Meet Emily Bodner & Zoey Erickson 💌

Introduce yourself! What is your name, where do you live and what is one fun fact about you?

Hi, my name is Emily Bodner, I've lived between Jackson, WY or Anchorage, AK for the last 18 years. Last March, we bought a house in Victor and moved in 10 days before Zoey was born because of the instability of the Jackson rental market. I worked as a RN in the PICU and ER for 10 years before becoming a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. A fun fact about me is that I can walk on my hands (in a handstand) for a long time — going 5 times around a pool table is a record of mine. 

What are your favorite ways to move outside? What activity makes you feel that strong love for the outdoors the most? 

My favorite things to do are ski and climb. Whether it's skiing groomers, skiing powder or the backcountry- sliding down snow with the wind in my face makes me feel free. Climbing makes me feel powerful and strong. Both sports have  brought me laughter, knowledge, tears and community. I love how I can combine my skills and knowledge between both sports and love planning objectives and the challenges of turning those objectives into reality and adventure.

What are your proudest accomplishments - either in sport or in life? 

Tough one. I am proud that I've created a life where I get to do the things I love, have a strong community, good friends and support. That even when things have been tough, I've kept going and have been able to find the good things and people around me. Cheesy-but true. 

Tell us about baby Zoey! What are her three favorite things (other than her mom 😉)? 

 Zoey is the best. It is wild to watch her grow, learn about the world and develop her own personality. She's crawling now, pulling herself up on everything, has no fear and is probably going to skip walking and just start running. She loves her dogs Granite and Lily, crawling around at lightning speed, avocados and being outside. Watching her smile and listening to her laugh are my favorite things in the world. 

How do you like to get outside with Zoe? Is she enjoying her first winter?

I started bringing her with me everywhere as soon as she was born. In the beginning, that meant walks around my neighborhood, and has advanced to long day hikes, bringing bassinets to the crag for her to play in while I climb, mellow ski tours, camping and more. It was easy when she was tiny because she slept most of the time. Now I bring blankets, snacks and diapers with us and stop along the way to play. It's slow, we never have an objective and I never finish on time, but I love it. So far it's working and she seems to love the outdoors, winter and snow! 

How do you balance motherhood with work and also make time for your outdoor pursuits?

One of the reasons I chose nursing was the schedule allowed me to take extended periods of time off for expeditions and trips. I was able to leave when I wanted and travel to adventure without much thought other than finding a dog sitter! The transition to motherhood changed this — but I was lucky to have good role models. I saw friends incorporate their new babies into their lives, adapting to the challenge, rather than not doing the things they loved and I am determined to do this with Zoey.

Trying to do things solo or with friends is the most challenging. I'm dependent on my partner Louis to watch her while I'm gone and without his support these things would be impossible. Communication and planning are key and adaptability are key to everyone's success. Parenting, working, being a partner and getting rest is hard, it's a constant learning experience and I'm grateful for how much I have been able to do thus far.

When Lou's working I make sure Zoey and I do an outdoor activity so I still get outside and get my body moving. I sneak in exercise while we're playing on the floor or during my lunch breaks. It's helped me value every second I have outdoors, whether it's something epic or a two mile run — I’ve realized they are both valuable. Zoey has motivated me to assess my career and long term goals. My goal for the future is to create a practice where I have more balance between work, family, friends and adventuring. 

Does love mean something different to you now that you have a baby? 

Love has a new meaning since I had Zoey. I love everything about her, she makes me want to be a better human and make the world a better place. My love for her has changed me, helping me slow down and see the adventure in the smallest things. It makes me feel my mortality. I love her father more for helping create her, for caring for her and helping me. I love my body more for growing her and continuing to provide for her. 

What are some of your dreams for Zoey?

I have a crew of women who make up my core group of climbing partners and are my best friends.  These women are strong; physically and mentally, and a great support to me. We motivate each other to succeed, to climb harder, be stronger, go faster. We laugh, we cry and we celebrate with each other. They have decided not to have children but supported me 100% in my decision to have Zoey. They love her like their own, make time for us, adapt plans and have slowed down for me/us while I was pregnant and the last 10 months since she was born. I hope she finds women like these-who support her and inspire her, even when she makes big life decisions that are different than their own. 

My dream for Zoey is that she is happy. That she finds something (or many things) she loves and enjoys doing them. In today's world there is more pressure on young children to succeed, rather than to have fun doing something. There's a statistic that more than 50% of girls drop out of sports in middle school due to bullying or poor self image. I want her to love being outside, sports and her body-no matter what. I dream of celebrating her success and failures with her and to learn while doing it. I hope by showing her my love for the outdoors, she will develop one too.