This post is part of a series where Wild Wilderness Women is exploring the true definition of “babe” in preparation for our upcoming Babes Off the Beaten Path trip in Acadia National Park. Please consider supporting the babes forging paths for other outdoor women by making a donation on our fundraising page. If you’d like to share your words on “babe-dom” with us, please contact us!

Submitted By: Ella Rausch, Twitter—@VanellaBear95

Being a babe isn’t about outward attractiveness. It isn’t about how many 14ers
you’ve summited, the number of miles you’ve hiked, or how long your hair is. It
doesn’t matter if you’re a Republican or a Democrat, black or white, rich or poor,
male, female, or somewhere in between. Being a babe is about holding each other
up, giving back, and apologizing when we’ve made mistakes. It’s about not taking life
too seriously, but being mature enough to handle whatever gets thrown at us.

1. Even on your busiest days, you make time for others. Whether “others”
   means your dog, your boss, the mailman, or the environment, you go through
   life caring for those who need a friend, but also recognizing when you’re the
   one who needs a little support.
2. You ask for help. Independence is so IN right now but I’m pretty sure no one
   can move a king-size mattress alone. You’re more than willing to take a stab
   at anything on your own, but aren’t ashamed when you hit a snag. (Offering
   to give others a hand is pretty babe-worthy too.)
3. The process of things excites you. Most of us know that climbing a mountain
   isn’t just the physical act of getting to the top – it’s the preparation, the
   relationships you build, the inner demons you fight along the way. Instead of
   refusing to acknowledge these components when you finally do reach the
   summit of whatever peak you’re climbing, you better believe your
   acceptance speech is going to be chock-full of genuine thank you’s, emotional
   stories, and caring faces.
4. You care about something and say so. You believe that being complicit is no
   different than being on the opposing side of an issue. You speak up about
   what matters to you, but you listen more than you talk. It is so crucial to
   democracy that we take the time to hear each other out and respond in an
   appropriate way.
5. From a young age you’ve been identifying the holes in everyone’s logic, and
   not because you want to fight or make someone feel stupid, but because you
   genuinely want to help them better understand themselves. Life is pretty
   confusing, and by the time we become these so-called “adults” things can get
   pretty muddled in our brains. You strive to be your most authentic self, and
   encourage others too! If who that is changes day-to- day, that’s okay. You
   don’t make progress by staying in the same place.
6. You’re empathetic AF. This world is harsh – the last thing we need is a bunch
   of emotionless robots roaming the streets ignoring every new sad, awful,
   terrible, or good thing that happens. We have to be honest with ourselves
   about the true state of things, and refusing to engage is really uncool. You
   own your emotions and give others the space to do the same.

Sounds like you? Rejoice! And share the love – according to my calculations we’re
severely understaffed in the babe department and the maximum capacity is infinite.