A Fresh (Air) Perspective

Are you an “indoorsy” person or an “outdoorsy” one? (Funny that spellcheck only flags one of these words as wrong.)

We see these stereotypes so clearly in movies and on TV. The videogame playing nerd who has hay fever and a sensitivity to the sun vs. the spontaneous, adventure-seeking, adrenaline junky. Maybe you aren’t exactly one extreme or the other, but you probably lean one way or the other.

I am the “indoorsy” kind; temperature controlled, three-star hotel, dining reservations type. That is why it was such a shock to those who know me when we booked our first van-life, family vacation during the summer of 2021. Two weeks, 5,000 miles, seventeen states and zero reservations. Right out of the gate, we stayed at a state park in Alabama and cooked stew over an open flame. We slept under the stars for only $25 a-night. I watched “Little House on the Prairie”. I could do this!

In New Mexico, we checked our shoes for scorpions as the sun went down behind a dormant volcano. In South Dakota, we rode horses and toasted marshmallows in the shadow of Mount Rushmore. The deeper we went into North America, the more rustic we got. Same clothes, messy hair-don’t care, truck stop showers….(well hang on, we did not get that carried away.)

Family memories were made to last a lifetime. We came home dead set on getting a camper so we could make such trips a more regular occurrence. One year later, and we just completed our sixth camping trip. Drizzly weather, wet dog, muddy feet (and paws) and we loved every minute of it.

Sitting around the fire with our neighbors, they said, “we can’t believe you are the same O’Sullivans we met sixteen years ago. You are outdoors, enjoying the dirt and drizzle. How did you do it?”

That got me thinking, what was the secret? I still don’t really like dirt or drizzle or sweeping the floor three times a day, so how could I explain the change? Was there an epiphany? A midlife crisis? Nope. It was much more pleasant than that. It was one conscious decision:

To appreciate things that I had never previously enjoyed or paid much attention to.

- I don’t like rain, but rainbows after are a treasure.

- Muddy paw prints are trumped by the furry, loyal head resting on my knee.

- A thin camper mattress doesn’t hurt my back because my loving husband holds me close and lets me steal all the pillows.

A new outlook starts when we can find enjoyment in old things. Think about something that you are not really fond of; indoors, outdoors, anything really. I promise that there is something good in each experience…IF YOU CONSCIOUSLY CHOOSE TO PAY ATTENTION TO IT.

Turns out, I am not just an “indoorsy” person. It just took me a little longer to find the enjoyment in those “outdoorsy” moments, but it was possible. I challenge you to open your eyes and do the same.

To think I might have overlooked this bit of nature, turning something ugly into something beautiful.