City Girl Loves Nature

03/20/2023

Milford Track/ Sound

03/17/2023

As I explore New Zealand, I think about some of the things that are making my hiking more enjoyable. Here are my top 5. 5. Gregory 3D Hydro Reservoir So I’m a HUGE fan of hydration packs / bladders – these are bags of water that fit into your hiking backpack that you access through a long straw that comes out of the top of the backpack....

These are the top 5 things I like to bring on my hikes.

03/15/2023

I got to fulfill my Bird Cams-based dreams and visited the Royal Albatross Centre in New Zealand!

03/14/2023

Hokitika is a beautiful town on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island. It has a gorge with incredible blue water. I spent an hour hiking the Hokitika Gorge which is only 1.3 miles long – you can definitely hike it faster, but why would you? That afternoon we climbed on our bikes and picked up West Coast Bike Trail by the Hokitika beach and rode around 26 miles which included riding through some amazing “bush” (the New Zealander word for indigenous forest)....

Hokitika is a beautiful town on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island. It has a gorge with incredible blue water. I spent an hour hiking the Hokitika Gorge which is only 1.3 miles long – you can definitely hike it faster, but why would you? That afternoon we climbed on our bikes and […]

03/09/2023

Helicopter ride to Franz Josef Glacier, New Zealand 🇳🇿

03/08/2023

My first days in New Zealand were delightfully spent in Christchurch, a city of around 400,000 people. It quickly became clear to me that this is a country that places a high premium on nature. I stayed at Chateau on the Park, which is right next to the beautiful Hagley Park, the third largest city park in the world. The care that goes into this park is a testament to New Zealand’s values oriented around celebrating natural beauty and focus on community....

My first days in New Zealand were delightfully spent in Christchurch, a city of around 400,000 people. It quickly became clear to me that this is a country that places a high premium on nature. I stayed at Chateau on the Park, which is right next to the beautiful Hagley Park, the third largest city....

03/05/2023

Hike 10/52 - Hokitika Gorge, New Zealand

03/03/2023

Researchers have found that 120 minutes in nature per week is associated with health and wellness. However, as a City Girl, I get that it isn’t always easy. But that doesn’t mean you should give up. Here’s how (and why) you can grab a little more nature in your daily life. Got 5 minutes? Go outside Researchers at the University of Essex…...

It can be hard to fit nature time into your life. These simple tips can be fit seamlessly into your day, and boost your mood.

03/01/2023

Made it!

02/28/2023

The Japanese art of shinrin-yoku, which translates to “forest bathing,” is the deliberate act of spending time in a forest (or park) in a relaxed state with your senses engaged in your environment. I’ve been reading about it in the book Forest Bathing by Dr. Quig Li. In the book, Li, who studies forest medicine, describes forest bathing as a bridge....

As a City Girl in Chicago I've learned to explore alternatives to conventional forest bathing in the winter.

02/24/2023

It was quite unexpected. The first time I got on TikTok it was absolute mayhem. I was inundated with videos of teens doing weird dances, makeup tutorials and dudes jumping off stuff. And there were lots of people talking directly to me about random things. And it was loud. After about twenty seconds I said “nope” and exited the app, thinking I would never try it again....

I did not expect TikTok to appeal to my inner Nature Nut. But apparently you can teach the algorithm to give you a perpetual feed of beauty.