Meet Angela McCurren of Outdoor Angventures

Today we’d like to introduce you to Angela McCurren.

Hi Angela, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Throughout my life, I felt called to conform – to meet societal expectations. Fear and insecurities drove my actions and the desire to prove myself shaped my pursuits. Over the last few years, I was given the opportunity to reunite with myself, as if being reacquainted with an old friend, from whom I’d grown distant.

Three short years ago, I was married to a man I’d been with for 14 years – the entirety of my adult life. That came crashing down in December 2017, when he left unexpectedly. Scared, lost and with no idea how to make ends meet, I took to the desert and mountains. I had to find myself and discover who I was without him. With that said, it took time to see all of it as an opportunity, as initially, it only felt like an explosion.

I was new to hiking and had never camped solo, much less backpacked. Yet, I found freedom in each adventure, proving myself capable. Strong. Brave. Confident. By October 2018, I hiked Rim-to-Rim, 24miles across the Grand Canyon and completed my first solo backpacking weekend. As my legs carried me across various landscapes, I learned to slow down and breathe deep. I was transformed by the breeze whistling through the trees and whipping around my body while atop summits. My confidence grew, and slowly, I was reunited with my deepest self. I discovered writing was an outlet, a way to connect to and with others, to inspire, and a way for us all to feel less disconnected, less alone. A decade into working for the same company, I was five interviews in for a huge promotion when I was eliminated in the final round. The timing coincided with my plans for a two-week roadtrip through CA, and I realized just how much there was to see in this country alone and that chasing one pay rise after another promotion was not all I wanted life to be about.

On my CA roadtrip, I found myself watching the sunrise over Tahoe and praying out loud – thanking God for the heart wrenching year I had just had, as it had allowed me so much growth and perspective. I did not yet know at the time that my ‘berst’ (best+worst) year also planted seeds that would change the course of my life. Following my divorce, I craved travel but no longer had the financial means. I began hosting couchsurfers to vicariously fulfill my wanderlust. As new friends from France, Germany, Israel, and other various corners of the world filled my home, I admired their initiative to roadtrip the U.S and realized how much I still had not seen of the place I called home. Inspired, I put my house on Airbnb and would camp, while others slept in my bed, in order to save up the money needed to refinance and own my home solo AND to buy a campervan.

In May 2019, I met both goals – the same day I refinanced, I flew to the Midwest and purchased a 1992 campervan. When 2019 began, I’d set a new goal – finish seeing all 50 states by the end of the year… a campervan and remote work seemed like the perfect vessels to quench my thirst for nonstop travel and a life lived outside of four walls. I named the van ‘Coach Betty’ and off I went with my dog, Mister. Departing with only a loose route in mind, my pup and I were ready for the biggest adventure of our lives (while simultaneously questioning if I had lost my mind!)

In July, I stopped in Boise for a van repair. While there, I experienced one heck of a meet-cute and ended up adding Micah, now my Fiancé, to my life. For four months, I lived exclusively on the road. I had a great deal of time alone. A lot of time with my thoughts and subsequently, time to wholeheartedly lean into my grief, allowing me the chance to heal. It was the best gift I have ever given myself – learning how to be comfortable being alone. I gained feelings of empowerment and independence. It was a great opportunity to dive deeper into who I was, and through that time of reflection, I gained peace, self-confidence, self-love, and insight into the areas of my heart and mind which still needed to heal.

In October 2019, Micah and I crossed into Oregon, my 50th state. My 2019 goal had come to fruition. Life was feeling good. The next day was a slow, drizzly Mid-October morning… I was cozily cocooned in the van. I’d made pancakes and then worked from the back of the van. Doors wide open, I was snuggled under a blanket, my laptop open. As I worked, huge waves crashed into Cape Disappointment. Micah ran about, snapping picture after picture; his joy permeated the air. I had a strong sense of contentment, of completeness. I had not returned to my pre-divorce financial security; yet, I was rich in memories, rich in moments shared, rich in breaths that healed, and rich in relationships, both family, friends, and romantic. I was starting to recognize life was not about the titles to which I had once clung – “Army Wife”; “Mrs.”; a myriad of business titles/promotions; home size; brand names or the type of car I drove. My summer of minimalism and time in nature had cemented life being about the moments and the relationships (both self and others).

~ A week later, my boss called with HR on the line. I was being laid off.

After 11 years in the wellness industry, I had two weeks remaining. Once again, I felt scared and lost, but this time, I was simultaneously filled with a sense of peace– confidence to know I would be OK, regardless of the unknown path ahead. AZ was approaching prime tourism season; I was already seasoned to van living so I immediately listed my house as available to rent every night. I’d done it before. I’d get through this too… here we are 16 months later. A year of budgeting, freelance work (writing, consulting and coaching) and renting my house… and somehow making ends meet. I wouldn’t have believed it.

The last few years have made me so very thankful for my optimism and the previous training I had in wellness and building resilience, and I find myself grateful for the opportunities to take the broken pieces [which life can serve up] and turn them into art. And that is why rather than going back to corporate life, I created a business around writing, speaking and coaching others to build resilience. After 2020, we have all seen how life is bound to throw us curve balls. I didn’t choose divorce or choose to get laid off, but I did choose what to do with my life once those things happened. I could have wallowed. I could have returned to a similar job, a similar relationship, a similar mindset. But I applied resilience and chose to see it all as an opportunity, an invitation for more, and I am so excited to be helping others learn and practice the same.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Change is never smooth. Doubts are constant and persistent. I can paint a pretty story of adventure and finding myself – just know that peppered throughout that story are moments of navigating splitting a life apart while giving tons of money away to divorce lawyers, stories of learning to date that will make you cringe, my van breaking down or getting damaged, bouts of extreme loneliness while living out on the road and so many moments of realizing I had (and still have) much more healing left to do. Divorce produced anxiety in my life. My eye twitched, and panic attacks were spread throughout that first-year. Anxiety was new to me, something I had never previously navigated. And as someone who thrives with plans and being in control, anxiety has been a hurdle for me to work through. Freelance and owning my own business were both foreign territories. I was used to a steady, predictable paycheck with 401K matching and health benefits. Constantly searching for work and looking for renters, and learning to do so in the midst of a global pandemic, has kept me in states of nervous anticipation, trusting in my faith for continued provision while simultaneously wondering how I would pay the next month’s bills. My initial business model involved in-person workshops and retreats. COVID-19 forced me to reshape that conception. And yet, it has all been an opportunity to practice and apply my learned resilience and to continue to strengthen my skills at navigating an ever-changing environment.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Outdoor Angventures?
In my business, I partner with (individual or corporate) clients who are in search of a writer who can help create the story or marketing they need to convey, a motivational speaker, a process design consultant or a coach who can help them learn how to build resilience. Life is apt to throw some pretty crazy curveballs. When it does, a person’s reaction can determine how your life’s story will develop. Resilience is defined as the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties and I am honored to get to offer a variety of services that will encourage others that Resiliency is a skillset we develop over time; the more resilience we have, the more we can control our own happiness and success.

When working with clients, it is all about getting to know their spirit and vision. Writing will be in your voice, speaking will be in tune with your specific audience and coaching will focus on several key components – getting out into nature, moving your body and building a spiritual practice. I offer motivational interviewing and behavior change coaching to help clients get started. Changes are based solely upon clients’ own values and motivation.

I am not here to tell anyone what to do. Rather, I will help clients to create a vision statement and work to uncover personal motivations. I provide unconditional, positive regard for my clients alongside a belief in each individuals’ capacity for change. I honor that each client is an expert on their life while ensuring that all interactions are respectful and non-judgmental.

I started off my higher education with a Bachelor’s in Biology/Pre-Med and a Minor in Psychology, continuing on to get my Master’s in Public Health. Once I was Certified as a Wellness Coach, I spent 11 years in corporate wellness, both as a coach and as a product and program designer. My education, work experience and life experience (which cannot be taught) have created some wonderful skills. After my unexpected divorce, I couldn’t see how life could be beautiful ever again. Through time in nature, I found quiet time for prayer and began to build the confidence needed to rewrite my life’s story.

A year later, I lost my job after more than a decade with the same company. I didn’t see it coming, and my bruised ego was simultaneously scared and saddened. After a good number of tears, I drove out to the lake and prayed. A strong sense of peace overcame me, and while I did not know what would come next, I knew I would be okay. And then I proceeded to put a plan of action together.

From that plan of action, my consulting business was born. Whether you are an individual or a corporation, I invite the greater Phoenix community to learn alongside me from a combination of my personal life and work experience. You will appreciate my relatability and my continued encouragement. We can work together 1:1 or clients can work independently through coursework. I also offer copywriting, copyediting, content creation, corporate resilience workshops and I am available for speaking engagements or guest blogging. Workshops and retreats will be offered in the future.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My fiancé, Micah, has been a HUGE encourager, along with his entire family. He was home-schooled and watched his father run his own business. Despite being strong in academics, he chose to forego college, as it was not a necessity in the line of business he chose to pursue. Many of his siblings also own their own businesses, and it has been very encouraging to see a non-corporate, non-steady paycheck way of life. I also have four key friends who constantly support and cheerlead for me – Kelsey – who is continuously sending me books and articles to help me learn a new skillset; Becky – who is relentless about encouraging my writing and reviewing my website; Laura – lets me bounce one idea after another off her, sends me writing opportunities and talks me back into ideas I try to talk myself out of; and Gissel – who is constantly celebrating my milestones, no matter how small.

Contact Info:

• Email: outdoor.angventures@gmail.com
• Website: www.outdoorangventures.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/outdoor.angventures/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/outdoor.angventures/

Image Credits
All others were taken by Micah Ness of Silverline Films (https://www.instagram.com/wildernesspro/)

 

What to check out next:
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