Collective Wisdom
What I've learned from all of you
Her Adventurous Life is fast approaching its one year anniversary! I must express a deep gratitude to all of YOU for sharing your stories, reading along and motivating me to keep writing. Given this milestone, I want to take some time to reflect and look back at all I have learned from the amazing women who have taken their time to share their words, wit and wisdom.
As we embark on this celebration of knowledge, I will link to the referenced individual stories so you can dive deeper if something that was shared sparks your curiosity to read more.
The cornerstone of this newsletter is adventure. I asked our interviewees what adventure means to them and the answers I received gave me goosebumps– you guys just get it. I want to share two in particular here:
Jill writes that adventure is that space between comfort and chaos.
Laura says adventure is any moment when she chooses curiosity over comfort. It’s the quiet, trembling decision to say yes to the scary and simultaneously exciting unknown.
Adventure is such a big concept, but I think these ladies perfectly captured the essence.
It also became apparent throughout this series that courageous adventurers are not fearless. Despite what popular media may portray, courage truly is not the absence of fear. Instead of letting fear stop them, these adventurous women let fear fuel them.
Rachel honestly shared about her whitewater kayaking experience, noting, “The anxiety is real. Whitewater kayaking is a huge head game. It can be tough to differentiate between valid anxiety (i.e. I should portage this rapid because I might get hurt) versus letting anxiety hold you back (i.e. the rapid is within your abilities and portaging it holds you back from progressing).”
As Katie put it, “To me, pushing through my fear is worth it for the joy and satisfaction. I’m only scared before and in the moment, but once I’m done and back on the ground, I only remember how epic the experience was. I learned that overcoming my fears means I might have to actively face them!”
Sometimes fear can be helpful that way. It can push us to work harder than we would have otherwise.
And the successful adventurers learn techniques for working through their fear:
When faced with overwhelming fear or doubts, Perla will ask herself what does she have control of at that very moment? And Hattie will remind herself that the key is remembering why she’s doing this in the first place. For Shannon, a sense of humor goes a long way in fighting off fear!
Often, stepping into discomfort is part of the joy of adventure. Again and again, I read about women who knew doing the thing would be scary, uncomfortable, risky, or maybe even dangerous. But that did not deter her.
Zandy wrote about her trek to Everest Basecamp: “To be honest, I had never attempted that long or difficult of a trek. I had no experience with high altitude trekking, and I was absolutely terrified that I wouldn’t be able to complete the trek for one reason or another. I legitimately felt like it might be too difficult for me to do. But all of those insecurities fueled my desire to attempt the trek even more!”
And Katie reflected on her next mountaineering goals: “It scares me a little - maybe that means I should definitely do it!”
When faced with stepping into her discomfort zone, Audrey will ask herself, “How deep is my well? What am I capable of when I lean fully into my strength? What stories, fears, or doubts will I leave behind on this trail?”
I like to know what inspired people to step into this discomfort zone. As it turns out, many adventures begin with a willingness to follow our curiosity or even with a nudge from the universe:
“I had this itch in the back of my brain that I just couldn’t scratch; it was a mix of restlessness and longing for a new adventure.” - Sophey
“What if I started living my ideal life now?” - Dr. Chiang
“I had a dream where a turtle was passing through my hand underwater, and when I woke up I knew what I had to do.” - Tania
As anyone who has been on adventure knows, it is not always glamorous…
Hope: We had flat tires, broken pedals, heat waves and occasionally, we had rain and the brake function became debatable.
Danielle: I fell through a beaver dam and at one point had seven leeches on my foot!
Shelby: Pain will always be the one thing that can test your limits.
And yet, we sign up for the next adventure again and again. We find the downsides and risks are almost always worth the pursuit. There’s something about the human psyche that makes us upbeat, resilient and willing to do it again.
Some adventurers have expressed that this willingness to step into adventure stems from a deep wanting to truly live life and not have any regrets. For others, it’s the feeling that they’re really helping and making a difference in people’s lives. For Cindy, it’s having the best office in the world— the ocean! She loves working with students and loves being in the water every day.
We also know that adventure is not just fun (although that’s part of it!). It is also an incredible learning experience. Most of the time, we walk away having learned a lot about ourselves and sometimes, we even return as a different version of ourselves.
Kim: It wasn’t just about summiting a mountain; it was about working through the emotional weight I was carrying and realizing that, despite everything, I was stronger than I had given myself credit for.
Sam: I learned that I can do things I didn’t think possible if I just commit to trying.
Amanda: I am stronger than I think I am and I can do hard things.
Jess: Home felt different because we were different. The experience had changed us
A common thread through these adventures is the importance of support, of mentors, of friends. Community is critical fuel for achieving our big goals.
Being part of a community of like-minded people, where you can share your big ideas and get support for your journey was key for many adventurers. For others, specifically the power of coaching was the catalyst for success. And for some, a specific mentor was cornerstone in teaching how to set goals and then just go for them, no matter how impossible they seemed.
Not everyone will be supporting us from the sidelines though. Jess wrote, “My ‘friends’ were doubting that I could be successful without a corporate income, but [my coach] was cheering me on the whole time, and that’s exactly what I needed.”
So if you find yourself doubting your abilities, remember, “You can do it. You will find plenty of people who will tell you why you can’t do something or how you will fail. But look for the people who will tell you how you can succeed. Surround yourself with love, light, and a community of people who believe in you.” Amanda
One of the most important things I have learned from these incredible women is to embrace the mindset that failure is feedback. Obstacles are data. Again and again, they reminded me that there is always a learning or new idea that comes out of any failure if you are looking for it.
Dr. Rizzo knows that it’s important not to take failure as a reflection of your worth or value as a person. It’s just a learning experience; we’re always winning or learning. And Gretchen honestly reports that while it’s unpleasant and sometimes soul sucking, getting up again after a failure and doing well is exhilarating.
In fact, those unexpected twists, the trials and errors, and the lessons learned are what make it an adventure! After all, the setbacks make for the best stories.
What advice am I taking with me as I plan my next adventure?
As you are making adventure plans for 2026, listen to these amazing women and give it a try. Go with your heart and say yes to adventure.
And when you do complete that big adventure you’ve been thinking about, write to me and share about it! Sometimes we need to see someone like us doing what we want to do, so we can feel like it’s possible for us, too. It’s why this series exists, after all.
Love your stack!