Words from Nature: She called, and we came. This is how it all started…
As parents of two boys, owners of full time careers, and CEO’s of our household (i.e., doing endless loads of laundry, dishes, and paying bills like money grows on trees), the weekend can easily become a reprieve from a long work week of emotional daycare drop offs, and long to-do lists. After two kids in two years I found myself turning to an indoor lifestyle – I just wanted to nest with my family (and eat chocolate). My husband and I still managed to get out and make important visits to the playground, library, and zoo, etc., but we missed the beating heart of Mother Nature, and we so wanted to introduce the outdoors to our kids.
So, we took a hike. It was during this hike that we committed to getting outside, and into nature every weekend for the next year. After too many weekends of lazy parenting (i.e., staying home and going crazy), we realized that we wanted to parent, and experience life differently. We wanted to interact with our kids more, and away from all the distractions. We wanted them to fall in love with the outdoors the way we did, or at least burn off some energy, which in turn might create space for my husband and I to have adult conversations.
Thus our family’s 52 Weeks of Nature project. This is an adventure for us to reclaim the life we once knew, and it’s simple. With 52 Weeks of Nature we are asking ourselves to simply get outside, and into nature every weekend for the next year with our kids. There are no rules except to go outside and have fun!
My husband and I have long been outdoors people. Prior to having kids we hiked the Grand Canyon, biked across the country, summited fourteeners and many other lower peaks, camped, visited national parks, crossed paths with real live bears, and ran marathons, and half marathons. Our weeks were filled with outdoor fun, and we felt great. Now it’s time to pass that legacy onto our young children. The outdoors is a wonderful teacher, and companion, and we need her to help us bring up thoughtful, loving and kind children who also know how to survive in the wilderness!
Kaitlin Luna is a mother, wife, and outdoors enthusiast. Professionally you’ll find her in higher education working with incredible students. In her off time she is am almost always with her family, and often times that means they are out and about somewhere seeking adventure! You can follow her journey at www.52weeksofnature.com.