Author: Mara

I grew up in a small town nestled between the Canadian prairies and the Rocky Mountains. I was born into a large family and raised in the LDS (Mormon) church. I did the whole church thing and was very devout until my early twenties. I was married at the young age of 18, and after 5 years of a tumultuous marriage I called it quits. Through my experiences of leaving the church, while going through the wild ride that is an unhealthy relationship and then a shitty divorce, I got to know myself on a deep level which brought so much colour and clarity into my life. I try my best to live in the moment, take lots of pictures, and keep memories alive. This blog started as a place to record two of my passions, writing and hiking, so I called it "maraoutside" (it sounded kind of hip and it worked 🤷). Now the idea of "maraoutside" has slowly morphed into an idea of me putting myself "out there" and exploring what life is, whether it is an outdoor activity or not. So if you are looking for consistency in topic or timing, you're in the wrong place, but you are welcome to follow along if you want to! Welcome to my place.