Free Spirit Saturday: Amber McDermid

Today's feature is on the visionary of Opal + Wonder, the young lady who adores animals, cats, in particular; the young lady who is sitting on a plane right now flying to Maine to start her 2,180 mile trek on the Appalachian Trail; the young lady who makes her dreams a reality.  I (Jodi) am elated to feature the Owner/Creator of Opal + Wonder, Amber McDermid, as our Free Spirit Saturday! 

Advance confidently in the direction of your dreams; live the life you have always imagined. – Henry David Thoreau 

This sincere, sunny Scorpio was born and raised in the Great Smoky Mountains where her love for the outdoors, people, and animals manifested.  Amber displays an infectious love for all three; her reviews from the people she has encountered, her actions and pledges for the outdoors and animals speak volumes for her loving nature.   I unfortunately have only known Amber for a little over two years now, but her friendship and presence has forever left an imprint on my life.  She is a silent warrior, keeping fairly quiet only to observe and soak in all that is going on around her.  She takes life day-by-day not letting the insecurities of the future hinder any vision or dream she creates.  She is a believer, a wife, a sister, and a friend.  She is so many things to so many people.  Amber always sees the light, and it shines!

As I mentioned above, Amber is on a plane flying to Maine to start the Appalachian Trail (SOBO!) with her husband, Stacey, her father, Rick, her brother, Tucker, and her cousin, Luke.  Opal +Wonder plans to keep everyone updated on their walk through the longest continuous marked footpath in the world starting at Mount Katahdin, Maine and ending at Springer Mountain, Georgia .  Amber is excited to call the trail home for the next six months. 

O+W: So your departure for the Appalachian Trail is quickly approaching, what kind of feelings do you have about this adventure?

AM: It’s a magical feeling when you can literally feel a dream coming true. I mainly feel weightless with a slight sense of disbelief and anxiousness. I have worked hard for this moment and it just feels like my body is letting out one long, beautiful sigh. It’s happening and I’m ready to welcome the adventure.

O+W: When did you decide thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail was something you wanted to do?

AM: I remember the exact moment when the desire to thru-hike tugged at my heart.  It was in the summer of 2010. My dad and I were at the Backpacker “Get Out More” tour and I was listening to them talk about how to properly pack a backpack. I remember thinking how amazing it would be to travel with all of my belongings on my back. On the way home I told Dad that I would hike the AT with him. It had been his dream a long time before then. I knew it was only a matter of time before It would happen.

O+W:  How long did you prepare/train? What did you do?

AM: I haven’t done any special training to prepare physically other than nightly headstands to strengthen my shoulders. It took about 2 months to pack up all of our belongings and take them to storage (aka my in-laws), purchase all necessary gear we were missing, forward bills/ tie up loose ends.

O+W: How have you mentally prepared for this trek?

AM: I have mentally prepared mainly by researching. I have read blogs, books and watched documentaries to learn what to expect on the trail. I highly recommend Appalachian Trials blog for anyone who is considering thru hiking.

O+W: What are you looking forward to the most about the Trail?

AM: Simple living and being completely in my element. Oh, and getting a trail name!

O+W: What are your fears?

AM: I’m not the type of person who worries, so I don’t really have that many fears regarding our adventure. However, if I let myself think about it, my fears might go something like this: forgetting important gear, something happening to take me /my family off the trail, getting sick, getting hurt, running out of money, not liking trail life, my sweet mom being home without us, my cats going missing or getting so hungry that I eat McDonalds. Yeah, something like that. Fears limit you from living though so I just choose not to think like that.

O+W: What do you hope to take from this experience?

AM: Personal and Spiritual Growth.

O+W: What are you excited to see on the trail?

AM: Critters! Amazing views and landscapes. Oh and Stacey’s mountain man hair :P

O+W: How do you plan to keep a positive outlook when you face adversity?

AM: Remembering that suffering is only temporary and it can always be worse. Hopefully letters from home as well!

Technical:

O+W: How much weight are you carrying?

AM: My base weight is 28lbs. That’s everything minus food, water and fuel. So I’ll usually be lugging around 30-32lbs around.

O+W: Provide a summary of the gear you are taking:  (backpack, apparel, gidgets and gadgets)

AM:

Gear: Osprey Ariel, Leki Trekking Poles, Jetboil Sol Ti, Sawyer water filter, Black Diamond head lamp, rope, bug net, Black Diamond gators, Luci solar lantern, Gerber pocket knife, cup, bowel, spork

Clothes: Patagonia Capilene base layers, Columbia light weight fleece, Patagonia down jacket, Patagonia rain jacket, 2 tech tees, Prana zip off pants, 1 pair of shorts, Sierra Designs rain pants, 3 pair of Exofficio underwear, 4 pairs of socks, Solomon Speedcross trail runners, Chacos, buff

Personal: Dr.Bronners soap, tampons, medicines, nail clippers, tweezers, ipad mini, book, journal, phone, headphones, guidebook/map

 O+W: What kind of tent are you taking?  (all things sleepy time-sleeping bag, pad, etc.)

AM: My humble abode for 6 months will be a Nemo Obi3p complete with a Thermarest NeoAir xlite, eXped air pillow, Sea-to-Summit Thermolite Extreme Reactor and 35 degree Mountain Hardware sleeping bag.

::YOU::

O+W: Favorite three musical artists…ready…go!

AM: Bah! I love so much music, but I will always hold a special spot in my heart for Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, Bob Marley, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Mamas and the Papas and O.A.R. ( I realize that is more then 3, sorry)

O+W: Favorite writers?

AM: Henry David Thoreau, my sister, Mary Oliver and C.S.Lewis

 O+W: What does a free spirit mean to you?

AM: Not conforming to other people’s ideas of how you should live life; Being open, spontaneous and welcoming; Feeding your soul with whatever it needs.

O+W: Favorite festival: any year in particular?

AM: Bonnaroo 2010 with my sister. Floyd Fest 2013 comes in second.

O+W: Favorite concert you’ve seen to date.

AM: I followed O.A.R. and Ozomatli in the Summer of 2008 and got to talk to them after each of the shows. The played a set in a park at Raleigh, NC that was pretty amazing.  

O+W:  Philosophy on life:

AM: I believe in living a life you love, even if it means small paychecks. I believe in growing your roots. I believe that in order to be happy and feel good you must do good. So be kind to all living things even if it means going out of your way. Be kind to your body; eat clean, exercise and rest. I believe God has a plan so don’t sweat the small stuff.  I believe that everything is connected. We are all in this together.

Happy Trails! I can't wait to hear about your experiences! Sending our love, good vibes, and prayers the whole 2,180 miles!
If you would like to keep in touch with the McDermid/Adams clan on their journey, you can subscribe to blog or check out any of the social media sites listed below.  


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A Message to the World: Laugh More

Today’s post comes from our pal, Brittany John.  [Cheers to our first guest post!] We asked Brittany if she had to pick a single message to share with the world what would it be. We told her to make it a good one . . . and she immediately replied, “easy- smile or laugh more.” This girl is confident that the world needs more smiling faces. So we decided to have her write a little about her message to inspire the world to be happy! 

“Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers. And once you find laughter no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it.” –Bill Cosby

If I could deliver one message to the world, it would be to laugh. Laugh when you wake up, laugh when you are sad, laugh with friends, laugh at yourself, laugh loudly, laugh until you pee your pants–just laugh often. I have found that laughter is one of the most important aspects of my life. Even when circumstances are not ideal, I can find something to make myself or someone else giggle.

You might be surprised to learn that the simple act of laughing can do wonders for your health, both emotionally and physically. Laughter elicits the release of endorphins, your body’s natural painkiller. Endorphins resemble opiates and create an overall sense of well-being. Laughter can boost your immune system, increase the number of virus-killing cells in your bloodstream, reduce stress related hormones, and enhance your mental functioning. Stress decreases blood flow by 35%...but laughter increases blood flow by 22%!! At this point, how could you possibly say no to a giggle fest with your best girlfriends?!!

If you still aren’t convinced that laughter is the best medicine, keep reading. If you are already laughing at this point…still keep reading! Besides the physical benefits to laughter, there are many social benefits to laughing! Nobody wants to be around someone as exciting as a rock. Ladies, listen up –studies show that men are more attracted to women who laugh in their presence. There is nothing more attractive than a confident woman who is smiling and laughing! A smile is the best (and cheapest) accessory a woman can have! Laughter is contagious. Make someone laugh today. In fact, make a stranger laugh. I always like striking up a friendly conversation with strangers that I meet during my day. I usually make a fool out of myself in the process—but its fun! Make the other person at least smile! You never know what that person is going through or how badly they needed a friendly smile and giggle to turn around their day.

Even animals laugh. We’ve all seen hyenas in cartoons fall on their backs from laughter, and if you’ve ever swam with dolphins then you’ve certainly hear their high-pitched snicker when they are up to no good.

My favorite part of laughter is the fact that no one laughs the same. Everyone has his or her own way of laughing and that makes everyone so very special and unique! Don’t be ashamed of your laugh! If you giggle softly – rock that! If you cackle so loud that people stare – let them stare! Don’t let anyone or anything change the way you express the happiness and joy in your life.

“A day without laughter is a day wasted.” – Charlie Chaplin

A Bit About Brittany

She’s a city girl, currently living in Atlanta, exploring the greatest bars and other top notch hang outs. However, if she had the opportunity, she would live at sea amongst the dolphins, mermaids and other ocean beauties. The one thing we love most about Brittany is that she lives life to the fullest everyday. Seriously, this is the girl you call when you want to have a great time. Plus she will never leave you hanging. Brittany will make you smile no matter the circumstance. No wonder her life mission is to inspire people to be happy! Find her on Facebook and say hello!