Editor’s Note

Thoughts from the Editor

Last weekend my wife and I took on the dreaded task of cleaning out and organizing the garage. We needed to make room for my new prized possession: Jenny the Jeep. A couple months ago I became the proud owner of a 1972 butter yellow convertible Jeepster Commando lovingly named “Jenny” by her previous owners. She’s a rare breed of Jeep—a cross between an old Ford Bronco and a station wagon, and I love her, particularly when she starts.

Evening joy rides in the Jeepster have become a special treat for my family and a few neighborhood kids. It’s my first time owning a convertible, which I used to think was a mid-life crisis-inspired decision. (Now I know why convertibles exist and no, I’m not having a mid-life crisis.) Driving in the open air is exhilarating. It’s not just driving. Being outside has that effect on me.

Probably like you, most of my days are spent indoors. Man-made lighting and air conditioning round out the climate I live in for probably 20+ hours a day. For most Americans, roughly 90% of our time is spent indoors. We’ve become an indoor species. My life would probably be a little better if I spent more time outside.

There’s a mountain of recent research that backs up my hunch: everything from mood to eyesight, and creativity to sleep, many areas of life are positively impacted by spending more time outside. The fact is, becoming a little more “outdoorsy” yields some impressive returns on our well being.

During our little garage clean out project, I stumbled across a book by John Muir called “My First Summer in the Sierra”. As I glanced through his memoir, I was transported. Muir’s recounting of his days spent wandering the Sierras are full of intricately detailed, vivid descriptions of the world he encountered. He was uniquely aware of and attentive to the beauty and grandeur of the natural world around him.

Listen to the way he describes our foothills. “The whole landscape showed design, like man’s noblest sculptures. How wonderful the power of its beauty! Gazing awe-stricken, I might have left everything for it. Glad, endless work would then be mine tracing the forces that have brought forth its features, its rocks and plants and animals and glorious weather. Beauty beyond thought everywhere…” Wow, I’ll take some of whatever he’s having.

While we might not be outdoorsy like John Muir, we can all make space and a little more time this summer to enjoy the beauty and benefit of open air. Whether it’s cruising in a convertible, or a summer in the Sierras, let’s get outside a little more this month. I’m planning my next trip right now.

Cheers,

Eric Riley

Executive Editor Lifestyle Magazine

President / Owner Topograph