Outside

It's been a long time since I've spent a considerable amount of time outside. I was in boy scouts, and my troop - specifically a small segment of my troop, in which my dad and I were the effective leaders - loved going outdoors. We took backpacking trips nearly every other week, we went to two summer camps a year, we went to all three of the high adventure camps. We did just about everything. We were fast, and strong. We were crazy. But in time, those things started to slow down, and we got to a point where we were only really doing any trips like once a year. And I don't think any of us were really happy about that, but we had things we needed to do, and we struggled to organize and time things, and some of us forgot about our passion for the outdoors because it had just been so long.

That last one really applies to me. I love being outdoors. As much of a gamer and an introvert and a nerd as I am, I love surrounding myself in nature and pushing my body to its limits and being able to see the world from unique places, far from civilization. I love standing on the top of a mountain, the wind blowing through my hair, just looking out over the land and seeing how far I have come and what I have accomplished. It's one of my favorite feelings.

Working at REI now, which is an outdoor recreational equipment store if you don't know, has really helped to revitalize that passion in me. Granted, I still haven't spent much time going out, but I think about it all the time now, and I really want to get back out there. It's silly of me not to - I have hundreds of good opportunities to. My job encourages me to. I'm surrounded by the equipment nearly every day, and actually going out and using the stuff actually makes my job easier, because I then know more about the things that I am selling and can better recommend them.

It's a good feeling working at a place like this. To be around things that I'm passionate about, but also to be encouraged to help other people do the things that they're passionate about. REI is a very people focused business, rather than money. We want people to be happy. We want people to do things. We don't want them to buy our merchandise - we want them to use it. We want them to come into the store, ready to make new stories, and ready to share the stories that they have gained since the last time they have come into the store. Hell, we chose to say fuck Black Friday, and are opting to go outside instead. I remember Black Friday at Target. I remember what a hellhole that was, and how much money we made because of it. And REI chose to say no to that, because it cares more about the happiness of its employees and its customers. There are so many good things about it. And all based on a love of the outdoors.