I get it, for some people Black Friday is one of the only ways for some people to afford to buy the things they want or need, but the best way to spend your holidays isn't caught up in the crush of consumerism and chaos of shopping centers on your holidays, its getting outside and being with those you love: #optoutside.

There are many things I'm thankful of the outdoors for, but this time of year I'm reminded how much getting out into nature is an escape for me. I need it as a way to flee from the crush of holiday shoppers trying to snag the best deals, the need to buy and to consume wearing away the façade of politeness that most wear as masks. Beyond that, it serves as an escape from the shallow cycle of small-talk that I can never seem to escape from with relatives I haven't seen in a long while, which is just as much of my fault as it is anyone else's.

Working in retail while I go to school, there is no way that I can actually escape being stuck in a store on Black Friday, but this year, like most years, I find way's to escape into the woods, to release the stress that builds up over the chaos of the holidays.

The best way to do this is to grab those who you care about, and drive or walk to someplace where the trees tower over you, a mountain rises steeply in front of your boots, and a creek tumbles in endless glee down it's rocky bed.

Adventure At Mount Greylock

Mount Greylock in Massachusetts is one of my favorite spots to visit in the spring and fall, when I find almost no one but myself on the trail. It's not a far drive from where I live, and my favorite trail, from the Roaring Brook trailhead, makes it a tough climb to the summit. A hike upstream along a burbling creek, followed by an incredibly steep trek to the campgrounds, can help lead you to short side-adventures visiting waterfalls.

My cousin and I always go on some sort of adventure when we get the chance, it's a way to catch up, to get away from the mess of our lives beyond the forest. There is never a dull moment, never a lapse in the depth of our conversation unless we are caught in a moment, staring at water tumbling into the air over a drop, sunlight dappling distant hills, or the shocking green of moss in the golden afternoon.

I live for difficult hikes, it turns my focus inward and away from all of the stress in life, it let's you think, daydream, focus on nothing but yourself and the burning of your muscles. Wiping sweat from our brows, we pushed up the mountain, stopping to grab photos at a few locations and to catch our breath. Neither of us said it, but we were both glad to have a moment to rest at the speed we were moving up the mountain.

The wind whipping over the summit was harsh enough to make us wish we hadn't sweated so much, or had brought actual jackets. It pushed against our backs, urging us to step closer to the slick drop as we watched the cloud cover dapple distant hills.

It was the best way to start off the week, to spend time laughing, sweating, and talking about deeper things than just 'what have you been up to', 'are you still in school', and my favorite, 'I can't believe you've run out of xxl black t-shirts, this is outrageous'.

Thanksgiving Adventures With Family

My brother and I have always had itchy feet and an incessant need to run from crowded rooms, he even more than I.

When Thanksgiving at my grandparent's became a little too loud, a little too filled with people watching football and bumping into each other cooking dinner, we kidnapped our older sister and drove to a trail nearby. It was a fun little hike, winding up a nearby ridge, past a lake, and to a cliff looking out at the distant Catskill Mountains. The crag of the cliff made for perfect climbing opportunities to help us burn some calories before the Thanksgiving Feast.

We escaped into past adventures telling stories, and created new ones, growing our tradition of doing some sort of adventure sport on a holiday. My brother dubbed one route Late For Dinner, in celebration of the fact that we almost missed the feast.

If you ever need to just escape from a crowded room, or let your own footsteps over dead leaves and twigs be the only sound you hear, venture off into the woods for some time alone. It recharges your batteries, helps you create pockets of refreshing clarity in a whirlwind of family, and grounds you into the present.

Post-Black Friday Adventure

Working on arguably the most shopped day oft he year is utter chaos. It drains my desire to be in the moment, makes me wish I worked for REI, and sends me into cinematic daydreams of living in the Apocalypse.

I needed to get out into nature to recharge my batteries and forget about how crazy capitalism makes some people.

It doesn't take an adventure of an epic scale to do that, sometimes it's just a simple walk to go climb some boulders and watch the sun set over the horizon. It makes you appreciate living in the now.

You don't need to worry about having things, because you have the lightshow of the sun on the horizon, the streaming beams of light filtering between clouds, the laughter of friends and family crowding the overlook, the cool nip of the growing evening worrying into the chalk-stained flesh of your hands.

Focusing on the good, the now, you don't focus on the objects you desire, that new phone, the pair of jeans that are on sale but you don't really need.

For me, escaping into the outdoors like this is a way to get away from all that, but also to heal myself from all of that. Working an eight-hour shift selling people clothes and camping gear on a day known for it's brawls over cheap flat-screen TV's is exhausting both mentally and physically. 

#Optoutside is the way to go, it takes you back to your roots, to the things you really should be looking forward to when you open your eyes at first light.