Go Chase a Waterfall

If you’re a child of the 90’s like me, you probably remember that TLC song that’s called “Don’t Go Chasing Waterfalls.” Whenever I’m heading on one of my waterfall hikes, that song plays involuntarily in my head, except of course I am doing the opposite of what the song recommends.

What made me become a waterfall chaser? It does help that I live in the Pacific Northwest and there’s plenty of waterfalls around; it isn’t difficult to take a day trip hike and see falls. Even if you aren’t into waterfalls, there’s loads of beautiful hikes through emerald forests and alongside sparkling lakes. But the main reason I go outside has to do with what it does for my mental health.

There was a time when I worked a corporate job, Monday through Friday, 9 to 5. I was riddled with anxiety. I’ve struggled with anxiety many times during my life, especially when I was in nursing school, and as a medical professional, I was used to treating my anxiety through the healthcare system. I believed that if you followed the advice of your provider (usually some counseling and a little medication to take the edge off) things would improve, and they often did. But a few months or years later, I would be back in the same spot; suffering from crippling anxiety that was so intense it robbed me of the ability to pull myself out of it.