Discover Outdoors

Kindred Folks are real flesh, blood and bones humans that we feel a kinship with. They often do rad things. Typically, they have a bit of rebel in them too...you know, question everything and follow their heart type of stuff. We think people's lives would be a bit brighter knowing more about them. So here goes....

Say hi to Discover Outdoors Chief Strategy Officer, Kennedy Reynolds. As a Manhattanite for the past 15+ years I needed an outlet to escape the hustle and bustle. I was told about Discover Outdoors from a friend and upon looking them up decided to email them monthly for a job :) I never got that job but found a reason to connect later on. Kennedy grew up in the North Carolina mountains and has lived all over since, from Boston to Jackson Hole and London to San Francisco and New York. She has trekked the far reaches of the world, camping among the peaks of the Himalayas, the wildlife of the Serengeti and the ranges of Patagonia. As a three-time marathoner, she explores by foot whenever possible. Her city self has worked with brands to inspire action through relationships and narrative, and she brings that experience to DO, rallying urbanites to discover that adventure is closer than you think.

Name three items you cant live without: I can’t think of any thing, but I’d be a mess without my husband, my dogs and grass under my naked toes.

If you could go on a road trip with your best friend tomorrow, would it be more Thelma & Louise, PeeWee's Big Adventure, Easy Rider, National Lampoons Vacation, or Sideways. Twenty years ago, National Lampoons. Ten years ago, Almost Famous. These days… is there a movie where thirty-somethings road trip across the country in old Volvos and Subarus to visit, stargaze and guzzle wine after the kids are asleep?

What did you do the last time you unplugged? We start every day unplugged and it’s become my favorite ritual. We make breakfast and sit in the back yard while the dogs hunt for critters. I can’t imagine saying, “I wish I’d spent more time online today,” but I’d be devastated if I missed watching these over-confident fluff balls secure the perimeter with more zeal than a pack of lions. Starting off device-free puts a different shade on the rest of the day. I feel more peaceful and at the same time more charged.

Best hangover cure? Getting pregnant. Second to that, water, water and more water. Drink a gallon before your eyes close.

What do you miss most about your pre-internet brain? Search and discovery. I used to have to search for answers, be more innovative in finding solutions or, GASP, ask people with spoken words. Now, it’s all so easy and accessible. You barely have to think. With that accessibility comes a lot of good, but it’s a double-edged sword. 

When, where and how are you when you are the most present? I’m hiking. When I’m alone or with the dogs, I have no agenda and no sense of time passing. Everything just feels more right. My husband and I have backpacked all over the world and spent days on trails, and we have the most incredible talks and then silent miles where we’re in our heads, wandering. In those moments, I’m nowhere else.

Describe the most memorable night of your life. A couple of years ago, my now husband and I were on an epic road trip through some of America’s breathtaking national parks. We spent the day hiking through the Grand Canyon and ended on the rim, drinking beers, talking, watching this beautiful storm approach over the canyon. I hope I never forget one pixel from that memory.

What's your spirit animal and why? I’ve been told by more than 1 person that I’m a golden retriever because, and I’m quoting here, I’m loyal, smart, and I get so excited that I fall down.

Best album cover of all time? Marco Capelli’s Italian Surf Academy. Period, end of sentence. Get it, girls. 

What keeps you up at night? Not wanting today to be over yet. As soon as today’s gone, it’s gone for good. Isn’t that a little devastating? Everything is moving so fast now, so if I stay awake a little longer, maybe just maybe I can eek out a little more of today. And who knows what might happen if I do.

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