Bush & Banter
An outdoor-inspired and topic-driven podcast hosted by thru-hikers Jennifer Mabus and Dyana Carmella where they interview people way cooler than they'll ever be.
Bush & Banter
The Adventure Blueprint: 5 Tips for a More Adventurous New Year
In this episode, Jen and Dyana look ahead to 2025 and share five tips for cultivating more adventure in their lives. Whether it’s embarking on a thru-hike, learning a new skill, or starting a business, adventure can be found in many forms. The duo breaks down the steps to embrace more adventure, including topics like shifting your mindset and cultivating curiosity.
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Welcome to Bush and Banner hosted by me, diana Carmela and Jennifer Mabus. This is our first episode in 2025. And, you know, with the new year comes New Year's resolutions and Jen and I thought it'd be a really good idea to I don't know kind of go over five tips for living a more adventurous life. And because we know people who listen to our podcast are chasing adventures, whether that be hiking or whether that be starting a business or whatever it is, we are an adventure podcast and so we thought let's start the new year off right and give you guys some inspiration going into 2025 to bring to call in more wild adventures in your life. How does that sound, Jen?
Jennifer Mabus:I think it sounds great and I think this is a really great episode because a lot of people, including myself, find themselves in a rut. You're waking up and you're doing the same motions every day working, you know, your nine to five and going home and cooking dinner, doing laundry, doing dishes, and, and before you know it, so much time has passed and you're kind of looking at yourself, thinking you know, what have I really accomplished? And that's why this episode you and I really wanted to do, because this is for people, like I said again, including myself that needs to get out of that rut and figure out how to incorporate some more adventure, some more thrill and really feel alive again. Yes, instead of being dead on the inside all the time, like most people are. Yeah, I was actually driving home the other day and a person in front of me had a sticker and it said dead on the inside and it was like a heart with like twinkle stars around it.
Jennifer Mabus:You know it's it's morbid. Uh, it's kind of funny, though I think we all can relate to it. So, yeah, this, this episode, is going to be great because it's it can. Uh, I think a lot of people can relate to it, even if you already are an adventurous person. I think we all can kind of snap out of the grind a little bit.
Dyana Carmella:Yeah, oh God, absolutely, and I feel like you can snap out really whenever and that is going to come to one of our tips towards the end but really whenever. Whenever you've had enough. I think people can really shift their entire perspective and do some cool, adventurous things.
Jennifer Mabus:But we're going to take the opportunity for the new year as, like a symbolic time to kind of recharge, refresh and give us some inspiration for change, because everybody, everybody's kind of along with this. I feel like there's a lot of pressure with the new year right.
Jennifer Mabus:Going from like 2024 to 2025. Yeah, like you, you magically go to sleep on you know the eve of 2024 and wake up and you're supposed to be this new, motivated, you know person ready to change. But yeah, we're going to kind of go along with that for a little bit.
Dyana Carmella:Yeah, we are, we are Absolutely. I'm down, I'm down, I'm down. Jen, before we get started, can I ask you a quick question? Of course it's kind of personal, but you could just be as honest with me as you possibly can. So when you have a party, where do you put your alcohol, like, how do you serve your drinks? Like, how does that happen? This is just a funny question, because this is totally like, not my life. Yeah.
Jennifer Mabus:I just have sippy cups around my house so I'm not really serving drinks, our alcohol.
Dyana Carmella:we have like a bar area and it's just the alcohol's on the table yeah, right, it's on the table and you just put it out and people serve themselves, right. I'm like, is this a trick question? No, so, okay, going into this episode, um, for I have, I am. I am about to embark on this adventure, this quest. That has nothing to do with the outdoor space, it's just something that I want to work on. I'm I'm going to start this company. I'm going to build this little company.
Dyana Carmella:Yeah, I look at it like an adventure and so, when we go through these tips, I want to talk about it because, yeah, adventure looks different to everybody. But I'm starting a bar rental company and you could rent a bar, or you can, or you can get a bartender as well, and so we'll show up at your house, we'll set everything up, we'll serve the alcohol, we'll do everything and then we leave. And it's designed for house parties, parties, so it's designed for 50 people and less. It's not like big, big weddings. It's small, intimate gatherings where you have your own private bartender. I'm starting off really small, and that goes into number one.
Jennifer Mabus:We're starting off really small, but this is my adventure for the next few months, purely as a hobby and for fun, making a couple, couple of bucks, but you know yeah, for those who are just now tuning in, if you can't tell, diana is from and lives in Los Angeles, california, because parties and you know, going to parties, hosting parties, is a common thing. So when she's asking me who lives in Sparks, nevada, I'm a mom of two how I serve drinks at my parties.
Dyana Carmella:I forgot who I was talking to, for a minute.
Jennifer Mabus:Yeah, your co-host here doesn't do that sort of thing. Oh God, all right, but I'm laughing because, like, the market is probably great where you are. I thought you already had a bar, though that you use.
Dyana Carmella:Oh, that's part of it. Yeah, that's one of them that we're going to use, and then I will ultimately want three.
Jennifer Mabus:So that's your big 2025 adventure. Yeah, a little part-time business.
Dyana Carmella:It is going to be a multi-million dollar business though I think over time I think I could build it. But we're going to just test the waters a little bit, yeah, and just kind of see. But ultimately I want to have like 10 bars with 10 different bartenders renting it out every weekend making bank and then have my own accessory line of like shakers and cups and glasses that go with. I'm just going to tell you the title, the name of the company, so I want to call it Yippie, yippie Bars, because you know, when you see a bar, you go to bar. You're like is that what people?
Jennifer Mabus:do. That's what I do. Yeah, I know I know everyone's listening, but if anybody could see my face right now, I'm like, yeah, she's stone cold. I'm not really sure, uh, what to think about this. Yeah, I you know I think it's great.
Dyana Carmella:Thanks, all right, we gotta get to these tips. But yeah, yes, yippy. Yeah, it's called the, it's called yippy bars. Yeah, I wanted it the woo bar, uh, but uh, well, you gotta read my book to figure out why. But um, uh, but yeah, yippy, anyway, um alcohol cocktails cocktails yeah just throwing out.
Jennifer Mabus:Like another side, there's a lot of people who are sober these days. Yeah, you have like a, but they want to feel like they're a part of that environment. Yeah, you, could you have a line where it's like just non-alcoholic beverages?
Jennifer Mabus:no, oh no, let's get into these tips, yeah so yeah, diana and I have five tips that actually we put a lot of thought into and we really think can can benefit people who are really looking to strive to have more venture in their life. So our first tip, which I is my favorite one, is to smart what is?
Jennifer Mabus:it. It's to start small, but be bold. And essentially to me, what comes to mind with this is you don't have to think of like adventure, of traveling the entire world or summiting El Capitan, anything big like that. Just start small. And Diane and I love to go out to dinner by ourselves, go out to movies by ourselves and that is really foreign to a lot of people. So even something as small as you know what I'm going to take myself out to dinner and see what that experience feels like. Or go to the movies by myself. Even little steps like that can help prepare you to start doing more adventurous things, but it is saying yes to more things.
Dyana Carmella:I think that's incredibly important. People immediately turn things down and just saying yes, saying yes to buying this bar. Today I met a gentleman who you know he's Jewish and he does bar mitzvahs and he has a whole rental business and he constantly buys things and then doesn't need them. And I met him and just because I said yes to buying this bar, now I have this contact who just wants to give me a bunch of party stuff and so yeah, it's just saying yes because so much opportunity comes through. That Is the party stuff, kosher. Yes, it is.
Jennifer Mabus:But you know, for example, if somebody really wants to get into hiking you know, this is a pretty easy example for us Instead of being like, oh, I don't, you know, this is a pretty easy example for us. Instead of being like, oh, I don't, you know, I can't go do a big through hike, I can't do a backpacking trip, or those 10 mile long hikes are too daunting for me. Start small, go to a local trail, just get out there. And I think this is the biggest and to me, why it's my to me, the most important step out of all of these is because you just need to get out there. You need to get in the practice and the habits of doing these little adventurous things, even if you don't feel 100% confident within yourself.
Dyana Carmella:Yeah, this is a great thing too for getting in shape, even for a hike, or just getting in shape in general. That's a big thing, a big New Year's resolution for people. And they go to the gym the first day and they, you know they're tired, they don't know what to do, yada, yada, yada. They quit very quickly. But if you start small, just by a mile, walk around your block and then build up to that In our last episode we talked about, I mentioned how, going into 2025, I really want to focus on small daily habits and getting to the rhythm of accomplishing just one or two important things every day and over time, those build up instead of trying to tackle 10 different things and only getting like 10% done on 10 different things and not feeling accomplished. So I think it is start small and accomplish things that you know you can get done.
Dyana Carmella:I can jog a mile you know, and so I think it is start small, because that just snowballs and you'll keep doing it because you feel accomplished. You know Right.
Jennifer Mabus:And that's why I brought up things about like even going to the movies by yourself, because to some people, that is a really bold action to take, because a lot of people don't like to sit alone and be alone. They feel maybe gosh like vulnerable. But if you do even things like that, that aren't necessarily related to adventure, that's going to help build up your confidence in many areas, to make you feel like I did something small, like go out to eat by myself. I can do some other things by myself, like go do that local trail down the street or go for five mile bike ride, and once you start seeing what you are capable of, yeah, your boldness is going to increase and you're going to see how much further you can go by just starting small. And, you know, taking those small steps and building upon that you have to build a really solid foundation, and so it's not meant to be overwhelming, but start doing things that you know you haven't really done before. Yeah, small steps, baby steps, all right.
Dyana Carmella:Diana, what is the next tip? The next tip is actually my favorite tip. It's to shift your mindset. And, oh my God, this is so freaking critical.
Dyana Carmella:I went to a Tony Robbins seminar in Chicago Tony Robbins, the motivational speaker who sold all those tapes in the 80s and the biggest thing is the way you look at things, the way you envision your life and how you're going to accomplish goals. And he gave the example of if you're're. He was talking about a relationship or something bad that happened to you, like the ending of a relationship, the death of somebody, the loss of a job, something that they are holding, that you can't get past. And he says imagine this, sit in the scenario and envision it, and then take a, take a like, a, like a picture of it and then suddenly morph the picture. So make the picture of whatever it is, that's, that's that you're holding, make it black and white, flip it upside down and then just watch it disappear like into the distance.
Dyana Carmella:This exercise was so freaking powerful because it shifts your mind, your perspective about, also shifting your mindset to that of fearfulness, to positivity. Just that little shift of shit. This actually could work and this could be something big. And then, yeah, move forward with that. Have you gotten my?
Jennifer Mabus:Christmas present.
Dyana Carmella:Yet no, I haven't got shit from you in years. You probably don't have my right address because you keep saying I'm going to send you stuff. I'm going to send you stuff, I ain't got shit, jen, it's.
Jennifer Mabus:It's going to be delivered tomorrow and you're gonna be so happy with what's inside from.
Dyana Carmella:What is it about? Is it Tony Robbins?
Jennifer Mabus:t-shirt. No, I'm not gonna tell you, but it's perfect for your business. So so I was uh, I guess you were like sending energy to me without knowing it, and then I was sending it back to you without knowing it.
Dyana Carmella:Oh no, what is it You're going to love it?
Jennifer Mabus:I bought you actual Christmas presents Like they're actual presents, I hope so. You sent me your artwork and said this reminds me of you, and it was a picture of Piggy, miss Piggy.
Dyana Carmella:Wait, which one was it? What picture of Miss Piggy, was it what? What picture of miss piggy?
Jennifer Mabus:was it? Oh gosh, uh, she's like dolled up with jewelry and stuff. Oh, I'll send you a picture that was so freaking cute, because, no, it was cute, but it's miss piggy yeah, it's miss piggy yeah, but you look like her because you your long hair and your round face.
Dyana Carmella:You just just, you're not like a pig. But you, you know you got. Oh, thanks, yeah. Anyway, my round face but.
Jennifer Mabus:I have a round face. Oh my God, I was going to say you have a round face, I have a round face. We're, we're getting off.
Dyana Carmella:Do you have anything to say about shifting your mindset?
Jennifer Mabus:Yeah. So, along with shifting your mindset, to me the most important part of this is to find your why, and it has to be really strong and really personal. No one else can come up with your why for you, so you really need to think about it and have it really ingrained in you and kind of what you were speaking to earlier. Having a full paradigm shift is super essential for this number two tip, because the idea of, okay, I threw out the Pacific Crest Trail. There were so many people I met on the trail who had never backpacked once in their life.
Jennifer Mabus:Okay, so it's very easy, I think, for people to show up and be like why would I, someone who's never backpacked once in my life, be able to backpack for five months straight? But they had this paradigm shift of I can do this, I am going to do this and basically watch me, and they complete it successfully. So you really need to dig deep, find your why, find your reasoning, because there's going to be times when you want to quit or you're feeling too insecure or you don't want to show up. Your why has to be bigger than all of those negative feelings and that's usually why people continue and become successful is because they know when to when they can like override those really negative feelings.
Dyana Carmella:I totally love that. Yeah, I think too, a lot of people take on big through hikes because they're dealing with something whether it's the loss of a loved one, the job, depression a lot of them look for answers in nature. And that is a complete shift in mindset because if they didn't have the bad thing happen, maybe they wouldn't look at the PCT as a wild ride. I'm not fearful of anything, because what I was scared of already happened. And so I feel like, yeah, just that perspective shift and the shift and this is what Tony Robbins said the shift is so small, it's a millimeter. It's a millimeter view of just tweaking your outlook on something and saying to yourself maybe this really is a good thing.
Dyana Carmella:And I was listening to another podcast, or it wasn't a podcast, it was a clip from Instagram. I think I'm pretty sure it was Joe Rogan, but he was saying somebody was saying that when bad things happen, it's an opportunity to look for the good in it. There's good in every single thing that happens to you, and that's a great example of shifting your mindset. You know, and I really feel like sometimes the universe kind of gives you like these little sign signals and I think you just have to kind of move with that. I think people fight it too much. But I really shift my perspective into really embracing things people tell me and really look, look for the good in everything.
Jennifer Mabus:And, I think, like to bring this back to the whole adventure aspect.
Jennifer Mabus:We've done an episode before on imposter syndrome where even for me I've gone to like climbing gyms and whatnot but I would feel like a total poser trying to go outside and rock climb.
Jennifer Mabus:But that is part of the shifting your mindset that's not conducive to like healthy thinking, like a healthy mindset at all. And so getting rid of the idea that if you want to try something but you've never done it before, that you aren't meant to be in that space, that you're not worthy to do that sport or you know whatever, that needs to get completely erased from your mind. Because you know everybody's had to start somewhere, even the top adventurers in the whole world. There was one point in their life where they never once stepped foot, you know, at a rock climbing gym or something. So that idea that every you know you just need to erase that negative mindset that you can't do it, you're not good enough, you don't want to take up space in that area because you should be taking up space. You are allowed to be there and to try it out just like everybody else.
Dyana Carmella:Yeah, yeah, I love that, jen. What's number three?
Jennifer Mabus:Number three is to plan for spontaneity, and this one is really important. It's something that I think got me through some of the most challenging parts of my life, and it's because I'm actually a very adaptable person. So you know, people looked at me and told me to myable person. So you know, people looked at me and told me to my face or online that you know they didn't think I could finish the Pacific Crest Trail because I'm super. I mean people thought multiple things but maybe too happy, too weak, too, whatever. But what they didn't know is I actually can go with the flow pretty easily, and so part of planning for spontaneity is understanding that you can plan, but it's also you can't plan for everything and so just expect to show up knowing that things aren't going to go the way that you thought and you just need to find solutions. For you know, on the days that things did not go to plan, yeah, oh yeah, uh.
Dyana Carmella:This reminds me of me and my friend, jordan hiked the colorado trail this last summer. We called it the margarita tour because we didn't do that much hiking. Uh, even though we got to durango, um, we kept um embracing everything that kind of came at us, and one of the things was we really wanted to go fly fishing and we we walked by this man with a shop and said fly fishing tours and we're like, should we do it? We're like, fuck, yeah, we're doing it. And we spent six and a half hours on a river just fly fishing and it was one of the most unbelievable experiences. I caught six fish. Jordan caught like 20, but that doesn't matter, jordan caught like 20, but that doesn't matter.
Dyana Carmella:Um, but yeah, that spontaneity, um, I think really, really like defines adventure for me. Like I, I have a really hard time planning a trip. If you wanted to go on a trip with me and you're like a year from now, and you're like let's start planning it, like let's talk, I'm not gonna do that. I'm not gonna do that because I'll lose interest. Like I have to do it, maybe a week. You know you book things. I need to get booked, but I love being having just like a rough plan and I think you do too a little bit, we. I love showing up and then just kind of figuring out where that leads. And I've done it. Enough, enough trips, enough hikes. Where that happens, a hundred percent of the time is you're going to be led somewhere that you didn't think you were going to end up, and it's going to be a phenomenal experience, or it could be a negative one, it doesn't matter, it's part of the adventure but that is what makes adventuring and that that's what makes travel and, um, yeah, even on the pnt.
Dyana Carmella:Oh god, so much of that was, um, very spontaneous, and it wouldn't have been what it was if I had everything mapped out and had to be at this time, at this place, at this exact time. No, it wouldn't have it, it would have been boring. Actually, I would have not enjoyed myself as much as I, as much as I did, um, yeah, that's a big one.
Jennifer Mabus:Yeah. So this whole idea for planning for spontaneity, kind of like what you brought up, Diana, it's for things to come across your lap in a better, more exciting way, but it also means if something goes wrong you just got to learn how to not let that consume you and overwhelm you and just make some other decisions and continue on.
Jennifer Mabus:So this idea of just adapting along the way, can go for extra adventures or for when you're having a really bad day and you need to, you know, take some different turns, and so just this idea of just going with the flow, understanding that the adventure doesn't need to be mapped out, and it's not going to be mapped out, no matter how much you plan. So if you want to get into something, don't expect everything to go the way that you think it's going to go.
Dyana Carmella:I think for spontaneity, just do things. Remember Shiloh Shiloh LaBeouf LaBeouf he did that, just do it. Just do it, do it. Yes, like that's what a lot of it is. Like, if you see something, if you're called to something, just do it.
Jennifer Mabus:All right. What is tip number four?
Dyana Carmella:To cultivate curiosity. What do you mean by that, jen? What do I mean? What do you mean by that?
Jennifer Mabus:Jen. What do I mean? Well, I think being curious is such a cool emotion or characteristic of somebody, because you're somebody who constantly wants to learn, yes, and that I mean that's, you know, literally learning new things, experiencing new things, seeing new things, like your senses are just exploding because of it. And this is what really gets people out of a rut is, if you're a curious person, you're going to, you know, like, try new things. You know, maybe you know, meet new people. And yeah, I think there's a lot of power here in curiosity.
Dyana Carmella:I think the best thing a traveler, a hiker, business owner the best thing you could possibly do is ask people questions People love talking about themselves especially me, like we love it so much, and so asking people questions and having an interest in other people not only do you get information and you get knowledgeable about certain things, but people love that and you develop a rapport with people which could lead to something.
Jennifer Mabus:Part of cultivating curiosity is being curious what a certain experience feels like.
Dyana Carmella:What does it feel like?
Jennifer Mabus:when Bree runs off the side of a mountain in paraglides. What does that feel like? What does it feel like when Brie runs off the side of a mountain and paraglides?
Jennifer Mabus:What does that feel like? Do I want to also know what that feels like? What does it feel like for somebody to rock climb, you know, and be a hundred 200 feet up holding a rock and like looking over a valley? It's that curiosity of you know, wanting to feel what other people are experiencing, and you never know what something's going to ignite in you. You know, we all can't be super passionate about everything in the world, that's just not how we're made. But I truly believe that everybody has something in them that they are phenomenal at or that they they could just basically be obsessed with. But you're not going to find that unless you try a bunch of different things. And so it's going after just trying new experiences, trying new sports, maybe a new musical instrument. You know, talking to people make connections. That's where life, I think, can really flourish.
Dyana Carmella:Yeah, what is something that you're very curious about?
Jennifer Mabus:Yeah, I kind of brought this up I want to get into. I think I'd really love mountain biking.
Dyana Carmella:Mountain biking.
Jennifer Mabus:I mean, I've rode a bike before, but I think there's something different about being in the mountains on a bike. Yeah, yeah, and I really want to maybe start running and getting more into like trail running and yeah, that's something I'm really into. But after talking with Brie Clark a few episodes ago, I would love to try to go paragliding paragliding is my number one.
Dyana Carmella:Yeah, I am so curious about running and jumping off a mountain. Like the feeling of that I want. I want to experience that.
Jennifer Mabus:Yeah but it's like because I did go skydiving and that was a one and done experience for me, because it was so fast and furious and I am terrified of flying. So I was in a plane and already scared and then, you know, jumping to the ground super fast was terrifying, but paragliding there seems to be so much more peace and calmness there and, yeah, I want to like feel what it's like to almost be a bird.
Jennifer Mabus:Yes, I want to be a bird, 100%, yeah. So that's something I'm really curious about oh, maybe we'll do that together.
Dyana Carmella:Jen and I are planning some adventures together yes, we are um, okay, the fifth and the last one, I would say could possibly be the most important one to me on this entire list.
Jennifer Mabus:Well, this is very important for many reasons and we're going to get into it, but it is to start where you stand and we're doing this whole New Year's resolution episode, but this doesn't mean you have to wait until the next year to start over.
Jennifer Mabus:If you fail within a few days of 2025, this is you wake up on whatever fricking day it is, and you start if you really want to start.
Jennifer Mabus:For me, the biggest thing that comes to mind is financially, and one of the biggest things we hear from, like our guests or people in our inner circles that they can't start a sport or an adventure, they can't do certain things, is because they don't have the money to do so. A big misconception in our I think, first world, you know life is that you have to buy everything new, everything's marketed to us by this, by this. You need this, and it's such crap. So I bought a lot of my gear for my first through hike used, and so it's basically what can you do today to take a couple steps towards your goal? And for financially, it's like if you need to buy everything used, if you need to reach out to people and see if you can borrow gear for free, you need to start there. I mean, what do you think about the whole financial aspect, like, what kind of advice can you give people who maybe can't drop thousands of dollars on a certain adventure?
Dyana Carmella:I'm going to say something and I don't think people are going to like it, but I feel like, because I was in this position, I was in this position for the PNT. There's no freaking way I could afford gear and to take three months off. There was no way. This is something my father always used to say you have the will, you'll find your way. If you don't have the finances, you figure out how to get the finances, even if it is doing everything really cheaply, like what I did just don't prostitute?
Dyana Carmella:just don't. Well, you know, yeah. Well, you have to do what you have to do. Jen, have you seen this rock and bod? I can make a shit I one night and it pays for all like a tent. Um, the biggest thing is, if you're, if you it's, it's like, oh, I don't have the money, you find a way to get the money. I literally am making a company renting bars because I want to try to make more money, because I want to do the John Muir Trail in the summer and I feel like this could pay for that. You find a way to make it work, or you don't. And then you just don't do the adventure. No-transcript had passed away and I was like, oh, these have a new home now. Um, there's so many different ways to do it. I think the most expensive thing with hiking is the hotels and food.
Jennifer Mabus:I mean it can't, and that's the thing is it can be a lot, but if you see someone who did spend a lot kind of like me, because I did a full financial breakdown on my YouTube channel, which I'm not active on there but the video is still there and you know people were criticizing a lot of things but it's like, yeah, I stayed in a lot of hotels, but you don't have to stay in hotels, you have a tent, you can, a free trail to sleep on. You know it's, it's um, yeah, but it's this idea of you don't need to buy new gear for everything. You don't need to have the coolest and latest of everything. Used gear works fine. Your clothing in your closet right now is fine for hiking overall. It doesn't mean if you only have cotton t-shirts that you can never hike. You know, because there's this whole thing like, oh, don don't wear cotton while hiking. So it's starting where you stand. If you want to go out and go do something, see what you already have available and don't listen to, like, the whole marketing spiel that you need more, more, more.
Jennifer Mabus:And I do agree, I count pennies. I still do. I did it before, I did the PCT. I do it for my family. I know every single penny that we spend and I budget and you can cut so much out of your budget if you really wanted to. There's always room for you to decrease your spending. And even if that means you have to put off some adventure or a big traveling trip or something another year or two, you need to actively be planning for it every single day and you have to go back to all be planning for it every single day. And you have to go back to all the other steps we've said before. Start small, start saving your cup of coffee every day. You know. Shift your mindset, so you know. Find your why. As to, you know why you have this goal years in the future, why you need to take action today. You know, and you can just go down this list and and part of that is, yeah, you can make it happen if you really want to do something.
Dyana Carmella:I think too. At the end of the PNT I had no money.
Jennifer Mabus:I think I was broke.
Dyana Carmella:I had three hundred dollars in my bank account. I just put everything towards the end on a credit card and then I paid it off in three months after the same. Yeah, yeah, I mean yeah it's?
Jennifer Mabus:it's one of those things that like, yeah, a a lot of people would be like that's super irresponsible, but it's like also, we had the trip of a lifetime. I had a really damn good time. Yeah, I, yeah, you know there is this risk with some, some of those situations. I did take six months off of work. That gave me my job back, but I was quote, unquote homeless, like I didn't have a place to live, and so I was couch surfing when I got done with the PCT. Thank goodness for friends. But you just make it work. And yeah, I put some stuff on a credit card, which I never do, but I'm like am I really not going to go do this huge trip just because I might put a little bit on a credit card? And it turned out to be fine.
Jennifer Mabus:I think our point for starting where you stand is that there's most likely never going to be ideal conditions yes, ever, and that could be financially, that could be your relationships, that could be your job, anything, your health. There's probably always going to be something where you can go into your head and say I can't right now because of x, y and z, and we're just here to tell you that most people who do these big things it's. There was never a right time. You just here to tell you that most people who do these big things, there was never a right time. You just need to wake up and you need to go for it, and it usually always works out for people it usually does. Things will work itself out how they're supposed to.
Dyana Carmella:As soon as you start and I love it just do it now, just do it now, don't put it off, Just do it now. Just do it now. As soon as you start, all these doors sort of open. Jim Carrey, the actor, kind of said that if you ask the universe for something and you start making strides towards it, these doors you never thought existed will start opening.
Jennifer Mabus:I'm a firm believer that everybody who, where they are today, it's because they've also been helped by other people. You know, we literally none of us did things all by ourself. It's impossible.
Dyana Carmella:We have rich parents. No, I do not. No, we don't, we don't I do.
Jennifer Mabus:I think Diana does. I do not, but it's this idea that there's so many people that are willing to help. And you know, going back to through hiking, they say the trail provides. There's always people giving away free food, making food, wanting to buy your food, giving you a free hotel room. There's ways to make it work. People can do a huge through hike for small amounts of money and people can do it with a large amount of money. This isn't about having the same experience as everybody else, but it's having your own experience. What else do you think about starting where you stand? Not even just like financially, Diana?
Jennifer Mabus:What is like another aspect to that.
Dyana Carmella:I have a lot of aspects to that, but I will be sitting on my couch and I'll have an idea and I'll Google how to make it and I will immediately get up and go to the store, go to Joanne's or Michael's, get all the supplies, come back, figure out how to do it and then make a bunch, give it for free. Suddenly, I have that skill where I know how to make paper roses, which will really come into handy later in life. But you know, it's, it's I am. I am so because I have ADHD.
Jennifer Mabus:I'm constantly all over the place.
Dyana Carmella:I have to it now. I have. If I don't do it now, it won't happen. And another example is last week. Um, a big new year's resolution for people is I'm gonna clean out my closet, I'm gonna organize, I'm gonna get rid of stuff, I'm gonna get rid of stuff. And they start going through things and they pick out one thing to get rid of and then a month later, oh I have too much stuff, I gotta get rid of things. A week ago I couldn't close my closet door because the just crap was coming out of it and I sort of lost it and I, literally, with bear hug arms, I grabbed shit out, threw it on the ground. I grabbed everything, everything out of my closet and I went Marie Cuomo, what is her name? Marie the cleaning?
Jennifer Mabus:lady, I know who you're talking about, but I don't know, marie.
Dyana Carmella:Marie Cuomo Quillimo Kondo, what is her name and I threw everything on the floor and I went. I held every single piece and I just did it. It took me four hours and I just did it. Half of the clothes went back in my closet. A quarter of the clothes I put in a bin and it's stored now in another room. Those are like winter stuff or summer stuff I don't need right now. And then another quarter of it I donated and now my closet is so manageable and it's so much better. But I did it immediately.
Dyana Carmella:If I didn't do it immediately, it would still be like a clusterfuck and it would just rattle my brain, and so the greatest thing people to do can do is just do it now. If you want to do a hike, if you want to do a trip, right now, like as you're listening, well, after you're done listening to this podcast, we need the entire listen. So just listen to the whole thing. And and then like, start. Like, start looking at pictures, start thinking about it, you know, start talking to people, like, just start. You know, and I'm really sick of I have one friend who's been saying he wants to write a book for years and I'm like, yeah, I think this is the year I'm like you're never going to do it, you're never going weight in the literary world. Just kidding.
Jennifer Mabus:You know. But what you're saying basically is you just don't overthink things. Don't overthink it. No, let go of perfectionism. Yes, because perfectionism doesn't exist. Nobody is perfect, right and so if you wait and you overthink and you dwell on something for too long, it's just you're going to second guess yourself and it's going to become really wishy washy. You've got to be, sometimes be, an all or nothing person.
Dyana Carmella:Yeah, yes, yes, and I think too, going into 2025, I really want people to embrace, not not living in the past and that is a whole nother discussion, for that's a huge thing. But a lot of people make excuses why they can't do things for X, y and Z that happened to them this last year. Oh, this last year I had to do that. I don't care about that, I don't care, it doesn't matter. Right now, looking forward, what is it you want to do? And just start moving. Start the momentum of it and you know what. I'll tell you one thing it feels good to move. It feels good. I mean, tell, tell me it felt good the first day on the PCT, taking your first steps on that PCT, what that felt like, didn't that?
Jennifer Mabus:feel awesome. Oh yeah, it's. It's an indescribable feeling, yeah, and if I could recreate that feeling all the time, I would. But it's like I saw this adventure in front of me. It's like filled with hope and just the unknown and what's going to happen and who am I going to be, and that feeling can be translated into so many different experiences.
Jennifer Mabus:That feeling can be translated into so many different experiences whether, yeah, it's a business venture, starting school for, like, a new career and a new profession or, you know, trying a new sport and activity adventure. That's all this episode is about. Everything Diana and I are talking about is get yourself out of this rut. We're alive today. Things aren't perfect. People are always going through things. I'm going through things, diana. You're going through things. Yeah, you need to get out, you need to get moving, you need to feel other things. You need to feel some excitement, some thrill, maybe even a little fear. You know we are alive today. So you know, for the year 2025, I hope everybody takes this, harnesses it and translates it through the year to you know, start small but be bold. Shift your mindset, plan for spontaneity, cultivate curiosity and start where you stand.
Dyana Carmella:Yeah, you don't have a good one. Easy, easy done.
Jennifer Mabus:I've essentially already hiked the PCT.
Dyana Carmella:You know, what another really good idea is Is to shift the perspective. This is kind of like shift your mindset, but the perspective of something. So if you want to do a through hike and you got your heart set on the PCT, the PCT, the PCT, and you're starting to hit problems where the timing, like I got to, how am I going to Pick a different hike? I mean, there's hikes, Do an international one, go around the world, go to think of things that you didn't think of you know, and that goes into like the plan for spontaneity is like being adaptable, like if something's not working, if you're you're getting too much resistance in one area, uh, try something.
Jennifer Mabus:New, like you have to be open-minded. Basically Like that's what that how that translates to me. New, like you have to be open-minded, yeah, basically like that's what that how that translates to me.
Dyana Carmella:Yeah, like I wanted to do the PCT, but it was the timing. I was like I don't want to be out there for five months and the PNT, the Pacific Northwest Trail, only takes two and a half and so and that ended up being a glorious adventure and so, yeah, that's a big thing, just yeah, really, look at all of these options, people I think feel what is it like?
Dyana Carmella:claustrophobic in their own idea but as soon as you protrude out of that little bubble, you put yourself in and Diana's brain is endless, that the thread that gets pulled on your thoughts never cease to amaze me.
Jennifer Mabus:I think 2025 is going to be a great year. You and I individually and together have a lot of really fun things planned. We do so, yeah we've got a lot of fun episodes coming up and some new content. Diane and I will be visiting each other soon.
Dyana Carmella:We have not seen each other at all since we started this podcast.
Jennifer Mabus:Yeah, we've been doing. That is bizarre to think about, yeah, yeah, across across a laptop and a phone. So that's going to be exciting. We're going to get together and, yeah, look out for that, yeah. That'll be fun, yeah, but what a great episode. I think a lot of people can take some really good things from this. But, yeah, as a podcast, you know, diane and I are still going strong. We're really building up our Patreon community, so if you haven't already subscribed to us, followed us, whatever it's called on Patreon.
Dyana Carmella:You can go find us there and become a patron, and we have a lot of fun stuff that we do over there Exclusive posts, giveaways, things like that we should ask the listeners so Jen and I want to do an adventure together this summer and we want to work towards it, like an ultra marathon or a long bike trail or a canoe thing, or we want to do something wild. What do you think we should do? Like, over the episodes? We have all these amazing guests who've done these extraordinary things and we want to. We want to take on something that we think is very difficult and not really in our, in our yeah in our wheelhouse.
Jennifer Mabus:Yeah, things we haven't done before, yeah, so if anybody has any ideas, let us know.
Dyana Carmella:Just message us on Instagram at Bush and Banner or email us at Bush and Banner at Gmail. Yeah, we're curious because we're looking for something. We're looking for something to make it wild. We want it really really wild.
Jennifer Mabus:What if everybody votes for us to swim from Cuba to Florida, like Diana and I had? Oh my God, I would do it with like floaties, I wouldn't even do it with floaties. How about this? You could be Diana and I'll be Bonnie.
Dyana Carmella:I'll do it that way, I'll be in a boat Feeding me peanut butter like from the boat.
Jennifer Mabus:You can be in with all the jellyfish and the sharks.
Dyana Carmella:All right, I'll do that Well.
Jennifer Mabus:Thank you everybody for tuning in. I hope 2024 treated you pretty good, but let's hope that 2025 treats you even better. Heck, yes, heck, yeah and we will see you next week. We have an amazing episode coming out with an amazing guest. You will not want to miss it.
Dyana Carmella:We will.
Jennifer Mabus:Yeah, we will talk to you guys then. Happy new year.
Dyana Carmella:Just do it.
