Fall Lakeside Glamping in The Adirondacks

After a 6-hour roadtrip, we arrived to a drizzle that turned into gail-force wind that swept the lake into our faces as we pitched our tents.

Once the wind calmed down, the colors immediately did what they're supposed to do: reset your brain.

I have to be forced to relax.

For years, my idea of "outdoor adventure" involved risking my life in extreme temps, pushing limits, getting scrapes, cuts and injuries. I focused more on things that distracted me. 

And then 2020 happened and Outerthere's mission around mental health support and welcoming everyone became a priority. I realized that being brown was not enough to make others like me feel welcome trying outdoor experiences. The experiences had to actually be welcoming, too.

The suggestion for this trip started in 2018. Instead of backpacking 10 miles into the mountains, can we paddle to some island and stay the night? It took some research but we found it and did it. For years. And this trip has been welcoming enough for all kinds of fam - from 1 yr olds to 70 yrs olds.

The takeaway has been that altho distraction helps, mental health support can also look like 3 days walking, paddling and relaxing among Adirondacks fall foliage, with no crowds, jobs or sirens triggering your nervous system. 

You don't have to talk. Or you can talk the entire time. You can stay cozy. Or you can take a cold water plunge. Whatever resets you, that's what you do.

This year's new-new was the introduction of my mini-cohost. Although she's been on this trip a few times as a baby, this was the first time it was just her and I "working" together. 

It was not relaxing for me. At all. So at least this was a familiar space for me 😅 But you know what, not only did she support me in her own way, the rest of the fam was extremely supportive of us as my kid and I transition into our new situation. 

So despite the stress, the best feeling was hanging with my kid in the woods talking about bugs and singing songs. She wasn't scared of the dark, she wasn't stressed like her dad, she just felt safe being herself and claiming her own space among "dad's friends".

Thank you V for being the best kid a dad could ask for ❤️

And thanks fam for supporting me on this trip and my transition to single parent 🙏

GALLERY

DID YOU GO?