Pamper Your Brain

I thought it was a waste of time to do nothing

Photos courtesy Ziyi Xu

“We all know not to over-exhaust our body, to get a massage or do some yoga when we don’t feel well. The same should go for our brains.”

— Ziyi Xu

Season 2 // Episode 4

Ziyi Xu was addicted to her smartphone.

It had started as a way to educate herself and keep up with her peers. But it soon took over her life, ruining her focus and her productivity. Then, one night in Texas, she tried stargazing.

On this episode, Ziyi tells the story of how she kicked the smartphone habit and got her creativity back.

Read the episode transcript.

Follow Out There on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you stream podcasts.

Episode Notes

Credits

• Story and sound design by Ziyi Xu

• Editing by Willow Belden

• Music includes selections from Blue Dot Sessions and Epidemic Sound.

Additional Resources

• Willow Belden’s recommendations for Out There Favorites:

  • How to Be a Girl

  • Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

  • Dirty Girl gaiters

Upcoming Events

Virtual Open Mic Night

March 31, 2022 // 5:30 p.m. PST, 8:30 p.m. EST

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BONUS: Climate Language

How the words we use can change our impact on the environment

“The loss of linguistic diversity happens in the same places as where species decline.”

— Clare Wiley

Last year, the term ‘climate crisis’ was added to the Oxford English Dictionary, along with terms like ‘climate strikes,’ ‘single-use,’ ‘carbon capture’ — and even ‘smart-charging.’

The words we use to talk about the environment are evolving. But could they motivate us to take action?  

On this bonus episode, we bring you a guest story from the podcast Living Planet about the relationship between language and the environment. Plus, we share a behind-the-scenes conversation with one of Living Planet’s hosts, Sam Baker.

Episode Notes

Credits

• The story on language and climate change, by Clare Wiley, first aired on Deutsche Welle’s Living Planet in 2021.

Additional Resources

• Living Planet episodes mentioned in our interview with Sam Baker:

  • Ireland’s move away from peat

  • Female genital mutilation increases with global temperatures

  • Frog love songs

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America’s Best Idea?

I thought I knew what a national park was

Denali National Park (Photo by Sam Baker)

“These parks are not untouched land. ... People have been here forever, and this land has been touched forever. And those people are still here.”

— Kiana Carlson

Season 2 // Episode 3

National Parks are often referred to as “America’s best idea.” And there’s a lot to love about them. But they also have a complicated history — a history of broken promises, displacement of indigenous people, and genocide.

And that history is not over.

So how do we move forward? Is there a way to right the wrongs of the past? Can we protect our wild spaces in a way that is also socially just?

This episode comes to us from environmental journalist Sam Baker, who's struggled for a long time with the paternalism of environmental movements in the US. But she sees a way forward that offers hope. She takes us from a young national park in Germany to Denali in Alaska and explores how we can start taking steps to create a better future.

Read the episode transcript here.

Follow Out There on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you stream podcasts.

Episode Notes

Credits

• Story by Sam Baker

• Editing and sound design by Willow Belden

• Music includes selections from AudioBlocks and Blue Dot Sessions

Additional Resources

• Living Planet is the Deutsche Welle podcast Sam Baker hosts

• Tiffany Duong’s recommendations for Out There Favorites:

  • Geckobrands Dueler Waterproof Backpack

  • Stream2Sea Sunscreen and Leave-In Conditioner

  • Silipints

Upcoming Events

Virtual Happy Hour

March 9, 2022 // 5 p.m. PST, 8 p.m. EST

Become an Out There patron by March 4 to receive an invitation.

Existing patrons: You’re automatically invited!

Become a Patron

Virtual Open Mic Night

March 31, 2022 // 5:30 p.m. PST, 8:30 p.m. EST

Save My Seat

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Pandemic Sundays

I thought the only place to find peace and community was at church

(PHoto courtesy Angie Chatman)

“As an African American woman, in an all-white upscale neighborhood, I am conspicuous. ”

— Angie Chatman

Season 2 // Episode 2

Church was Angie Chatman’s happy place. It was a space not only for reflection and worship, but also for community and inner peace. So when the pandemic began and she couldn’t attend services in person, there was a big void in Angie’s life.

Then, a friend suggested they go walking together. As a Black woman, Angie had never felt safe outdoors. But she agreed to give it a try.

On this episode, Angie shares her story. She takes us through the streets of Boston, unpacking her trepidation and ultimately discovering a new and surprising way to meet her emotional needs.

Read the full episode transcript here.

Follow Out There on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you stream podcasts.

Episode Notes

Credits

• Story by Angie Chatman

• Editing and sound design by Willow Belden

• Music includes selections from AudioBlocks and Blue Dot Sessions

Additional Resources

• Angie Chatman

  • Angie’s website

  • Angie’s story on the Moth Radio Hour

  • Angie’s award-winning appearance on Stories from the Stage

• Cara Schaefer’s recommendations in this week’s Out There Favorites:

  • All We Can Save

  • Ologies Podcast

  • Encanto soundtrack

• Tuesday Spotlight: A Conversation with Birdability’s Virginia Rose

Upcoming Events

Virtual Happy Hour

March 9, 2022 // 5 p.m. PST, 8 p.m. EST

Become an Out There patron by March 4 to receive an invitation.

Existing patrons: You’re automatically invited!

Virtual Open Mic Night

March 31, 2022 // 5:30 p.m. PST, 8:30 p.m. EST

Sign up to attend!

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Indoor Kid

I thought the only way out of depression was to become a different person

At age 20, Sarah Dealy attended a Wilderness Therapy program in Utah (inset). Eight years later, she decided to go on a solo backpacking trip on the Colorado Trail (background). // PHotos courtesy Sarah Dealy

“My life has been significantly better since I accepted that this is the brain, the personality, and the body that I have.”

— Sarah Dealy

Season 2 // Episode 1

Sarah Dealy was not outdoorsy. But at age 20, during a severe bout of depression, she enrolled in a wilderness therapy program. By the end of the program, she wanted to become an “outdoor girl.”

But becoming the outdoorswoman of her dreams didn’t come naturally. Sarah was an indoor kid at heart. She disliked many of the activities she imagined her outdoorsy self doing.

On this episode, Sarah takes us from the desert of Utah to the mountains of Colorado and explores what happens when the person you think you want to be doesn’t mesh with the person you are.

Read the episode transcript here.

Follow Out There on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you stream podcasts.

Episode Notes

Credits

• This episode was written, produced and sound designed by Sarah Dealy.

• Editing by Willow Belden.

• Music includes selections from Blue Dot Sessions.

Additional Resources

• You can see more of Sarah Dealy’s work here. Sign up here to be notified when her series about Troubled Teen wilderness programs comes out.

• If you are a parent who is considering sending your kid to a wilderness program, Sarah recommends the book Help at Any Cost by Maia Szalavitz.

• The apps Jessica Taylor recommended in this week’s Out There Favorites are Hip Camp, Campendium, and Harvest Hosts. In addition, here’s a little video Jessica made about Campendium, and here’s a Mother’s Day piece where they featured her.

Upcoming Events

Sign up to perform!

We’ll be co-hosting an open mic night with our friends at Kula Cloth on March 31.

If you’d like to perform, sign up here by Feb. 4.

Virtual Happy Hour

Celebrate Out There’s 7th birthday with us!

Become an Out There patron by March 4 to receive an invitation.

Existing patrons: You’re automatically invited!

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The Gift That Keeps On Giving

A bonus episode about how nature has surprised us

Clockwise from upper left: Tiffany Duong, Ashley White, Mary Gordon, Shannon Prince, Shelby Stanger, Evan Phillips, Nicole Christina, Tessa Peters

“I might not be able to climb mountains, but I can still appreciate them ... whether I’m camping, sitting quietly by a river, or watching a squirrel just run around in the trees. ”

— Evan Phillips, Host of The Firn Line

Think of this episode as a pre-season treat.

The theme of our upcoming season is “Things I Thought I Knew,” and before it starts, we wanted to let Out There community members weigh in on how nature has shifted their perspectives.

We reached out to listeners and fellow podcasters, and we asked: “What is one way your relationship with nature has changed in a way that has surprised you?”

The answers we received were thought-provoking, inspiring, and hopeful, and on this episode, we’re sharing some of our favorites.

Click here for the episode transcript.

Follow Out There on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you stream podcasts.

Upcoming Events

Sign up to perform!

We’ll be co-hosting an open mic night with our friends at Kula Cloth on March 31.

If you’d like to perform, sign up here by Feb. 4.

Virtual Happy Hour

Celebrate Out There’s 7th birthday with us!

Become an Out There patron by March 4 to receive an invitation.

Existing patrons: You’re automatically invited!

Episode Notes

Credits

• This episode was produced by Sheeba Joseph.

• Editing and Sound Design by Willow Belden.

• Music from Blue Dot Sessions and Audio Blocks.

Contributors

• Ashley White is an Out There ambassador and fly fishing guide.

• Mary Gordon is an Out There listener.

• Tessa Peters works for the Land Institute, a nonprofit focused on creating an agriculture system that provides ample food without all the harm to the planet. 

• Tiffany Duong is an Out There ambassador, and she has lately been doing more expeditions and the media around them. She is helping to demystify what it takes to go on an expedition, who can go (spoiler: anyone), and making it more accessible for everyone.

• Evan Phillips is host of the podcast The Firn Line.

• Nicole Christina is host of the podcast Zestful Aging.

• Shannon Prince is an Out There listener and author of Tactics for Racial Justice: Building an Antiracist Organization and Community. Out There listeners can buy it at a 20% discount with the code FLY21. Shannon has also contributed a story to Out There; you can listen to it here.

• Shelby Stanger is host of the podcast Wild Ideas Worth Living.

Things I Thought I Knew

Season Trailer

Since 2015, we’ve been bringing you outdoor stories that help you make sense of your life and your world. This February, we’re launching a new season.

The season’s stories will still be the kind of personal, introspective narratives you know and love. But there will be a common theme: “Things I thought I knew.” Each episode, we’ll share a story about an outdoor experience that changed someone’s understanding about themselves, their humanity, or their world.

Here’s a sneak peak!

Follow Out There on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you stream podcasts.

Special thanks to Sheeba Joseph for editorial assistance on this trailer.

Fear and Leadership in the Mountains

What fear is trying to teach us, and how it can help us as leaders

Lindsey Falkenburg (Photo courtesy of She Explores)

“Vulnerability is always a virtue.”

— Lindsey Falkenburg

How many times have we been told the story of the fearless leader — in work, in politics, in the mountains? When the stakes are high, it’s natural to place our confidence in strength and certainty. To turn to the leader and believe that they have no doubt, that they’ve built up a kind of resilience that will carry us all to safety.

This is a guest episode from the podcast She Explores. It isn’t about how to become a fearless leader in the mountains. Nor is it about how to overcome your fear, or even how to harness it. But it is about listening to what fear is trying to teach us. It’s an opportunity to consider what kind of leader you need, as well as the one you might want to be.

Follow Out There on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you stream podcasts.

This story was produced by Gale Straub. It first aired on She Explores in 2020.

Music includes works by Gracie & Rachel via Music Bed.

Featured in this episode: Lindsey Falkenburg, Ashley Abril, Kristen Jones, and Boealps

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Too Good To Be True?

The fairytale romance that actually worked out

Walt House and Donna Martino (Photo courtesy Walt House and Donna Martino)

“You don’t know how to trust yourself until you ... take chances.”

— Donna Martino

In 2002, Donna Martino stuck a photograph on her fridge. It was a picture from the newspaper of a handsome kayaker paddling through the surf. A few months later, Donna matched with the man on a dating website.

The rest is history.

We tend to assume that improbable beginnings are a recipe for disaster — that sappy romances can’t last — that fairytale endings are only for movies. But sometimes, the real world serves up a dose of schmaltz.

This story, which first aired in 2020 and went on to win a national award, is about what happens when coincidences pile up, and strangers go out on a limb and take a chance on each other.

Read the episode transcript here.

Follow Out There on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you stream podcasts.

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The Art of Loving Yourself

How moving to a farm taught one woman to honor her needs

After struggling with a chronic illness for years, Melat Amha decided to move to a farm in the Sierra National Forest (Photo courtesy Melat Amha)

“I was finally doing something that sounded fun. Something just for me — not for my husband, not for my parents.”

— Melat Amha

Melat Amha had been struggling with chronic illness for years, when she decided to move to an organic farm in the Sierra National Forest.

On this episode, she shares her story. It’s a story about finding your way back to health, when modern medicine has failed you. And it’s about learning what it really means to love yourself and honor your needs.

Read the episode transcript here.

Follow Out There on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you stream podcasts.

Also mentioned on this episode

The same week that our episode “In the Name of Fairness” came out, the International Olympic Committee released a new framework aimed at making sports more inclusive. You can read about it here.

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In the Name of Fairness

Why some of the best athletes are excluded, just for being themselves

Annet Negesa competes in the 2011 World Championships in Daegu, South Korea (Photo courtesy Annet Negesa)

“The history of modern sports governance is a history of unintended consequences.”

— Victoria Jackson

On the surface, competing as a runner seems straight forward: the winner of a race is the fastest person from point A to point B, and to progress, you just have to be a better runner than everyone else. Right?

Turns out, it’s not so simple. Fairness is a surprisingly complicated concept.

On this episode we bring you the story of two athletes — a “ghost runner” from the U.K. named John Tarrant, and a phenom from Uganda named Annet Negesa — and we explore how rules meant to ensure fairness can end up excluding some of the best athletes from competitions.

Read the episode transcript here.

Follow Out There on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you stream podcasts.

John Tarrant, known as the “Ghost RUnner,” races unofficially in the Comrades Race in 1968 (Photo courtesy Bill Jones)

This story was reported and produced by Sheeba Joseph and Joseph Hawthorne.

Sheeba is Out There’s audience growth director and an independent producer. She’s working on another story about Annet Negesa, which is slated to run on a podcast called The Long Game, which is a co-production of Foreign Policy and Doha Debates.

Joseph is a producer Campside Media’s new podcast, Eclipsed, a weekly narrative history podcast that re-investigates important events from the past that were overshadowed.

To learn more about the Ghost Runner, check out his biography, Ghost Runner: The Tragedy of the Man They Couldn't Stop by Bill Jones.

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Riding Past Fear

How one man turned his life around — on a mountain bike

Will Cox has become a passionate mountain biker (photo courtesy Will Cox)

“My bike is my paintbrush, and the trails are my canvas. ”

— Will Cox

Will Cox grew up with a rare bone condition called osteochondromatosis. He was constantly in and out of hospitals, constantly having surgery, constantly fearful of the world around him.

The fear eventually took over his life, controlling almost everything he did. And that’s probably the way his future would have played out, had it not been for a mountain bike.

On this episode, Tanya Chawla brings us Will’s story.

Read the episode transcript here.

Follow Out There on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you stream podcasts.

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Go to outtherepodcast.com/kula and enter the promo code “outtherepodcast15” at checkout.

Choosing a Line

How to chart your own course on a mountain bike — and in life

Grace Gordon rides her bike on a trail in Ohio (Photo courtesy Grace Gordon)

“Deep down, I ... didn’t accept my own sexuality. It felt shameful. Wrong. Why couldn’t I just be ‘normal’?”

— Grace Gordon

We often hear that you shouldn’t worry about what society thinks of you — you should chart your own course in life.

But that’s easier said than done. What if different parts of you are at odds? How do know if you’ve made a mistake by following your gut?

This is a story about learning to trust yourself on a mountain bike, and in life. It’s about the struggle to accept your own sexuality, and the bumpy trail toward finding peace with who you are.

Click here to read the episode transcript.

Subscribe to Out There on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you stream podcasts.

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Outskating Your Demons

How a skateboard trip redefined one woman’s relationship with mental illness

Molly-Anne Dameron sought to find mental healing by skateboarding from Maine to New Jersey (Photo courtesy Molly-Anne Dameron)

“In the two years I’ve been clean, I hadn’t done something that really meant something to me. It was two years of just trying to survive. ... And I needed to find some meaning in that.”

— Molly-Anne Dameron

Molly-Anne Dameron had struggled with severe mental illness her whole life. And, after years of drug addiction, she had recently gotten sober. But — as she puts it — getting sober is "not always f*cking rainbows." She wasn’t sure she was going to make it in sobriety, with the added isolation of the pandemic.

So she set out to skate from Maine to New Jersey.

On this episode, journalist Ilana Strauss brings us Molly-Anne’s story. It’s a story about trying to reclaim the good in yourself, and figuring out who you are, after giving up something that has defined you for years.

Read the episode transcript here.

Subscribe to Out There on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you stream podcasts.

Thank you for sharing!

We are so grateful to listeners who refer their friends to Out There, so we’d like to say thank you.

Anyone with at least five referrals by Oct. 15, 2021 will be entered into our fall giveaway for a chance to win a Hydroflask and $20 of Out There merch.

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Forest as Pharmacy

One woman’s quest to save endangered traditions

SHANNON PRINCE WAS THE FIRST BLACK PERSON MANY MONGOLIANS HAD EVER SEEN, AND AS A RESULT, THEY WERE OFTEN CURIOUS ABOUT HER SKIN AND HAIR. (PHOTO COURTESY SHANNON PRINCE)

“In Cherokee thought, ‘plant’ and ‘medicine’ are practically synonyms. ... Our traditional stories teach us that there’s no such thing as a non-medicinal plant – only plants whose medicinal purpose we aren’t aware of.”

— Shannon Prince

Shannon Prince comes from a family with a rich relationship to the natural world. Her Cherokee ancestors were skilled at using plants to heal the deepest of wounds, and Shannon grew up with the understanding that nature could — quite literally — save you.

But her family’s eco-literacy had been stripped away over the generations, and by the time Shannon came along, there wasn’t much left to teach her.

Yearning to rediscover forgotten knowledge, Shannon traveled across the world, to a place where ancient traditions were more intact than her own.

On this episode, she shares her story, exploring the surprising things that can happen to us on a personal level, when we attempt to preserve a way of life that’s slowly being stripped away.

Read the episode transcript here.

Subscribe to Out There on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you stream podcasts.

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Word of mouth is one of the best ways to reach new listeners, and we’d like to thank you for sharing Out There Podcast with your friends. Sign up for your personal referral link and start earning rewards today!

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More by Shannon Prince

Shannon Prince’s book Tactics for Racial Justice is for people who want to end racism but may not know how. It gives you the tools you need to help create a more just world.

For 20% off the book, enter promo code FLY21.

Buy book

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Trial by Fire

How do you find serenity when a natural disaster threatens everything you’ve built?

The Cameron Peak Fire consumed nearly 209,000 acres over 112 days, making it the largest and longest-lasting wildfire in Colorado history (Photo by Becky Jensen)

“One minute I was giving myself the classic pep talk that it’s just a house, just stuff, and things can be replaced. ... The next minute I couldn’t stop crying.”

— Becky Jensen

Becky Jensen had given herself the perfect present for her 50th birthday: a two-week solo backpacking trip. But when she emerged from the trail, she learned that a wildfire had started near her home in northern Colorado. Her house might already be gone.

On this episode, Becky shares her story. She takes us from the tranquility of the San Juan mountains to a cramped basement where she waited out her evacuation, and explores the difficult process of finding a sense of peace, when a natural disaster threatens everything you’ve built.

Read the full episode transcript here.

Subscribe to Out There on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you stream podcasts.

More stories by Becky Jensen

The Motherload

Why a selfish act can end up being good for everyone

Coyote’s Beauty Secrets

Breaking free of the need to hide who you are

Double or Nothing

What if your childhood dreams aren’t so childish after all?

Refer friends, win rewards!

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The person with the MOST referrals by the end of 2021 will have a personal story created for them by Out There.

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On My Own Terms

One woman’s journey to find belonging after a heartbreaking hike

Ava Ahmadbeigi (Photo courtesy Ava Ahmadbeigi)

“The kind of belonging and acceptance I worry about is not the kind you might feel at a party where you don’t have any friends. Belonging, for me, is tinged with power. The ability for someone who claims the space to tell me not just that I don’t fit in, but that I have to get out.”

— Ava Ahmadbeigi

As an Iranian immigrant, Ava Ahmadbeigi has spent a lot of time thinking about “belonging” — or not belonging.

One of the places she always felt most unwelcome was the outdoors. And after a demoralizing hiking trip, she gave up on nature.

But that hiking trip kept haunting her. On this episode, Ava shares her story. It’s a story that takes us from a cramped apartment in New York City to a mountain in the Adirondacks and traces Ava’s struggle to find her place — both in her own body, and in the world outside her walls.

Read the full episode transcript here.

Subscribe to Out There on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you stream podcasts.

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Sign up for our email list to receive info about our upcoming rewards program, and other occasional updates from Out There host Willow Belden!

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OUT TRAVEL THE SYSTEM

The Happy Hustle

How do you pursue your passion, pay the bills, and find balance?

Khaleeq Alfred has built a name for himself photographing skateboarders (photo courtesy KHaleeq Alfred)

“Like any good skateboarder knows, balance is not a passive state of being; it’s an active pursuit.”

— Forrest Wood

A career in the arts is tough. Creative professionals are notoriously overworked and underpaid. And even if you “make it,” it’s easy for your passion to turn into just another stressful job.

How do you walk the line between following your dreams and paying the bills? How can you get the compensation you deserve without sacrificing your artistic integrity? How do you find balance between happiness and the hustle?

On this episode, former Out There intern Forrest Wood brings us the story of photographer and skateboarder Khaleeq Alfred, who has spent his career navigating these questions.

Read the full episode transcript here.

Subscribe to Out There on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you stream podcasts.

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Horse Crazy

A conversation with author Sarah Maslin Nir

Sarah Maslin Nir has been a horse lover since early childhood (Photo courtesy Sarah Maslin Nir)

“As the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, whose people were literally erased from the planet, the figurative erasure of Black people from the American equestrian story really felt a parallel.”

— Sarah Maslin Nir

On this episode, we talk with Sarah Maslin Nir, author of the book Horse Crazy.

Horse Crazy is part memoir and part cultural exploration. It’s a love letter to an animal. It’s a story about the struggle to belong. And it’s a deep dive into the fascinating things that horses — and the humans connected to them — can teach us about ourselves and our society.

Read the full episode transcript here.

Subscribe to Out There on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you stream podcasts.

Become a Patron!

Share your story on Out There!

We’re seeking pitches for our upcoming season, and we’d love to hear from you!

The season’s theme is “Things I thought I knew” — and we’re looking for stories that fit that theme and showcase outdoor experiences you don’t often hear about in mainstream media.

Pitches are due July 30, 2021.

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The Bucket List Traveler

What if self care is not selfish?

The first national Park on Linda Mohammad’s bucket list was Death Valley (Photo courtesy Linda Mohammad)

“Representation matters. ... The fact that I am out there, doing my thing, does inspire solo female travelers and people of color.”

— Linda Mohammad

Many of us assume that self care is inherently selfish — that we either focus on ourselves, or we help others.

But what if that’s a false dichotomy? This story explores how self care can end up being good for the greater community.

The story follows a woman named Linda Mohammad, also known as the Bucket List Traveler, who set out to visit all the national parks in the United States. When she started the project, she was just trying to get in shape and unplug from her hectic life. But the experience snowballed into something much bigger, and much more beautiful, than that.

Cecily Mauran has the story.

Click here for the full episode transcript.

Subscribe to Out There on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you stream podcasts.

Become a Patron!

Photo by Shirish Suwal on Unsplash

Share your story on Out There!

We’re seeking pitches for our upcoming season, and we’d love to hear from you!

The season’s theme is “Things I thought I knew” — and we’re looking for stories that fit that theme and showcase outdoor experiences you don’t often hear about in mainstream media.

Pitches are due July 30, 2021.

Out There won a national award!

Out There’s episode “A Series of Unlikely Events” took the silver medal for best independent podcast in the Public Media Journalists Association’s annual awards.

PMJA is a nationwide association of public radio journalists. Their awards honor the best audio stories across the country each year.

This is Out There's fifth national award. Over the past six years, three of our episodes — “Selfless Acts”, “The Instinct to Kill” and "High on Failure" — have received gold medals, and one episode — “Failure in Success” — took second place.

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