Hi, I'm Willow Belden, the host of Out There Podcast.

Over the past almost seven years, we've been bringing you outdoor stories that help you make sense out of your life and your world.

This February, we're launching a new season.

Hello!

That's so a bear doesn't get me.

That's Sarah Dealey.

Growing up, Sarah was not outdoorsy, and she was not athletic.

Once, I had to write an apology note to my phys ed teacher because instead of trying to hit the softball that was pitched to me, I screamed and ran away every time.

But at age 20, during a terrible bout of depression, she enrolled in a wilderness therapy program.

By the end of the program, Sarah was ready to embrace nature.

She didn't want to be an indoor kid anymore.

Instead, she envisioned a new version of herself,

a rugged outdoors woman.

I could see her so clearly.

She was about 70 pounds thinner than me,

a tan mountain climber with ripped calves and a well-trained dog.

She was someone who had her life together, and that life was wild.

She was beautiful.

But when Sarah got back to the real world, she didn't end up becoming that outdoor girl.

Turns out, changing who you are isn't that simple.

Sarah's story is one of many we'll be sharing with you this season.

The episodes will all be the kind of personal, introspective narratives you know

...