Living Authentically in Connection with Nature + Self

She Who Wanders

Feb 16

A Convo with Priscila from Kerws on the Go

Meet Priscila. After moving to the U.S. from Brazil 6 years ago, this wife and mom of two has made the most of every moment in the beautiful PNW. Exploring and adventuring with her family as much as possible around school schedules and activities, she loves to hike, spend time in nature, travel in the family camper and make forever memories with her kids. Through connecting more with nature and herself, Priscila has been able to reawaken her true and authentic self, and is inspiring other moms to find their way back to their own passions and dreams. And just for the record…she also shares all the best waterfalls Oregon has to offer!

Tell us a little about you and your family like where you’re from, where you live now, how old are your kids and anything interesting or unique you’d like people to know.

We are Priscila, Claudio, Nina (11) and Eduardo (turns 7 in March). We moved from South of Brazil to Portland for work back in 2016 when my youngest was only 4 months old. The South of Brazil was colonized by Europeans in the 1800’s, so a fun fact is that both my and my husband's family have a German background. All of our family lives in Brazil, so we try to go back and visit at least once a year. We also welcome family and friends here often, so we can keep our connection with our roots. Moving here was difficult for our family. It was a big change and a little scary at first, but we took advantage of living in this outdoor paradise to finally explore + adventure like we’d always hoped to!

When I was 16, I was an exchange student in North Wales, UK at a girls boarding school to learn English. Due to it being a boarding school, they offered the girls a ton of extra classes/outdoor experiences. So I decided I would try everything that would come my way; I went hiking, sailing, rappelling and rock climbing. I really had a blast! But in Brazil I didn't have the same access to this kind of adventure. These were not very popular activities then, so the options were limited.

When I met my husband we would go tent camping a lot, and one of our favorite places to camp was the Costa Verde in the South of Rio de Janeiro, where the camping spots were very primitive and beautiful. But it was only when we moved here that we actually felt safe to live this adventurous lifestyle with our kids. We started with tent camping and hikes, and then when the pandemic hit, we decided to take things a step further and purchased our own travel trailer so we could continue to travel even during those hard times. That was our lifeline and kept us sane and healthy. Our first big trip was to Utah for two weeks. It was during that trip that we decided to create our IG account to share our travel experiences around our 9-5 jobs and show families that it's possible to have an outdoorsy lifestyle, even if you work full-time and your kids go to school.

Authenticity is one of our core values around here, so I was so excited to see that it’s something you hold dear as well. What does it mean to you to show up authentically in life, and how do you actively live that out?

For a long time I was too concerned about showing my true self and sharing the things that make me happy. I was afraid I would be seen as someone that is bragging or trying to show off. But when we first moved here and experienced some really hard times, I started to study more about psychology with the intention to get to know myself better. I went through a very deep reconnection with myself, and one of my biggest learnings was to trust myself more and do the things that I feel in my gut are right. It was (and still is!) a daily practice to let go of who I thought I was supposed to be to embrace who I really am.

I feel deep in my heart is that by showing up authentically I can inspire more women to trust themselves and do the things that they love/believe in without worrying what other people will think. I have a dream to help other women feel empowered and go after their dreams by reconnecting with themselves and with nature.

The Great Wanderlust is all about moms stepping outside of the box and diving deeper in both travel and in life! The mission is to inspire mamas and families to feel fully alive through adventure and exploration! What is your great wanderlust? What most makes you come to life?? Take us back to a moment when you felt that.

Traveling and being in contact with Nature is what makes me feel alive. I find it so inspiring to see other families sell everything and travel the world. I wish I could do that, but we haven't come to an agreement as a family yet. In the meantime, we are using every opportunity we have to get outside, exploring Oregon destinations on the weekends and trying to make longer trips to Washington, Idaho, Utah, Montana, California with our trailer. We also have plans to visit Europe with our kids, but I don’t see that as a slow travel option. Although I would love to spend a few months road tripping there. Maybe we should just move to Europe for work and do our weekend traveling there? That would for sure be something I would sign up for!

As a mom in today’s fast-paced world, it can be easy to get lost in the shuffle, put ourselves on the backburner and become a version of ourselves that we almost don’t recognize. What are some ways you show up for yourself so that you feel vibrant, alive and exude the energy that you do? What would you say to a mom who feels she has lost herself a bit in the craziness of motherhood and life?

I believe how we show up is a combination of mind, soul and body.

Body: I feel at my best when I am connected with my body by eating healthy foods that nourish it at the same time as my soul. Drinking smoothies and exercising in the morning make a huge difference in my day. It's like the brain fog goes away. I don't do that 100% of the time, but I experience great benefits when I’m able to do it for long periods of time. Food is medicine! Also, hiking is my favorite way to exercise because I am in nature, seeing amazing things, and getting my workout done at the same time.

Mind: I love to read self help books. Some of my favorites are Untamed by Glennon Doyle, Big Magic by Liz Gilbert, The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown and You are a Badass by Jen Sincero; these have helped me immensely the past few years. I also like to listen to podcasts that help me reflect about relationships and how I want to show up in life. My favorite Podcast is Adult Chair by Michelle Challfant + We Can do Hard Things by Glennon Doyle.

Soul: When I am feeling disconnected with myself I know it’s time to tune in and do meditation. It has helped me to control my anxiety and trust myself more.

If I could talk to a mom who has lost herself a bit in the craziness of motherhood and life, I would tell her first and foremost - be kind to yourself! Be that friend that you are to others to yourself too. We are all in different stages in our journeys, and it’s ok to feel a little lost or feel like all our energy is going to the little ones. I have been there, and it was NOT easy. But you know what? That was my turning point: when I had to get in touch with my biggest fears and traumas and find ways to heal so that I could be a better mom, wife and friend. Hang in there and find your passions + dreams. Keep nurturing them because that is what will make you shine. Do something nice for yourself and treat yourself well.

You are amazing at working outdoor adventures, activities and travel around your family’s work/school/activity schedule, which is not easy! What impacts/effects have outdoor adventures had on your family? Why do you think it’s important to make them a priority?

When the pandemic hit, like most families, we found ourselves spending too much time in front of screens. That bothered me so much. I felt as if we were held hostage by the screens, and I didn’t want to feel that or see my children doing only that. So we decided we would spend time outside every time we could as a way to have more balance. We are not very rigid with screen usage at home, but outside time is non-negotiable. So we just plan the trips and go!

While we are at our destination, we always try to do one activity a day that can make our day feel adventurous! Sometimes I am the only one excited to get out of the trailer and go on a hike, so I go by myself. But we are pretty good about getting everyone to adventure together. Outdoor adventure continues to be a priority for us because it’s an intentional time that we spend together, bonding in nature. And even when the kids are not excited as we start an adventure, we all agree we feel way better afterward and experience the benefit of endorphins in our bodies!

If you could choose one life lesson to impress upon your kids the most - one that they would embed deep in their hearts and always strive to live out…what would it be and why?

The biggest lesson I want my kids to learn today is that they can do hard things. I hope by feeling more confident about myself, I am modeling a healthy mindset for my kids. I want them to become more confident and successful even from a young age and believe they have the skills to go through life with ease. With traveling and exploring, I hope they can be open to new experiences, learn new cultures and feel confident to follow their dreams and own instincts, despite what others may say.

Okay, getting personal here haha. As someone who is turning 40 years old this year, I am so inspired and stoked to see you living out new dreams + trying new things as a fellow mama who just entered her 40’s recently. What is something that has surprised you about this stage of life? What is one thing you would tell your 30 year-old self if you had the chance?

I was very concerned with what would happen when I turned 40, and that was one of the reasons for starting my self-care journey. It was the best thing I’ve ever done because I turned 40 as my most confident self. With the kids being old enough to survive a few hours with other caregivers, it became easier for me to start new adventures and follow passions that had been asleep for a while. I think my 30’s were a decade to be there for my kids 100%, and my 40’s came as a whole new opportunity to continue to be there for them but also have time to remind myself of who I am beyond being a mom. Doing things that are important to me gives me the energy to show up as a better mom, wife, and friend.

Who inspires you to dig deeper in travel and life? Do you have a few recommendations of someone I should feature next? :)

Two of my favorite people you have already interviewed: Alison and Jessica.

My biggest inspiration is Christina McEvoy from @macs_explore because I love how she is committed with her business, but she is also always looking for ways to help people become more confident and trust themselves. Plus, all the traveling that she does is an inspiration for me. Another person that I really admire is Juli from @celebrateandexplore. She is so organized and has such a well curated feed. She is also a travel advisor and has teen kids, so she’s a huge encouragement to me.