Adventuring Together: How to Create Connections and Make Lasting Memories with Your Kids

“One of the best Ways we can connect with our kids is to put ourselves in situations where we are reminded what it’s like to do hard things…Experiencing Those things gives us empathy for our kids.” -Greta Eskridge

Years ago, on a chaotic night in the emergency department where I then worked, one of the attending physicians came by and asked how the patients in my assignment were doing. He asked for three words that would give a full picture of what was going on with each patient. We walked to each stretcher, he quickly verified vital signs, listened to hearts and lungs.

Then he paused and turned,
“If any of these three words change at any point, come find me.”

I learned two things in that moment: One, he somehow managed to memorize the three words for each patient in that entire department(this was a level one trauma center and we experienced record breaking patient volume that weekend) and had memorized each patient’s face that went with those words. He did this nonstop for the next twelve busy hours and his methodology was brilliant. Second, there was a trust-filled understanding that he was prepared at any moment to take action and assist every patient based off what they individually needed. He was running a team and communicated we were all on this together. He shared that he learned and developed this strategy while doing emergency wilderness medical training as a way to see the big picture and to not get lost in details until it was time.

Here’s why I share this in relation to an outdoor adventure book: when we first started nature study and venturing to trails further away than our own town, I was bogged down in the details, the “what ifs”. On more than one occasion, I chickened out and stayed home, overwhelmed with the realities of adventures with four wild active blessings, one with special needs. There wasn’t joy at the thought of outings, there was worry to the point of dread. It isn’t supposed to be like that.

So, I’m going to give you three words to describe this book: joyful, tenacious, and grit. Even if you come to this book with three other words on your heart when you consider adventures with your children, I think you’ll find your three words beginning to shift as you lean further and further into this book. Give it at least to chapter three if you’re not convinced.😉

Greta Eskridge’s approach to adventures with her children, her purposeful decision to move out of her own comfort zones to make these adventures possible, is nothing short of completely motivating.

A few fine details I appreciated as an avid reader: the book is a comfortable size for reading, the chapters are evenly paced and can be easily read one chapter a day without overwhelm, the font is eye friendly, the margins are well-spaced with room for highlighting and writing notes on the page.

While I’m a fan of books that have practical real-life takeaways, few of those books manage to infuse joy into the practicality. Greta has accomplished this. Definitely a 5/5 read.

Let me just say that I’ve been waiting for this book to come out for months, and it did not disappoint. From the loving way Greta talks about the things that need to happen to bring closeness to the relationships with your children to the encouragement she gives when you feel you’re not cut out for adventuring, this book is one that will gently help a momma out who is unsure and feels unprepared. This is me, always. Her words will help you to see that you CAN adventure, but also how important it is. Thank you, Greta, for such a timely book!!