Finding Connection

As we connect through She Ascends, we form what She Ascends is. Our stories create our legacy. Meet Jill Adler. As the Covid-19 Pandemic tried to tear us apart from one another, some of us refused to be isolated.  For many people, including Jill, finding a connection with someone, somewhere, was necessary. 

Jill:
“I found She Ascends in the fall of 2022 when we were all still in Covid isolation mode. I was going a little stir crazy being at home so much and not really able to see all my friends and family. I needed a Covid-safe social outlet and She Ascends was the perfect solution.”

Honestly, She Ascends couldn’t have formed at a better time. Founder, Mindi Jenson could never have known in 2019 the amount of lives that would be touched by providing a forum to connect, using nature landscapes as meeting grounds to escape the pandemic loneliness.  It has been brought up many times in the news since March of 2020 how so many people re-connected with nature after being forced to slow down. With She Ascends, women like Jill were able to connect deeper to herself and also with like minded women. 

Jill: 
“I love to hike and be in nature and I figured other women who were also into this were my kind of people. And I was right. I have met many kindred spirits through She Ascends. Everyone has been really genuine and open. I feel a real sense of community. “

That is how it feels at a She Ascends hike, welcoming. Everyone that attends the hikes is there for similar yet individual reasons. Each woman has a unique story but yearns to achieve the same thing, connection. Sometimes it’s shocking after a hike to realize how much just breathing fresh air can calm the soul.

Jill:
“I have to admit that my hiking style has been too much about walking quickly to get in a good workout. The emphasis in She Ascends to slow down, to use all of your senses to experience everything around you has changed the way I hike. I still like to get a good workout in but I now also take time during my hikes to be more meditative and notice what’s around me. My hikes have become more restorative.”

Like Jill originally said, she missed her friends and family. Let’s face it. We were all getting lonely. Luckily Jill didn’t have to wait long before she found a friend within the She Ascends family.

Jill: 
“I met Erin Bertel at my first weekend retreat with She Ascends. A lot of the women already knew each other and had established relationships. I didn’t know anyone and was feeling a bit nervous about how I was going to fit in. Within the first few minutes, Erin sat down next to me and was so friendly and welcoming, all my apprehensions disappeared. Erin is the epitome of what I was hoping to find with She Ascends - warm, engaging, vulnerable. She definitely lights up a room with her personality and her love of life. I feel so lucky to have met Erin.”

How amazing it must have been for Jill to experience such a close bond with Erin during a period of time when most of us felt like we were on an island.  She Ascends proved that during a time when relationships and connections were being torn apart, women could persevere and find their way. Jill and Erin continued to stay connected, proving that women and nature equal happiness and healing.

Jill:
“Since that first retreat, Erin and I have made a point of connecting again at two other retreats. We had a great time at the Blue Mound State Park weekend last summer where we watched the moon rise every night and shared a teepee, chatting into the night. It felt a lot like the sleepovers I used to have growing up, in the best way possible.”

Through She Ascends, women like Jill and Erin meet when they would never have under normal circumstances.  That is the good and the bad of it. I suppose in a way it keeps things a bit magical. Like you only get to see the person a couple times a year so it keeps it exciting and new. She Ascends offers amazing one day retreats and weekend trips all over the state each year giving women the chance to explore new places, meet new people, and reconnect with old.  Make sure to check the She Ascends calendars for all of the amazing opportunities there are.  You never know, like Jill…you might find your Erin.

Jill:
“We live in different parts of the state so aren’t able to see each other on regular hikes. The weekend retreats have been a perfect way to keep in touch and get to know each other better, or as Erin likes to say, “Peel the onion” a little bit more.”

Connection. This is the power of The Hike. It is the foundation of the She Ascends mission and it is what connects so many members to nature and each other. It is actually what connects all members of She Ascends. It is the cornerstone of our story together. 

Remember The Hike is there for us all, it is a trail leading into the woods, a prairie with a gentle wind, the mountain that begs to be traveled - it is our journey -.The hike connects us to nature and in doing so connects us to self.  

Many hear the call on the trail, embrace “the hike”, and now see the importance of sharing the hike with others.  We think many of you are seeing it and we want to hear your stories.

What is your connection to nature? Have you made a connection to a friend through She Ascends? Have you found a renewed sense of connection and wellness to yourself? We would like to share YOUR story and how it fits into our She Ascends story.”

To share your story please contact Dawn at: [email protected]
Come join us… Click the link to try a hike at no cost and meet some inspiring women.

June is the time for being in the world in new ways, for throwing off the cold and dark spots of life.
― Joan D. Chittister 

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