🌲🎙️🌊Episode # 11

How To Build a Life As a River Guide — Even If You Didn't Grow Up Outdoorsy

”I had to find a job where I could share the outside with people”

The Go Wildly Podcast is what happens when two childhood friends & dirtbag adventure junkies decide to bring a mic into the wilderness. We’re Emily & Heather…equal parts heart and chaos…pulling stories out of people like snacks from the bottom of a backpack. We hike. We float. We talk. And somehow, in between all the laughs and mosquito bites, something real always surfaces.

We take outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds into the woods & find out the common thread that led them to make the outdoors more than just a hobby, but a calling.We're goofy. We’re deep. We’re a little unhinged. And we somehow bring that out in our guests too. Think campfire vibes meets podcast energy…with just enough weird to keep things interesting.

Together let’s GO WILDLY!

Today's Guest: Michael Hughes

Michael Hughes didn’t grow up outdoorsy. No family camping trips, no rafting childhood summers. But somewhere along the way, he said yes to the river — and it changed everything.

Now he’s the manager of Northwest Rafting Company, a career river guide, ultra runner, and the guy leading trips from the Rogue River all the way to Bhutan. In this episode, we talk about what life’s really like as a guide, the magic of the Northwest guide house, international rafting culture, and what it takes to build a life around adventure, even if you started far from it.

He also drops some real advice for anyone dreaming of a life outside: how to get started, how to stay grounded, and why it’s never too late to choose a different path.

This one’s for the explorers, the late bloomers, and the ones who keep showing up …even if the episode’s a little late.

Let’s go wildly.

Northwest Rafting Company https://www.nwrafting.com/

also check out… https://www.whitewaterguidebook.com/

Filmed on Location: Ferry Road Boat Ramp

Let's Go Wildly Together:-Follow us on Instagram: @gowildlypodcast-Tag us on your hikes or adventures using #gowildly-Subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode-Leave us a review — it helps so much!-Get inspired: www.gowildlypodcast.com-Want to be a guest or sponsor the show? Visit gowildlypodcast.com & sign-up for our newsletter & never miss an event, group hike, discount code (when those start), digital guides to the outdoors, and more behind the scenes content.

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