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She’s the girl with the uneven tanned body
Scorched skin from the rays of the sun from trekking the high passes.
She’s the girl with the high cut boots
And a pair of trekking poles that she depends her life on
She’s the girl who catches the sunrise and sunset
For either of them will suit her just fine.
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Don’t date a girl who treks
For this means you wake up at some ungodly hour
and race your feet to the tops of the mountains.
God forbid if she misses the sun’s spectacle
You’ll see her purse her lips in utter disappointment
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But fear not
Because as soon as she sees the majestic peaks before her eyes
She will smile again in no time
She’s the girl who knows her summits’ names
And their heights from sea level
Her favorite numbers are those that begin at 3000 and above
In meters to be exact
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Don’t date a girl who treks
She will ask you where you are from
And feels a bit torn
When you come from a place closer to sea level rather than a range
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Don’t date a girl who treks
Because she will not want you to wine and dine her
But rather would desire more of your time
As she would have you hike with her in the middle of nowhere
All day and all night.
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Don’t date a girl who treks
Her heart is already taken
By those named Himalayas, Andes, and Alps
Unless you are willing to join in her pursuits of them
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Don’t date a girl who treks
She’s armed with gear you have not even heard of
Like her spot or go girl
And you must be curious to see how she uses them
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Don’t date a girl who treks
She has her battle scars called blisters that she wouldn’t want you to notice
When strolling in flip flops on a beach
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Don’t date a girl who treks
She will bask in the wilderness without a bed
Eating dehydrated food and trail bars
Find you appealing only when you can brave no shower for days
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Don’t date a girl who treks
For her soul is already full
Of memories of peaks and summits
Really, you’re just there to take a photo of her on top of one
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Don’t date a girl who treks
For her longing for mountains is constant
And you will hear an earful of it all the time
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Don’t date a girl who treks
She loves to be present in the moment
Rushing is for the city life
While allowing time to pass by slowly reminds her of that freedom
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Don’t date a girl who treks
For there will be no wild parties or hang overs
Just a meditative moment in the woods
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Don’t date a girl who treks
She will eventually go off the beaten path
And you will have to be there to save her
In times when she needs a helping hand
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Don’t date a girl who treks
For her sense of direction is via a trail map
Place her in a city and she’s lost
And you’ll be stranded in no time
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Don’t date a girl who treks
For she lives life to the fullest
If you cannot catch up to her when she flies
Then don’t think she’d even shed a single tear
If you tell her goodbye
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Don’t date a girl who treks
She will go exploring on her own when her heart so desires
And will only return to you when she finally misses you
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Don’t date a girl who treks
She finds beauty in any situation
Even when the rain is pouring
Or the wind blowing too strong
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Don’t date a girl who treks
For she finds purpose in hiking the tallest peaks
Even if it means risking her health
Or risking her life
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Don’t date a girl who treks
For her creativity can take you to far off places that you never imagined wanting to go
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In taking risks she finds a sense of aliveness
Be prepared to match her fearlessness
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Don’t date a girl who treks
For beyond the layer of toughness
There is a heart full of love and longing
For someone like you to cross her path
To share her adventures with
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And if you’re lucky enough to date a girl who treks
She will have you join in her world of trekking
You will marry the mountains like she did
And in return
Her loving you is as honest as her passion for trekking
Your relationship will be treated as holy as a pilgrim’s kora
She embraces challenges like it’s another summit to overcome
And every single day you will savor the sunrises and sunsets like they were your last
She will challenge your limits only to become better each day.
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Don’t date a girl who treks
For she will make you live and appreciate an irregular life
And fill it with so much magic that you will never ever want to walk off trail
without her by your side.
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Click on the Brown Girl Trekker logo above to see so much more from Marinel de Jesus.
And now to announce a very exciting film project to promote women who love the great outdoors, Marinel shares this exciting development in her own words…
BACKGROUND
A few months ago, I attended an outdoor film festival in Washington, DC that focused on the adventure films that were produced by artists from all over the world. The work presented was certainly admirable. I was inspired. A few months later, I watched yet another outdoor film festival and found myself, yet again, inspired.
However, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of disconnect. The first time around I felt the same feeling but couldn’t understand what it was about. It was after the second film festival event that it became evident to me that the past two showings I watched were lacking in two things that mattered to me: (1) hiking or wilderness backpacking and (2) women. It was at that point that I vividly recall noting this concern to my male friends who shared their honest opinion that filming an activity that focuses only on hiking isn’t as exciting or “sexy enough” as climbing, mountain biking, skiing, and all these other adrenaline-filled sports.
“Okay, they have a point,” I begrudgingly said to myself.
Months later I was trekking with three guys in the Caucasus Mountains of the Republic of Georgia who were from Egypt, France and Sweden, respectively. I raised the same question as to why there’s a lack of hiking or backpacking film documentaries at such events. The answer was similar to the first.
I never asked my male friends about the women aspect. After all, I was already dismayed at the responses dismissing the idea that pure hiking or wilderness backpacking as the subject of a film fails to even meet the standards that would compel any filmmaker to produce such kind of film. So, I pushed the idea aside… but ONLY for a moment.
Hiking with women trail leaders on the Kilimanjaro trail, Tanzania.
Don’t Date a Girl Who Treks
I was in China’s remote trekking trails in yet to be discovered Tibetan Autonomous Region of the country when I met May. She was from Thailand who once trekked up the Everest Base Camp in Nepal. As money was an issue, trekking or traveling for her was a major expense. By fate, May and I met in some of the most remote trekking regions in Sichuan Province of China. We ventured out to do the 30 kilometer high altitude pilgrimage trek in Yading Nature Reserve. It was a trekking region that has yet to be fully explored by trekkers from the western world. You can read our adventure in full HERE.
The piece, Don’t Date a Girl Who Treks, was inspired by May and all the wonderful solo women trekkers I’ve met in over a decade of trekking in the U.S. and abroad. To be clear, the piece is not so much about dating, but rather it’s meant to be a way to celebrate women and their love for the mountain trails. May was one of them. To not be able to pursue her passion as often as she would want given the location of her home in Thailand that is devoid of mountain trails is a disappointing reality, to which I can fully relate. In the small city she lives in, life is simple and money is difficult to come by. For someone like May, it’s a devastating notion to accept the fact that she is unable to pursue her passion as easily as she would like due to her responsibilities in taking care of family members and the lack of finances to afford traveling to hike up mountains. Personally, I would go crazy without regular access to mountains!
Our meeting was in 2014. Yet, even now, May still reminisces about our pilgrimage trek in China. In her correspondence, she often dreams about hiking up mountains, whether within her home country or outside of it. I figured if May cannot trek an actual mountain, then I can bring the mountains to her from all corners of the world – thru the film project that is now underway.
The FILM PROJECT
Just shortly after writing Don’t Date a Girl Who Treks, I decided in September of 2016 to open my Brown Gal Trekker blog to the public. I soon came to find out that the world seems to agree that women certainly must be celebrated for their passion and commitment to the outdoors. I was thrilled to learn that the world echoes the same sentiment that I’ve had all along, and as a result, Don’t Date a Girl Who Treks was published by Dave’s Travel Corner (a pioneer website for independent-minded backpackers), Huffington Post and WHOA Mag (a publication that promotes women in the outdoors). At the same time, the piece was promoted by various leading entities in the hiking world including BestHike.com and Hike Like a Woman.
You can find the publications via the following links:
In late October 2016, Bernard Chen, an award-winning photographer who I met months ago as part of the Great Himalaya Project (which still is currently a project via Brown Gal Trekker), reached out to me regarding ideas for future projects. I then brought up to him the idea that has been brewing in my head, which is to create a short film based on Don’t Date a Girl Who Treks by showcasing women trekkers globally through a collage of photos and videos submitted by the trekkers themselves. Bernard was thrilled at the idea. We both agreed it’s a perfect means of promoting outdoor women from all walks of life and their presence in the media.
As the idea sank in my head that day, I recalled the earlier conversations about the boring nature of a film on hiking. Then, my mind redirected me back to the feeling of disconnectedness that I experienced from the lack of female hikers depicted in the media. But then, I felt a surge of excitement knowing that the landscape of the outdoor media world will change, soon enough. That change is right within our control. We just need to make it happen.
SUBMISSIONS
This FILM PROJECT is a collaborative endeavour that is made possible through the help and support of female trekkers worldwide and various leading female-led outdoors entities such as Hike Like a Woman, Animosa, Fat Girls Hiking, Women Who Explore, Adventure Some Women & Camping for Women.
Hence, if you’re a female trekker who has photos or videos that you wish to submit, please send them to bgtrekker@peakexplorations.com
In addition, please provide us with the following:
- Your name
- Short background story on your photo
- Short answer to the question, “What does hiking or wilderness backpacking mean to you?”
- Your blog site (if you’re a blogger)
You’ll be notified when your piece is selected via e-mail. Credit will be given to your submission. You can subscribe to BGT’s blog if you wish to get updates on the project.
Also, we are raising funds to create the film. Your donations are welcome!
Start by clicking here to check out some really cool T-Shirts that highlight the film project.
And also check out Marinel’s company that take adventurous women on some very impressive treks across the globe:
Camping for Women is a proud supporter of the Date Date A Girl Who Treks film project.
We see this as a significant project to showcase the many amazing, diverse and talented outdoor women all over the world.
We are encouraging as many of our subscribers and readers as possible to take a proactive role in supporting this wonderful initiative. Just can’t wait to see many of your images featured in the film!
Brown Gal Trekker (Marinel de Jesus) is a nomad at heart who survives the mountains to write about them.
She launched her social enterprise, Peak Explorations, in 2016 to market lesser-known mountain regions globally as trekking destinations with a focus on solo travellers while supporting local sustainable tourism.
Along with her blog, Brown Gal Trekker, Peak Explorations aims to promote women and diversity in the outdoors.
What an enlightening representation of women’s strength, beauty, and passion!
Thanks! Glad you liked it.
Beautiful words and very true! I’m lucky that my husband and son join me on adventures, it’s great sharing the memories with my family. I really want to get out there right away after reading that!
Awesome! Glad you can connect to the piece. Thanks for reading!
I love it! Now I really want to go hiking! Thank you for so much inspiration. 🙂
Glad it motivates you to go outdoors! There’s nothing like a life of hiking 🙂 Cheers!
Trekking seems sooo cool and is great for staying physically and mentally fit! The author certainly has created a beautiful expression behind her passion for this consuming past-time.
Wow, Marinel! This is brilliant! You are very talented and the poem rings so true ha! I should show it to my boyfriend even though it’s too late now haha! Well done!
Thanks! Glad it resonates with you.
What a super beautiful poem. I like how this trekking girl is already taken by the Himalayas and Andes. Like the potential suitor I’m curious on how she handles her gear. I couldn’t date a guy who treks because I need a shower every day and I couldn’t eat dehydrated food. This really put into perspective the life of a trekker!
This is such a beautifully written poem! Very on point and it definitely resonance with me in many ways! I am a strong intersectional feminist so I truly believe in the power of women and their abilities to do anything. Thank you for making me proud to be a woman adventurer 🙂
Thanks Lieurene! Glad you can relate. Times are changing and women are venturing out more which is a great way to learn self sufficiency and self love! Cheers.
This is so beautiful! I’m not a trekker but can totally see myself in some of the lines, but from a different perspective. Like Bushavali says, can totally be applied to a girl who travels and explores. I always say I won’t settle for anyone who doesn’t make me smile like the Machu Picchu sunrise.
Sunrises and sunsets are the best! It can apply to anyone who ventures out to the unfamiliar so traveling included.
Great one and so true! At least, from the perspective of a low-land girl, dating a guy who treks. Lol. Almost the same but also different.
It can certainly apply to both men and women 🙂 Thanks, Naomi!
beautiful poem. This really speaks about what it takes to be trekker. It speaks about her behavior and what delights her.
Yes- it’s meant to share with the world a glimpse of how it’s like to be passionate about trekking. Somehow it’s easier to express that via a form of poetry/art. Thanks.
Beautifully written! This makes me want to travel and hike more. If I wasn’t married, I’d totally want to date someone who loves adventuring and the outdoors. I’d totally be down with that!
Guys who trek and go for adventure can be few and far between so it’s not an easy task to find someone aligned with a girl who treks but it’s possible like anything else in life 🙂
The main photo is absolutely breathtaking. I love the post, you’re right, don’t get a girl who treks cause…I am wondering who I am now since I don’t trek at all. Very original concept, at least for me.
You should really give it a try…you may not know what you are missing…
This is awesome! Sounds like a dating checklist for people who want to date a badass lady. Those who don’t like adventure and the outdoors need not apply 😉
Lol, yes, that maybe the case actually – it does look like a checklist but in a lot of ways it’s also to exert our freedom and ability to choose to be passionate about trekking as we allow ourselves to fall in love with it even! Maybe partners and mountains are similar in many ways 🙂
Just beautiful! Incredibly beautiful poem… Most of it is actually applicable to a gal who travels and explores too!!! I’m actually imagining those moments I’ve had myself and the one’s I had my guy with me and the various experiences and conversations we’ve had!!!
Yes, I agree-the concept can apply to those who travel as well as it is about seeking new experiences and challenges. Glad you appreciate the message. Thanks.
This is fantastic and all reasons why guys should definitely date a girl who treks!!
I hope the guys take it as a positive message of encouragement – it is meant to show the good points of dating a girl who treks. Appreciate your insight!
Although these are reasons not to date a woman who treks, it can also be a checklist for those who are thinking about it to make sure they can fulfil her needs and requirements!
In a way it is a list although hopefully women realize that we can be happy on our own especially when surrounded by nature. But sharing it with someone who understands us is a bonus. Can’t turn that down if it comes along the way.
Makes me wonder why more folks wouldn’t want to date a girl who treks! Sounds like a warrior and only gladiators need apply!
xoxo,
Berniedette | PetiteAndToned.com
Ha ha – very true! Nothing wrong with that kind of standard 🙂