Welcome
Welcome to Fresh Air Family, a space devoted to understanding how the natural world cultivates strong families.
If you’re curious about how necessary nature is (or convinced that it is) for you & your dearest humans, you’re in the right spot. I plan to ask a lot of questions about the ecology of family—and to root around for some answers.
Does that make me sound like a truffle pig? Maybe.
But if I get the goods for you, I don’t mind.
Why would a mother-of-four channel her inner farm animal to do this?
Fear that addiction to technology is crippling our children’s future
Innate obsession with the outdoors
My family’s growing dependency on getting regular fresh air
Insatiable curiosity about the mechanics of family development
Affinity for Scandinavian the open-air lifestyle (friluftsliv)
All of the above. ✅
Recently, I was diagnosed with asthma—at thirty-something. Suddenly, medication is opening my airways and helping me commandeer more oxygen into my bloodstream. After decades of chronic lung constriction, I’m in awe (and horror) at how long my body managed to compensate.
Humans get used to a lot of things that aren’t good for us.
Fresh Air Family is my attempt to explore how nature builds resilient families in an overstimulated world. I hope to infuse your inbox with storytelling, science, and irresistible invitations to herd your people outside.
You may notice a few recurring content styles—but this is an experiment for me too.
Roots & Findings: Bite-sized science about why the whole family needs nature.
Field Notes: Personal experience from Scandinavia + outdoor play discoveries.
Reflections: Tiny doses of creativity to keep it interesting.
Community request: Tell me what you love + need most in these posts—I’ll do my best to give you more of it. You are also enthusiastically invited to share your adventure + outdoor aha moments in the comments.
Books + Events + Brain candy: When I stumble across useful + insightful resources, you’ll hear about it.
For example, there’s a free live chat coming up between author Linda McGurk and Lucie Brixí Tamášová on October 23 at 2pm ET. They’ll discuss why outdoor play is disappearing—and how modern families and communities can bring it back.
Sign up here.
I interviewed Linda a couple years ago and learned a lot from her Swedish roots + sense of friluftsliv (open-air lifestyle). If you’d rather read about it, her book is an interactive deep dive into that way of living. Stick bread recipe included.
With that, I’ll be back in a couple weeks with my first Roots & Findings dispatch. For now, here’s to deep gulps of fresh air—for everyone—and the nature-inspired lives we love.
Yours adoring the October-ombre treetops,
Lindsay
P.S. I collected roadside horse chestnuts with my kids last week under a neighbour’s tree. We spent hours making snakes (like this) with garden twine + my husband’s electric drill. Never underestimate the merits of a walk + pockets + stolen power tools to generate excessive entertainment!
