Hiking, Kayaking, and The Great Outdoors

A big part of our mission here at Groove Life is to inspire adventure. 

And we can’t think of a better way to start than by sharing a story of our own.

For Groove Life Project Manager and single mom, Amanda Williams, adventure led her to Kentucky. More specifically, the beautiful, majestic canyons of Red River Gorge located in the lush Daniel Boone National Forest.

With our Adventure Benefit, Groove encourages employees to find the most exciting and unique adventure they can, take tons of photos and video, and return with a story to tell. We then reimburse a portion of the trip. It’s a win-win. 

“A big motivation for this trip was the chance to get myself and my daughters out of our comfort zone—out of the house and away from sitting in front of the TV,” Amanda remarked.

More than that, Amanda longed to do something more active and more adventurous with her daughters than riding bikes in their small town neighborhood.

Off the Beaten Path

So, along with her best friend and two daughters, ages 6 and 7, Amanda embarked on a three-day adventure trip to the gorge.

They were ready for plenty of scenic hiking, venturing off road in ATVs, and kayaking through underground caves.

The four of them lodged in a modern-day treehouse, where they took advantage of quality time and the chance to bond with each other.

Amanda even taught her girls how to build a fire, which they used to cook their meals in the evenings.

Driving an ATV with her friend and girls strapped in tight was Amanda’s most memorable moment. 

“Riding in an ATV is intense,” said Amanda.

Due to the steep inclines and rough terrain, their instructor gave them vital instructions on what to do if their ATV started flipping. Yikes!

Her girls, on the other hand, had a blast sleeping in the secluded treehouse, nestled in the forest surrounding the gorge. 

God of the Great Outdoors

Amanda’s top priority as a single mom has always been to protect her girls above all else. 

So anything with a higher-than-normal risk factor was never on her radar, let alone being somewhere without cell service.

Her trust in God is what brought her through. 

“I resolved to rely on him without fear of what might happen,'' said Amanda.

As a result, Amanda felt a closer bond to her girls as they experienced nature in a way they never had before. 

Her girls couldn’t wait to get home to tell their friends about all of the adventures they’d had—from learning how to build a fire, to sleeping in a treehouse, to riding in an ATV for the first time.

Amanda went into this trip thinking it would simply be a great opportunity to get away from work and her busy day-to-day schedule.

What she didn’t expect was a renewed desire for many more family-bonding, memory-making, white-knuckling adventures ahead.