Member Monday: Andrew Clingan

Spring semester is in full swing! Assignments and test are already piling up. It’s important to take care of yourself physically and mentally by making time for your favorite hobbies.

We caught up with Andrew Clingan, a D1 who loves the outdoors, hiking, and rock climbing.

Andrew has always loved being outdoors and found himself venturing into hiking and camping during his college years. He eventually learned how to rock climb. “I live for the view at the top of a climb or the end of a long hike. I also hate going to gym and lifting weights so it’s a great form of exercise,” says Andrew. 

“A few summers ago, I went to Banff National Park in Canada with a group of friends. We spent the whole-time backpacking, rock climbing, and hiking around. The Canadian Rockies are a different kind of paradise with their baby blue lakes and jagged mountain peaks,” 
he says. 

We all likely struggle to make time for ourselves. It’s easy to feel bombarded with school and the daily tasks of life. When asking Andrew on how he finds time for his hobby he said that is can be tough. “It didn’t take long for me to realize that you will always feel like you could study more. I’ve found that forcing myself to leave the books for a few hours to go to the climbing gym or on a trail run helps more than a few extra hours of studying.”

For anyone wanting to start being outdoors more whether that be through climbing, hiking, or camping, Andrews advice for you is: “Don’t shy away from being uncomfortable. I’m frequently asked questions like “why would you want to sleep on the ground” or “how is it fun to walk for miles on end?” It’s true that those things aren’t the most fun, but the overall experience is worth the discomfort.”

Don’t forget to take some time this weekend to enjoy your hobby and take care of yourself!

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