THE GETAWAY Message

By Zoë Rom

Hi there,

Thank you for your email. I’m out of the office, and won’t be back for a while. A long while. During this
period, I’ll have limited access to my email, cellphone, and social media.

If you need me, I’ll be deep down a forest path or on top of a mountain, far far away from email, cell
service, strava, and social media. Today, I’m ditching my desk for a dense canopy of spring leaves where
the only calls I’ll hear are the birds whose songs are my only playlist. I’m swapping the Daily Grind for the
grind of dirt beneath my feet. I’ll be taking my afternoon meeting on the summit of some far-flung peak as
I commune with every spirit bold enough to share in my escape. My power suit consists of running shoes
and a gritty sheen of dirt and mud. The only time I’m keeping is the tempo of my legs and breath as I fly
through rocky woods and mountain trail.

I may not be that far from work, but in my head I am a million miles away. Meetings, projects and
conference calls ain’t got nothing on today’s agenda of rivers, rocks, and waterfalls. My only objective is
to inhabit each and every breath with as much presence as I can muster, allowing each step to carry me
further away from the insignificance of all the emails, calls and texts that can wait for me to return.

Today’s work is to go as far as my legs will carry me, and then another mile. The world can wait. Work
can wait. The restless wild that is my soul is impatient - yearning. No presentation, project, or email will
ever mean as much as the chance to wander aimless through the woods, splashing in mud puddles and
singing with the birds.

I’ll be back - but don’t wait up.

Stay Wild,

Zoë

-------

Zoë Rom is a post-punk vegetarian with a knack for misadventure. Based out of Boulder, CO., Zoë lives for weekends spent with good friends in the mountains. When she's not running, she's climbing, and when she's not climbing she's cooking or eating. Writer, explorer and taco aficionado, she starts everyday with a cup of strong coffee and a good story.