Maven Memoir: Eirinn, Your Funniest New Friend
I wasn't on Eirinn's first Trail Mavens trip, but through a stroke of luck, she ended up in the Bay Area the weekend we tackled the Dipsea Trail back in August, and I got to meet her there. I'd heard she was awesome from her guides, Caitlin and Yana, but I didn't know quite how awesome until we spent some time chatting on the trail.
If you have the chance to hang with Eirinn, the first thing you'll notice is probably her giant, friendly smile. After that, you'll quickly learn she's a fearless go-getter (she moved across the country to pursue a career in film), she has fabulous sense of humor (check out her shorts on Funny or Die, or her new web series, My Life Worked Out), and she ponders the bigger questions in life (just read her thoughts below). We'll let her take it from here!
Name: Eirinn Disbrow
Hometown: Wilton, CT
Trail Mavens Adventure: Tahoe Camping
Tell us a little about yourself! What do you do for work and for fun?
I moved from NYC to LA two years ago to pursue film editing. I just finished up working as an Assistant Editor on the new Ghostbusters movie (yay girl power!) and I also write and direct my own web videos, two of which have been featured on Funny or Die. For fun I try to spend most of my time outside and at the beach to counter act all the time I spend in front of a computer screen.
[Editor's Note: When I went to see Ghostbusters in theaters, I was definitely that person that took a picture of the screen when Eirinn's name scrolled by.]
What inspired you to register for a Trail Mavens trip?
I read Beth Behrs' article in Lenny Letter about her experience with Trail Mavens, and I really connected to a lot of what she said. She wrote about how easy it is to get caught up in the inauthenticity and craziness of LA, and how the outdoors became a way for her to reconnect with her sense of self. It was a great reminder of how important taking that time for yourself can be. I immediately Googled Trail Mavens and the rest was history!
What was it like spending the weekend with eight strangers?!
I was really nervous going into the trip. It's never easy showing up to a situation where you know no one and you have no idea what to expect, but I've always found in my life that the situations that push me outside of my comfort zone tend to be the best experiences.
[Editor's Note: YAAAS QUEEN.]
This trip did not prove otherwise. I remember Caitlin, our group leader, telling us at the beginning of the trip that this might be the only time this group of women will ever all be together in a situation like this. I think there's something really cool and refreshing about that.
How often do you get to be in a life-changing situation with a group of women of all different ages and backgrounds and experiences? It is impossible to walk away from that not having learned something or gained a different perspective.
Top three moments from your trip:
Drinking wine around the campfire and looking up at the stars, swimming in the lake, and paddleboarding!
What's the one nugget of wisdom or learning that you're still telling your friends about?
How to build a fire! It is such a useful and simple skill but it is so important and in the past I was nervous to try it by myself.
Five words to describe how you felt as you headed home after the trip?
Refreshed, peaceful, accomplished, proud, and happy :)
Any suggestions for future Trail Mavens?
I would say don't hesitate to go on one of these trips by yourself. Right now I'm reading 'Tiny Beautiful Things' by Cheryl Strayed, and in it she talks about how in life you have to reach for the things you want. Reaching for something involves letting go and doing things that might scare you.
Trail Mavens pushes you to do just that, and I think the more opportunities we have to meet new people, hike up mountains we didn't think we could climb, swim in cold water, and share pieces of yourself with strangers, the closer we get to becoming the badass women we were meant to be!
[Editor's Note: PREACH.]
Want to get closer to becoming the badass woman you were meant to be? You know what to do.