Author: Caroline

Follow me on Instagram @carolinegleich

October 21st, 2019

Last season, it was pretty incredible to make my first turns of the season at 22,000/6,700m on the sixth highest peak in the world, Cho Oyu in Tibet.⁣⁣I firmly believe in the transformational power of travel. I am so privileged and grateful to have the opportunity to see the world. It does have an impact, which is why I offset all the carbon from my air travel this year.⁣⁣Carbon offsetting isn’t perfect. However, it’s a way to hold myself accountable for the environmental impact of my chosen path.⁣⁣According to the Washington Post, “carbon offsets offer a way to balance out your pollution by investing in projects that reduce emissions of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Such offset projects can vary widely.” According to Peter Miller, a program director for the @nrdc_org, “It ranges from things like planting trees to improve forest management, where a timber company will allow trees to grow longer and increase the amount of carbon sequestered in the forest. It can be capturing of greenhouse gas emissions coming out of a landfill. It could be paying a rice farmer to adopt different practices that reduce the amount of methane coming out of their rice paddies. By developing projects and investing in these projects to reduce emissions of increase sequestration, there’s a benefit to the climate.”⁣⁣I spoke to my friend @katefbowman, who is the renewable energy program manager at @utahcleanenergy. She said, “things to look for with carbon offset programs are: that they are legit (a real project), permanent, and that they go above and beyond business-as-usual. So if they talk about those factors, it’s probably a good place to start.”⁣⁣For some of my work, flying is unavoidable. While offsetting isn’t perfect, it’s a way to negate some of my impact and can be part of an overall carbon emissions reduction strategy. ⁣

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October 19th, 2019

If you saw someone bleeding, wouldn’t you want to help? Period products are health necessities, not luxury items. Everyday, more than 800 million people are having their period. In the US, two-thirds of low-income women can not afford period products. Happy #NationalPeriodDay. ⁣⁣⁣⁣For most of my life, I’ve found it hard to talk about my period. It wasn’t something I could talk about with my three brothers and I felt so uncomfortable talking about it with my mom or my dad. My only sources of information about periods were at school and from a book my half-sister gave me called, “Girl Talk.” ⁣⁣⁣⁣When I started my period, I didn’t want to tell anyone. Luckily, my school provided a starter kit of period products so I didn’t have to miss any classes or sit out of sports. ⁣⁣Most girls today don’t get free period products in school, but they should be as available as toilet paper and soap. ⁣⁣I don’t want other girls to feel the sense of shame and embarrassment I felt so that’s why I’m pushing myself to write this post, to break the taboo around periods.⁣⁣⁣⁣In 35 states, menstrual products are are subject to sales tax because they are considered “non-essential goods.” 1 in 5 teens have struggled to afford period products or were not able to purchase them at all. 84% of young people have missed class or know someone who has missed class due to a lack of access. Only 31% of dads feel comfortable talking to their daughters about periods.⁣⁣⁣⁣We need to work harder to ensure that period products are widely available. We need to destigmatize talking about periods.⁣⁣ Share your period related stories with me in the comments below or write your own post to join in the conversation! ⁣⁣And follow @periodmovement to learn more. ⁣⁣Photos: @meg_haywoodsullivan Luckily, Meg had a tampon when I got this nosebleed deep in the backcountry. When she took these photos, I made her promise not to post the ones with the tampon in my nose. I’ve come a long way.

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October 16th, 2019

Unbelievably happy to be home for more than a week! I had this moment the other day where I couldn't remember which cabinet we keep the pans in the kitchen. The days we spent on the road while Rob was riding his bike across America were fun and exciting, but the daily travel and logistics began to wear me out. Home is where I get grounded again and regain my energy to go back into the world and do big things. For the next week, I am so excited to get reacquainted with my kitchen and spent ten nights sleeping in the same bed. I have an alter ego who is very domestic and is a homebody. I call her BC – Basic Caroline. There is no shame in being basic and enjoying the wonderful day to day rhythm of life at home. Photo: @abbihearne

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October 14th, 2019

For Indigenous Peoples’ Day, I want to feature Jordan M, aka @nativein_la, a Lakhota athlete and founder of @rising_hearts. The painted handprint on her face represents the voices of her community, silenced by violence and racism. ⁣⁣Jordan dedicated her 2019 Boston Marathon and San Jose half marathon races to the missing and murdered Indigenous women. She plans to continue her prayer runs until we see solutions, accountability, and justice.⁣⁣In her own words:⁣⁣“Violence against the Earth is violence against women. The first time I had ever heard of missing and murdered Indigenous womxn being an issue was in 2006, during my Native American Studies political activism courses about the growing number of First Nations Womxn and relatives going missing on the Highway of Tears. #MMIW, the deeper meaning, and hashtags became part of my knowledge in the last several years & it includes our men, elders, 2 spirit LGBTQIA family.⁣⁣There will be no future if those continue to be complicit, ignorant or racist when it comes to protecting our Earth. Many of us are out there on the frontlines, locking bodies down and occupying sacred lands to stop the greed that is bulldozing through to increase fossil fuel development and other extraction methods that rape our Earth. Many of us are speaking out and organizing. Many of us are documenting these tragedies. Many of us are fighting in the courts to protect human rights. Many of us are in the labs or classrooms studying the long-term effects of our human impact and climate change. ⁣⁣These extraction methods and greed from governments and corporations are putting profit over our lives and our sacred resources. I want my future children & grandchildren to inherit a thriving, sustainable & livable future & not the problems of today created by 50 years of colonization that is stealing their future.”⁣⁣We must continue to elevate Indigenous voices to create a more sustainable world. ⁣⁣#indigenouspeoplesday

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October 12th, 2019

A lot of people don’t know that I struggled with substance abuse during my teens and early twenties. I abused alcohol and drugs and went to rehab. I spent a lot of time going to therapy. Those years are a part of my life I never really talk about because they are a time I want to forget. When I was in those dark times, I didn’t think I would live until I was thirty (and yet here I am, at thirty-three).⁣⁣⁣⁣According to the World Health Organization, suicide is one of the leading causes of death among 15-19 year olds, and half of all mental health conditions in adulthood start by 14 years of age.⁣⁣⁣⁣It’s taken me my entire lifetime to learn that it’s ok to talk about what’s bothering me and to be able to speak as openly and candidly about mental health as I do about having a cold or an injury.⁣⁣⁣⁣We don’t need to hide what’s hard. I’ve learned that our greatest struggles can become our greatest gifts. We don’t have to be tough and power through. We should wear our wounds, our scars, and the chips on our shoulders proudly. They don’t need to be hidden.⁣⁣⁣⁣Depression lurks in the back of my mind and I am always terrified it will come back and I won’t know what to do. Whenever life seems to be going well, I have a nagging fear that things will change because I struggle with self-esteem and have this inner narrative that I don’t deserve happiness. I have gone through most of my life, guarded and cautiously optimistic. Maybe that’s why I smile a little too big. Because I’m afraid the happiness won’t last.⁣⁣⁣⁣But talking about these issues and seeking help has given me so many amazing tools to cope, and the more work I do on it, the more tools I seem to have. It’s been a lifelong process. ⁣⁣I know I'm a few days late for world #mentalhealthday but I felt it was important to share my struggles so that others can open up too, so we can destigmatize mental health and create a future where mental health care is supported by schools, employers and insurance.⁣⁣⁣Photo: @jaybeyerimaging

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