My love for the outdoors was birthed from the many adventures I experienced with my father:  camping, fishing, boating, and hunting. Granted we didn’t have any communication devices whenever we ventured out, but as the eldest child and only daughter, I am grateful that I was taught to play outside. At the high elevation of the northern Sierras flows a small stream from banks lined of thick willows; this is where I learned to fly fish. This is also the place that I constantly find myself remembering the joys of the outdoors my father passed down to his children.

It’s been five years since my father’s passing. I still miss him dearly. Although, I wish he could’ve

helped me instill the same importance of playing outside in my children, I find comfort knowing his love for the outdoors lives on through me. My father was a Christian, and found his church in the great outdoors. We attended church daily. In church I was taught patience, perseverance, respect, humility, admiration, resourcefulness, loyalty, faith, but most of all– love. Could go down to be a contradiction, but we enjoyed playing on these grounds with crossbows. It is no violent sport; we were having fun with the kids. We did also check through crossbow reviews to get ones suitable for kids, which indeed turned out to be the trigger to an desire for the sport.

I learned to love my father and to love his way of life. The natural world was and still is my best teacher! I don’t see the same type of people growing up in America like I did. In this every changing fast-paced life, the world is becoming more Urban everyday. I think young people need to switch off the tech (here I am writing on my laptop to create a blog post for our social media marketing) and G.O.(get outside) Play. I know we can’t get away from technology and I’m not asking you to abandon it. It’s about balance.

It’s up to parents, to help the next generation become outdoor-loving adults. 95% of today’s active adults were introduce to outdoor activities before the age of 18. Fathers (and mothers), help your children learn an outdoor activity that they will enjoy for life. I’m blessed to live in a place that allows me more opportunities than my children probably appreciate at this time to get them outdoors. One day, I hope they appreciate these experiences as I appreciate those that my father gave me.

Happy Father’s Day! Now G.O. Play…