Things I'm Not Afraid to Admit as a Granola Girl

you don’t have to fit the stereotype to belong outside

Hi friend! Welcome back to the Big Adventure Club 💌

I just got back from a 10-day road trip through Northern California.

Ten days of tent life.
No service.
No showers.
Just lake dips, camp meals, and reading for hours every evening.

I hiked and backpacked more than 70 miles between Lassen Volcanic National Park and the Trinity Alps Wilderness.

The hardest part of coming home wasn’t unpacking.

It was giving up the simplicity.

No notifications.
No endless decisions.
Just waking up, making coffee, walking all day, swimming in alpine lakes, and falling asleep tired.

When you’re hiking for hours every day, your brain has a lot of time to wander.

And somewhere along the trail, I started thinking about all the things people assume about “outdoorsy girls.”

The truth?

I don’t fit all of those stereotypes.

And maybe you don’t either.

People are often surprised when I say this.

But solo adventures don’t mean fear disappears.

I still get nervous sometimes.

Like during last week’s solo 20-mile trail run. A storm rolled in and suddenly the forest felt dark, quiet, and a little spooky.

The difference is that I’ve learned how to work with fear instead of letting it stop me.

A little fear is healthy.

It keeps you paying attention.
It helps you make smart decisions.
It reminds you to prepare.

Confidence isn’t the absence of fear.

It’s knowing you can handle yourself when fear shows up.

I know.

Granola girl card revoked.

But being transparent…

Part of my childhood was spent living in an off-grid trailer without running water, electricity, or internet.

Imagine sleeping in a closet. Frigid temperatures. Water dripping from the ceiling. No internet. No heat. Just books and your imagination for entertainment.

Because of that, I’ve never romanticized tiny-space living.

I love road trips.
I love camping.
I love sleeping outside.

But I also really love having a clean home to come back to.

I love cute outdoor clothes.

I love fun colors.
I love feeling confident.

But when I’m trail running or backpacking 20+ miles, practicality wins every single time.

The older I get, the more I appreciate gear that quietly does its job.

No blisters.
No chafing.
No smell.
No regrets.

One of my favorite parts of backpacking is losing service.

Not because I don’t love the people in my life.

But because for a little while, nobody needs anything from me.

There are no emails.
No notifications.
No pressure to respond.

Just mountains.
Books.
Camp dinners.
And whatever thoughts decide to wander through my head.

I always come back feeling lighter.

This one feels particularly contradictory.

I love jumping into rivers.
I love floating in alpine lakes.
I love the feeling of washing off trail dust after a long day.

And yet...

I’m not a very strong swimmer.

Dark water freaks me out.

I’m convinced there’s something lurking in every lake.

Leeches.
Mysterious underwater creatures.

I’ve had a complete crash out when one of Olympic’s lakes was infested with tadpoles.

I was so scared to squish one or get them tangled in my hair.

And if I can’t see the bottom?

Even worse.

Yet somehow I still keep getting in.

Maybe because some of the best experiences happen while holding two truths at once:

“I love this.”

And

“This scares me a little.”

If you have a question you want answered in a future newsletter, you can submit one anonymously here.

What’s something about you that doesn’t fit the stereotype of a hobby or community you belong to? I’d genuinely love to know.

One of my favorite things about getting older is realizing you don’t have to become a stereotype to belong somewhere.

You don’t have to be fearless to hike.

You don’t have to live in a van to love road trips.

You don’t have to fit anyone else’s definition of outdoorsy.

You just have to keep showing up.

And that’s enough.

If you’re ever looking for the exact gear and pieces I actually use, it’s always linked here.

Chat soon,

Lauren (@laurensbigadventure) 💙