on our Facebook and Instagram feeds, those unbelievable backdrops that every outdoor brand never fails to use in every image they post. It’s not real. I mean it IS real, but It’s not for the vast majority of the population something that is readily accessible. Don’t get me wrong, it’s beautiful and I would spend every day there if I could. But the reality is that I live in NYC, have a job that’s mostly in an office, and I don’t have any kind of usable skill that would allow me to make a living in any of those places. So what these images really do is perpetuate a narrative that the great outdoors only exists in places like that, and adventure is hundreds of miles and thousands of dollars away.
And yes, THOSE places are. But adventure is everywhere and the outdoors is whatever we want it to be, it’s a mindset and not a place. The outdoors is absolutely anywhere you want it to be that’s not confined by 4 walls. It starts by simply appreciating the fact that you are outside and realizing that outside is where you want to be and it’s what makes you happy. Stopping to look at a sidewalk planter, noticing the the buds and leaves on trees, taking the long way just to pass by a park. It may not seem like much, but these small seemingly insignificant daily doses are what it takes to alter your mindset and begin appreciating the time you spend outside. Then you start having your lunch in a park, riding a bike to work, spending your Saturday afternoon sitting on the grass a city park with a book, rather than on your couch. Bring your laptop, connect to some free wifi, and catch up on Game of Thrones, at least you’ll be outside.
I’ll be honest, it’s a lot of work. There are so many days I don’t want to get on my bike, I don’t want to walk to the park. But most of the time my motivation to get some time outside wins, and I appreciate every time it does.
I guess what I’m trying to say here is that the balance between being outdoorsy and being a New Yorker all starts with your mindset. Change the definition of what the outdoors are, change what it means to yourself and to the community. Consider where you are as part of the outdoors and don’t let the images they show you make you think that because you’re not there you’re not part of this community.