A Year in Review

And what to expect from me in 2026

As the year comes to a close, I am celebrating growth and change. I’d like to take you through the journey from the inception of this series and dive a bit more into my backstory.

About a year and a half ago, I was contemplating starting an interview series to highlight the adventurous women I had met. I loved listening to podcasts that had an interview style format and I was inspired to hear the stories of incredible women pushing their boundaries and succeeding wildly. Creative writing had been something I enjoyed in high school. Perhaps there was a way to combine these passions?

But I had no clue how to get this idea off the ground. I do not consider myself a techie person. The thought of launching a blog seemed overwhelming. Could I figure out the technology? How would I learn all the jargon of domain names, web hosts vs platforms, SEOs and other foreign concepts? What if I couldn’t figure it out? I was stuck in analysis paralysis.

Eventually, a wise group of friends suggested I start a Substack. They had to teach me what a Substack was first of all. But then, as I learned more, it seemed like a good fit and this little adventure took off.

The technology hurdle wasn’t as big as I feared (isn’t that often the case with so many of our fears?). Substack is pretty user friendly. So the next task was finding interviewees. At first, I spoke with people I knew personally: friends, colleagues, adventure buddies. Eventually, I started to reach out to people I admired online or whose content I followed. And let me tell you, this was a stretch for my introverted self.

But something magical happened. People thanked me for featuring them. Instead of being an imposition on them as I feared, they were largely excited to share their stories and advice. I was propelled by their enthusiasm and inspired each time I read their wisdom.

Of course, it hasn’t been all success. Sharing an interview a week takes some work. Of all the people I reach out to, about one third of the contacts result in a story. Another third results in some back and forth, but an eventual thanks but no thanks, and the last third never respond to my queries. I have learned a lot about posing my request to strangers and about continuing to reach out in the face of some daunting numbers.

I continue this work because I truly enjoy it. I love getting to know amazing and courageous women. I learn from each and every one of the stories that gets shared. Their perseverance, honesty, and advice spurs me on my own journey. And the response from my readers encourages me to keep writing. This community is what drives me.

Just as this Substack adventure has grown and changed over the last year, so have I. I think back to the me of 2023: I was wading through burnout and too tired to do much beyond work, eat, sleep and survive.

Thanks to Jess and her Design a Life You Love program, I embarked on a journey that ultimately was a series of many small shifts that had a big overall impact.

I negotiated with my job for a set schedule in which I no longer worked nights or weekends. I took a month off of work to spend time with friends and to go on a bucket list trip to Patagonia. I began to make time in my day to start exploring what I loved to do and wanted more of in my life.

I spent the better part of a year asking myself the question: what is my community, identity and purpose outside of my job? And I explored the thought, what do I want my legacy to be?

Perhaps my favorite experiment was my Year of Novelty. Each month for a year, I tried something new. I tried out acupuncture and submitted cookies to the county fair. I tried out new restaurants. I learned how to whitewater kayak, rock climb and scuba dive. Through this experiment, I started to say yes to things I might not have otherwise. And I learned that, at my core, I love adventure, challenge, being outdoors and connection.

Fast forward to 2025, and I continue to lean into adventure. I have obtained my Wilderness First Responder Certification, become a volunteer on the Mt. St. Helens climbing route and run my first 5k, quarter marathon and half marathon. My weeks are spent at the climbing gym and out exploring the local trails. I still work full time and yet, I make sure to embrace the parts of life that light me up.

Finishing my first half marathon!

So much gratitude for the adventure buddies in my life.

And so the year has been brimming with growth, both for myself and for this newsletter born of the adventurous reinvention of my last year. I have set some big goals this coming year (I’m looking at you, Appalachian Trail! Also, did you know Iowa hosts an across the state bike ride?).

As such, I will be dedicating a bigger portion of my time to training for these events. So you can expect a few changes from me here. I will still be sharing interviews of amazing and courageous women– because you guys keep me inspired! The timeline is just going to change. Instead of weekly interviews, I anticipate writing on a twice monthly basis.

As I go through my own adventures, I have found myself reflecting on the concepts I am learning. I want to share these thoughts with you all, so you can expect more pieces in which I explore a concept, idea, or revelation related to adventure, the outdoors and living a life on purpose.

There are already several amazing interviews lined up for next year- including shark and bear experts, adventure company entrepreneurs, a veterinary visionary, and more. I’m very excited to share these stories next year!

As we close out 2025, I invite you to reflect on your own growth and changes. What worked well? What do you plan to do differently? How have you grown? How will you challenge yourself in the coming year? How will you embrace adventure in your own life?

In closing, I am beyond grateful that you are here!! I wish you all a happy holiday season and I will see you in January to kick off the adventures of 2026!

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