Jamie Fleck | Fall Obsidian Collection

Jamie Fleck

 

10 Questions:

History, Tips, and Inspiration

1. What's your life look like outside of Instagram, and how do you fit in your adventures?

I work as a corporate auditor during the day, and with the way my hours are structured, I often end up with three day weekends. That helps a lot. My husband and I love spending time outdoors, so we just try to fit in trips and activities whenever we can. It seems like a lot of people think of Oklahoma as flat and nothing too exciting, and that's actually what I thought before I moved here from California; but there are so many lakes, state parks, and other areas that we can get to in less than two hours. It makes taking advantage of quick weekend trips that much easier for us.

 

2. How did you end up in Oklahoma by way of California?

My twin sister and I went to college in Oklahoma, so I had some experience here before making it a more permanent home. I ended up meeting my husband here, so I thought I'd stick around. It's actually been a really cool experience for me because I enjoy showing Oklahoma in a way that people don't necessarily get to see or expect to see it - even my friends who live here! People will see my pictures and say, "That looks amazing! Where were you?" And I laugh and tell them I was just an hour away from where they live.

 

3. Why has spending time outdoors become important in your life?

Getting away from technology is definitely part of the draw for me. A lot of the places we go don't have reception, so it's kind of nice to have tech removed for you. It's so rare in our everyday lives to have the quiet time to sit and enjoy what's around you. It brings you back to earth so when you go back home, you feel a bit more recharged and at peace.

 

4. What is your approach to photography on your adventures?

I really love photography, so it always makes travel and time outside even more fun for me. My goal is really to capture things the way that my eye sees it. I enjoy showing places from a different perspective if I can. We tend to visit places that just aren't on people's radar or aren't as popular, for whatever reason. Even when we do go to more popular locations, if I see a unique vantage point or perspective, that's what I try to show.

 

5. Adventures - spontaneous or planned?

I'd say about 2/3 planned and 1/3 spontaneous. It doesn't take much research to find a new spot for us to check out, especially with so many state parks easily accessible; so I like to do at least little bit of planning beforehand.

 

6. Adventures - solo or with a sidekick?

Because I'm a twin and am now married, I've pretty much always had a built-in sidekick on my adventures. Maybe someday, given the right situation, I'd do a solo adventure.

 

7. How do you stay organized and prepped for quick trips?

We definitely have a checklist now. In the beginning of our adventures together, we ended up making a lot of impromptu runs for things that we forgot. Along the way, talking to people that we camp near or run into on the trails has really helped us learn the best ways to keep everything organized. For camping, we keep everything in four bins that we can just grab and go. We've also got a checklist of 5 - 10 items that we bring whenever we travel and aren't camping, because we pretty much always plan on doing something outdoors wherever we go. I'd say packing has become kind of a ritual for us now.

 

8. You've been a Cairn subscriber for a long time. Do you still get pumped when you get your monthly delivery?

Definitely! Every month there's something that's completely practical and completely fun. We put the gear we get to use pretty much right away. Plus, it's always a nice element of surprise when you get it. I always feel like, "Yay! I wonder what I got!" when I get my box each month.

 

9. Where'd you take your Marmot Featherless Hoody?

It's been pretty warm in Oklahoma, so I haven't gotten to use it as much as I'd like, yet. We headed to the mountains with it where the air is a bit chillier, but I'm excited to put it to use this winter, that's for sure.

 

10. How do you like to end the day when you're out on an adventure?

My favorite way to wrap up a day of outdoor activities is definitely around a campfire. I don't think we've ever ended a night outside without a campfire. You just get to hang out, play games, have some snacks, and enjoy. You can't beat it.