Holly Florian

Holly Florian, a Michigan girl at heart, relocated to Baltimore, Maryland in 2019 and found herself 15 minutes down the road from a beautiful state park and about an hour from the Appalachian Trail. What was a job-related move became part of a change that shifted her view of herself, simply by incorporating hiking into her self-care routine.

“I’ve been trying to be intentional about physical activity being something that brings me joy.”

Like many women, Holly grew up thinking that exercise was supposed to be hard, hurt, and physique altering. She found that hiking is a way to move her body in a way that feels good and is enjoyable, as well as an opportunity to let go of some of the noise in her mind and to gain clarity along the way.

What is “a hike”? When we asked Holly what counts as a hike, her answer was simple: if you think it’s a hike, it’s a hike.

“For me, I enjoy going into the forest. I don’t have to check off boxes to make it a hike. If it felt like a hike to me, it’s a hike.”

The realization that people thought of Holly as a ‘hiker’ caused her to deal with a fair amount of imposter’s syndrome. Though she didn’t think of herself as an outdoors person, she reflects on how she grew up being outdoors, camping with her family and playing in the woods with her siblings, her aunt and parents taking them hiking. It wasn’t until her new job in Maryland. provided her with the time to discover that she was, in fact, an outdoor person after all.

Hiking Alone

Hiking alone seems to be a controversial topic, and (as Holly laughs) people always have opinions on anything women do. She shares with us some level headed advice about safety, including thorough planning in advance, designating a check-in person who knows the route she’ll be taking, and knowledge about cell signal in the area. One piece of hiking equipment she plans to get is a personal location device in case of an emergency. 

“There’s some hiking I’d like to do in the next couple years that I know is more remote, and I don’t want to put myself in danger. I try to be reasonable about it. The reality is, especially as a single women, I go do things! Just because I don’t have someone else around doesn’t mean I’m not going to go do things.”

For anyone, regardless of gender, it’s good for someone to know where you are. Be smart and proactive about it, Holly advises. Even if you’d prefer to hike solo, knowing others who hike or being part of an online group in the area can be a valuable resource and support.

See What Happens

We noticed that Holly uses some specific hashtags on her Instagram posts, such as the number of the hike she’s on in that year. The goal is one hike a week. 52 hike challenge (instead of new years resolutions, exercise to change your body, etc. she took up the 52 hike challenge and finished the year with well over 52 hikes. Adopting the “see what happens” perspective rather than the typical “do it to change your body” attitude brought Holly a satisfaction in the journey and built her confidence along the way as well.

Another hashtag that we love is #mybodytookmehere. We chat with Holly about how empowering it is to recognize what your body did – that it’s you who showed up for yourself and made it to wherever you are. Like many women, feeling that you’re supposed to want to change your body, she lived many years hating her body. In 2021, Holly hiked 17 miles in one day, and remembers the realization that her body did that. Her frank reflection on how her perspective of herself has shifted should inspire appreciation for what our own bodies can do, in whatever shape they are in at the moment.

Everyone can be guilty of imposter syndrome for so many reasons, but as we look back at what we’ve accomplished, we have the opportunity to start to love ourselves.

Educating Herself

Over the last few years, Holly has been intentional about recognizing her own privilege and listening to voices that are from people who don’t look like her and have not had the same experiences. She has been actively noticing how the outdoor industry is represented by fit, white men, and her choice to follow and listen to people with different perspectives has helped her be able to see the need to highlight people who are outside of what the average person thinks of as outdoorsy, but they are outdoorsy.

Learning from Native American voices about her relationship to the outdoors, and the history of the land she lives on has challenged her to ask if we are taking Indigenous perspectives on how we take care of public lands. Holly quotes Robin Wall Kimmerer thought-provoking book that shows us what we can learn from trees and what we can learn from them that applies to our human relationships.

“I’m grateful for everything they’ve done to make the outdoors more open and accepting, and what they’ve taught me about my own place in all that.”

Tree Nerd

“I got really excited about a leaf today!” Holly exclaims. It didn’t take much to get her to share what thrills her about nature. One of the things we love about outdoor activity-focused community groups is the opportunity it gives us to geek out about what inspires us. If you follow Holly on Instagram, you’ll notice two types of tree photos she enjoys taking: sunlight shining through leaves (a phenomenon she calls “sparkly trees” with contagious enthusiasm), and the fascinating view of crown shyness as you look up and see that the trees grow in such a way as to give each other the space they need to thrive within the community.

“Trees are incredible and we should be trying to learn from the trees because they have it figured out and we do not.”

Become a Hiker

Our conversation with Holly includes much more in the full interview on the Daylight Spotlight Podcast. Her sensitivity to other perspectives and understanding the struggles a lot of us go through to give ourselves what we need. To show up for ourselves. Here’s some advice from Holly to get you started:

• “If you have a comfy pair of sneakers, find a local trail, and go for a walk.”
• Use a trails app and read the user comments so you can know what to expect.
• Take advantage of your local trails, parks, and state parks.
• Ask for help! Most park rangers will eagerly share their expertise to get you started.

Some simple prep will do you good and lessen the intimidation of getting out there. It doesn’t have to be a production. Check the weather, fill up a water bottle, put on your sneakers, and go for a walk. Or a hike. If you think it’s a hike, it’s a hike.

Show Notes:

Instagram hashtags:
#52HikeChallenge
#MyBodyTookMeHere

Instagram accounts to follow:
@Indigenouswomenhike
@brownpeoplecamping
@Unlikelyhikers

Holly’s book recommendation:
Braiding Sweet Grass
by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Leave No Trace

All Trails app

And don’t forget to visit and support your State Parks!