{"id":169037,"date":"2021-05-24T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-24T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=169037"},"modified":"2021-05-26T14:37:03","modified_gmt":"2021-05-26T21:37:03","slug":"kena-peay-limitless-sides-to-outside","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/camp\/kena-peay-limitless-sides-to-outside","title":{"rendered":"Kena Peay: Limitless Sides to Outside"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There are so many ways to enjoy time outside. This is one of many unique stories we\u2019re sharing as part of our effort to highlight the Limitless <\/a>Sides to Outside<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why do I love the outdoors?<\/em> I ask myself that question each weekend while exploring Mother Nature. I think the answer is that it’s the only place where I can exist without any expectations. It’s just me, the giant redwoods, the shy and stealthy wildlife and the fresh outdoor air that beats any luxury perfume I’ve ever owned.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I discovered my passion for the outdoors when I was a young child. I joke that my parents were my first park rangers\u2014they taught me how to be respectful of animals and leave nature better than I found it. They introduced my siblings and me to many different national and state parks during our childhood. In spring and summer, it was a weekend occurrence. I think they were trying to pique our interest in nature and help us exert any unnecessary and annoying adolescent energy before bedtime. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We grew up a couple of hours from Mount Tahoma (Mount Rainier). My family would pile into the car with homemade sandwiches and head out to the mountain that stands so majestic above the clouds in Washington state. I had a wonderful childhood, being raised in the Pacific Northwest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A post shared by Kena Peay (@kenapeay)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>