REWIND AND REFLECT
Right before I moved to Hawai'i, I was invited by LifeStraw to go to a women's outdoor event that REI was hosting called Outessa. I had never experienced anything like it previously and it was reminiscent of summer camp, but for adult women. My job was to teach classes about water purification and to serve as an ambassador for LifeStraw, participating in as many activities as I could and taking tons of pictures.
I was fortunate to meet some awesome ladies as soon as I arrived, two who were ambassadors for Hydro Flask, Annika Bauer and Jess Blackmun and one who was an Instagram influencer! The weekend was incredible and it's sad to think that this sort of event won't be happening anytime soon. I'm so grateful for the events like this that I have been able to attend and the friendships it allowed me to make.
The weekend was packed with adventures like designing our own Hydroflask water bottles, designing our own ProBars, making haku lei's, kite surfing lessons with a local pro, running, photo tours and more! We had amazing, huge groups dinners under the stars each night as well :)
On the last day, we were even able to sneak away to a nearby lake to get some more in action photos using the LifeStraw and Hydroflask products together and enjoy more of the scenery Oregon has to offer.
While events like this might not happen anytime soon, bonding experiences with groups of women in nature for a couple days can easily be arranged on your own. It's a great way to use less, be more resourceful, think about your environmental footprint, appreciate nature, and strengthen friendships!
We love working with sustainably-minded brands like HydroFlask and LifeStraw, especially when it happens at events like this! We urge you to get outside with your girlfriends for some much needed time in nature and turn off the technology! <3