She Explorers is brought to you by Oru Kayak. They design folding kayaks that can go virtually anywhere

Thanks to their lightweight and folding design. Later in the episode we'll talk again to Whitney neighbor, a Seattle native about

her favorite thing about the Oru. I'm Gail Straub and you're listening to

She Explores. Before we get started I want to let you

know to keep listening at the end of the episode. There's a preview for a new

podcast we're producing called Women on the Road.

It's an extension of the interview series we've had since the beginning of she explores.

With the help of host Laura Hughes, we'll dive deeper into what it's like to live on the road.

Laura's not quite an expert, but she's set off this spring in a Ford Transit fan

so she has a lot of insight into getting started.

And she's really curious about diving into the stories of others.

Okay, almost she explores.

I know my body so well and I know how this disease has manifested itself in my mind and my body.

More than anything this disease has taught me to be in tune with myself and listen to my needs.

This is Chloe O'Neill. She's 25 years old, lives in Bend, Oregon, and she's had Lyme disease for most of her young life.

Lyme is an infectious disease transmitted by ticks and it's all too common in the outdoor community.

Chronic Lyme symptoms include fatigue, cognitive impairment, joint pain, poor sleep, mood disorders, neuropathy, migraines, muscle

pain, they're hard to pin down.

For Chloe, the vague intermittent but often debilitating symptoms of the disease have

impacted her life view in both negative and remarkably positive ways. For Chloe, the definition of strength is always shifting. Sometimes it's

going for a hike or falling off a bouldering wall. Sometimes it's listening to her body and going on a gentle walk.

Sometimes it's staying on the couch with a cup of tea. More often than not, it's

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