Do you want your girl to go with you on your out door adventures? I wanted it so badly. I longed for the companionship of the woman who loves me and am so thrilled that she is happy to “go with.”  In case it might work for you, I want to share what I did.

Let your desire for adventure be a natural part of life.

In the course of normal life, I showed my interest in hiking, the outdoors and adventure. I found that when I let my girlfriend and now wife know what I wanted to do that she has found a way—because of her love for me—to do the things I like to do. Your Honey may not always respond to this just because you like it but give it a shot. I had to learn how much to say so that I didn’t bore or annoy her with the topic but let it show as a part of me that was permanent. You have to do the same for your honey as well. You have to let her know that you have a passion for it. I shared pictures and stories with her; I talked about equipment for comfort, and mentioned adventures and hikes I wanted to take.

Be willing to do what she wants that might be uncomfortable for you.

On the flip side of the talking I did about what I liked, I listened to her talk about her love for dancing and I have gone to many dance fitness classes with her at the YMCA. I have often been one of the only men in the room. I started out awkward and somewhat wooden but learned to loosen up. Just like she may have some difficulty getting used to and having fun with you on the trail, you may have some dues to pay. Do what she wants to do and talk about what she likes. Then, the trading and participating lovingly begins. You might be surprised—like I am—about how much you like what you have learned to do with her.

Talk about the beauty.

When you share stories with her of where you’ve been and where you are going, make it about the beauty. I told my baby about the beautiful places I wanted to go and beautiful sites that I had seen. I talked about the warmth of the fire and cozy times. I told her about how we could wrap a sleeping bag wrapped around us both. Tell her about the waterfalls, the refreshing clear clean sound of the splash and the cool breeze that blows up for the cave where the water disappears below. Share how you can sit and eat your lunch together with the sound of the wind singing in the tops of the trees. Paint a picture about how you can watch the water fall as you talk about your dreams. Tell her about the time you sat on the top of a mountain and saw the sun rise as the fog lifted or describe what it will be like. Recall the time that you sat drinking a hot cup of coffee from your jetboil stove and listened to a dozen different bird calls as the forest woke up. These are the kinds of things to talk about. Tell her the parts of the adventures that you know that she as a girl will like. Study her and tell her what she will appreciate about the adventures.

Tomorrow I’ll share what not to say…