Having a positive impact on others

Something I try to take notice of and relish in, is when you see that what you're doing is having a positive impact on others. It's important to notice and speak about because I feel sometimes, looking in, it might seem like we have it all together, and that life's so easy.

But the reality is, not all days are good days. Sometimes it is really hard and I do question if we made the right decicion.

Then I tell myself that a bad day out climbing is still better than a good day in the office and

when I have these moments, I stop and remind myself WHY we are doing this and WHY we have chosen this way of life, and a big part of the why is when we see that just by being out there and doing it, we are having a positive impact on others.

I have a couple of stories I'd love to share that resonate with camping, climbing and just life.

~Camping~

It all started way back before we took baby overseas, when she was just a couple weeks old and we went camping. The topic of camping with a baby has come up a few times, but 2 times stick out for me.

~ A friend had a baby on the way and was about to cancel a 2-day camping trip they had planned for when bub would be 4 weeks old. She came to me because she saw we had taken Kaia camping as a baby, asked how old she was and how we did it. She still wanted to go but wasn’t sure if that was realistic or achievable.

I told her Kaia had been camping since she was a couple of weeks old and it was totally fine, and actually easier when they are younger. How good it is to get them used to it at a young age I told her, if that’s what you want to be doing when they are older, then a short local getaway could be a great introduction before trying something bigger down the track!

I told her I was proud of her for challenging the thought and still wanting to go. We talked about baby logistics and scenario planned a couple of things I had been worried about and inevitably she had too. The conversation ended with her being really excited for their first little trip together as a family. I was absolutely stoked.

This one hit home because becoming a first time mum is huge, new, scary and stressful and it is so easy to recluse yourself, not want to leave the house and become worried about absolutely everything. Post-natal depression is very real and far more common than people think.

I also remember being too scared to leave the house when Kaia was a newborn, you feel so scared and alone and if it hadn’t been for Jacob practically kicking us out to go on adventures, I probably wouldn’t have.

But time and time again you give it a go, and the more you do something the easier it gets! Getting out in nature, the simple things such as sunshine and fresh air are so powerful and knowing this mum and bub would be out experiencing that together made me feel incredible.

^ Our most recent camping trip with Kaia for 10 days in the South West of WA (Australia) with our bargain marketplace tent find! 10 days of no creature comforts, no power/water/whatever else. 10 days of climbing, exploring, food, laughs, bucket baths and pure good quality family time.

~ Another one was a new mum I met at mothers group, I think she had been wanting to go camping for a while, it's something they did a lot before baby, but time and life had gotten away from them the first few months. She found me on Instagram and messaged me asking how on earth we had taken the baby camping so many times. I kept it simple and asked her what was the number one thing she was worried about and her response was, I don’t actually know, everything? I rattled off a few of the big ticket items that I was worried about initially, the long car ride, the sleeping situation, feeding, what if this what if that, where's your nearest local hospital etc. She could not have been more grateful and said I had made her feel much more empowered and confident to go on the trip she had been wanting for so long.

I followed her back on Instagram and a few weeks later the camping photos popped up. I could have cried, this beautiful little family out and about, and they looked SO happy.

~Climbing~

Our last 5 months abroad have predominantly revolved around climbing and Kaia always comes along for the ride. Some days it goes to plan and some days it does not however the overwhelming response we get from the community is basically “wow”. They can't believe we are out there doing it, and they are equally as shocked when they see us come back the next day, and the day after that. Kaia is usually the only kid there, occasionally we have seen one or two older kids, but no other babies.

~ One day there was a lady with this fresh little baby. Of course I walked straight up to her to introduce myself, hi, hello, wow, congratulations, your baby is beautiful, you know the drill. What came next, I was not expecting. She said hello, nice to meet you, yes my partner said he sees you here a lot with your baby so I thought I would bring mine too. I don’t climb she said, but I came anyway. Wow I thought to myself. I felt this huge sense of gratitude and empowerment. The baby was looking around mermerised by the trees blowing in the wind and tuning in to the sweet sounds of the jungle. Her partner was SO happy to have them there, I watched him climb and he was constantly looking over at them with the biggest smile I think I’ve ever seen.

^ Kaia out craggin, climbin and just having a bloody good time.

~Life~

~ This one hits close to home and involves my grandparents. They were understandably anxious when we first announced our one-way trip and I am not going to lie, they did not approve. Nanna was riddled with fear and could not understand why we would want to take our baby out of the country. Not long after we left we heard that they were planning a trip of a lifetime in their caravan around Australia. A trip that they had always wanted to do but had never done. Jacob and I couldn’t believe it. We kept in regular contact and followed along each other's journeys as we traveled overseas and they across Australia. Sharing photos, videos and stories nearly daily.

Jacob and I would often reflect at the end of the day on how incredible it was, for them, in their 70’s (and grandad 80) to be doing this big trip and although you never know, we can't help but think that maybe us doing what we were could have had a positive impact on them being so courageous to go and do that to. They timed their return to Perth to coincide with roughly when we were coming back for Christmas and I remember seeing them for the first time, giving them the biggest hug and shouting HOW WAS IT and how incredibly proud they were to have shared their story.

It's moments like these that remind me how grateful I am to be able to encourage others to get out there and experience life for what it is. Adventure, exploration, travel. How lucky are we to be able to show people that you can get out there and experience life and not just let it go by.

Til next time,

R