The Sand Is For Me

Out There

Willow Belden

Wilderness, Sports, Nature, Science

4.6 • 608 Ratings

🗓️ 7 December 2017

⏱️ 38 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Mari Andrew was leading a charmed existence. At 30 years old, she had a book deal, was living in Spain, learning Flamenco, and making a living through her art.

And then one day, she came down with a mysterious disease. A disease that would turn Mari's life on its head.

The illness kept her hospitalized for a month -- and disabled long after that. It took her away from the things she loved and shattered her sense of identity.

But it also resulted in something unexpected: a relationship with the natural world that was as powerful as it was surprising.

Producer Greta Weber brings us Mari's story.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, I'm Willow Belden, and you're listening to Out There, the podcast that explores big questions through intimate stories in the outdoors.
0:26.2	Support for Out There comes from kind snacks and from Go Tenna, a device that pairs with your smartphone so you can exchange texts and GPS data even when there's no reception.
0:43.3	Support also comes from Ecosia, a search engine dedicated to planting trees. Whenever you do internet searches, a certain amount of ad revenue gets generated, and if you're using Ecosia instead of, say, Google, that ad revenue goes toward tree planting.
0:53.3	Just head to Ecosia.co slash out to get started and plant your first tree.
1:02.7	Many of the stories we do on this podcast are about big outdoor adventures, like climbing mountains or biking across the country.
1:15.2	In those stories, nature is a powerful force. It's something that can challenge you, test you, thwart you.
1:22.8	But in this story, the natural world is much softer and gentler.
1:28.0	Instead of being a force to reckon with, it's a healer, a soothing presence, a safety net.
1:35.4	Today's story is about a devastating trauma that happened to one young woman, and it's about
1:40.4	how nature helped put her life back together.
1:44.0	It's also a story about how the natural world can steal your heart in a most unexpected way,
1:50.2	even if you're a total city slicker.
1:53.0	Producer Greta Weber brings us the story.
1:57.0	Mari Andrew is one of those people who's lived in big cities her whole life.
2:02.2	She grew up in Seattle, lived in Chicago, D.C., New York, some international cities,
2:08.2	and they've always felt like home to her.
2:11.5	No matter what city she's in, she feels like she totally belongs there.
2:16.3	But recently, something happened to Mari that drastically changed her relationship to cities.
2:22.9	Long city blocks that once energized her became disorienting and draining.
2:28.8	Exploring new neighborhoods wasn't fun anymore.
2:32.5	And the one thing she loved doing most in cities was taken away from her.
2:38.9	The thing you have to know about Mari is that she loves walking, like really loves it.
	...

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