Anxious AND Adventurous // On the Road with Melissa Miller
Melissa and Rachel met in Lofoten several years ago, after following each other on social media for a while - and bonded over digging out a VW bus exhaust pipe with kitchen utensils and watching the Bachelorette on a very tiny couch. Not long after, Melissa moved full time into a van, and has been traveling the American west for the past 2+ years. She's known for her honest storytelling, nostalgic visual style, and humor amidst the challenges of van life and travel.
Join us for a chat with Melissa about choosing to live outside of your comfort zone, doing things even if you're anxious, and creating a life that's uniquely yours!
Q: Tell us about your background, and why you love the ourdoors! What inspired you to pursue climbing and live a wild, adventure-filled life on the road?
A: "I grew up in a SMALL town (like 700 people small) in Northern Michigan and really didn't get to experience a lot growing up, but I am so grateful my parents took me and my sisters camping and encouraged us to play outside among the ferns.
I think that isolated upbringing had me craving anything where the outcome was "experience". It was that mindset that led me to try my first car camping trip and then backpacking trip and then soon enough I was road tripping across the country living out of my car. Climbing came much later for me and has definitely become an ongoing challenge for me, which is what keeps me coming back to it."
Q: How do you push through fear and anxiety when trying new things? Why is it important to push yourself and get out of your comfort zone?
A: "I'm definitely an anxious girly at my core and some days I can be braver than other days. Every time I've pushed through the fear, I feel accomplished or a valuable lesson has been learned. It honestly feels like a muscle, the more consistently I push through anxiety, the easier it gets. And climbing and living on the road have been huge in keeping me pushing my comfort zone."
Q. Tell us about your favorite under rated pieces of outdoor or climbing gear?
A: "An incredibly underrated piece of gear in my opinion are the Crazy Creek chairs. I use that thing EVERYWHERE. It is also perfect for sitting around at the climbing crag and I often adjust it so I can fully lean back and watch my friends climb when I'm not belaying.
Also really big fan of my unique Rachel Pohl Art Chalk Bags. I get so many compliments on them, and the functionality of it is my favorite of all the bags I've tried."
Q: What advice would you give women wanting to start rock climbing or level up their skills?
A: "If you're wanting to try rock climbing, I highly recommend signing up for a basic class at your local gym! Indoor climbing is so much less intimidating and the community aspect of it can be so incredible and empowering."
Q. What has living on the road taught you most?
A: "Living on the road has taught me that even when things don't work out exactly as you thought they should, it's often for a reason and leads to something better or at the very least is a lesson that leads a better outcome in the future. I think learning through trying and failing is the most impactful way to learn (for myself at least!). It is humbling, but holds me accountable in ways I needed to get to where I am now. And it's also a reminder that life doesn't have to be that serious. Mistakes aren't the end of the everything. In fact, all of my "mistakes" have brought me to my dream life now."
If you enjoyed this article, definitely follow Melissa on instagram @miss.rover
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