Jessie Gellings
Field Guide
Joined Open Sky: May 2011
In Wilderness Therapy since: 2010
Interview with Jessie
August 2011
Q: If you were able to meet anyone (living or dead), who would it be and why?
A: I would like to meet some of the indigenous healers from Wade Davis' book One River. Their approach to treating their patients as a whole being as opposed to a set of acute symptoms is something that resounds with me. Also, I think it is amazing how much sustenance comes to us through the plant world, from food and medicine to shelter and clothing, and I would love to be able to study with these healers and learn from their vast and deep knowledge.
Q: What are a few of the defining moments in your life and why?
A: I went on my first backpacking trip when I was 20. During the experience, something clicked with me, and a serious love affair with the outdoors started. I loved the freedom, the absence of barriers, and the inherent connectedness to things not created by people that it involved. While I was in the Peace Corps, I moved communities three different times, each time searching for this perfect picture of what I wanted my experience to be. I was there for almost three years when I finally realized that I could be happy anywhere I wanted to be happy. It was all a matter of how I looked at things, and saw the importance of appreciating people and experiences for what they are, and not judging them for what they are not.
Q: Who has been your greatest inspiration and why?
A: I have been inspired by a lot of people in my life. One of them is a farmer I met in Colombia. He came from a fairly wealthy family, but decided that lifestyle wasn't his truth, and so chose a path of living in what many would consider poverty, before deciding to become a farmer. He showed me that finding one's own path can sometimes be deeply troubling and scary, especially if those you love don't support you, and that ultimately the journey is worth it because it will lead to your own truth and happiness.
I have also been deeply inspired by a past partner of mine who knew he had faults just like everyone else, but wasn't afraid to express them and work through them. He was also there to call me out on my own shortcomings, and simultaneously help me to embrace and transform them. He held a lot of space for me to grow and struggle and develop as a person, and I hope to be able to bring those same things to the people I work with.
Q: What are your unique gifts and/or experiences that help our students?
A: I appreciate laughter as a bond that can bring people together no matter what their background, and I have a great ability to laugh in many situations. I have also come to realize that every person you meet in life is a teacher, so I will give the students the gift of being a learner alongside them. I have also had the good fortune of working with an extremely wide variety of populations with different cultural, economic, social, and behavioral backgrounds that has helped me to make me a compassionate and empathetic person.
Q: Why do you work in wilderness therapy?
A: I believe that truthfulness leads to simplicity and simplicity leads to happiness. Truth and simplicity abound in the wilderness, and I feel honored to be able to help Open Sky students discover the aspects of wilderness that exist both outside of and inside of themselves.
Q: Why do you think wilderness therapy works?
A: Wilderness doesn't forgive or coddle anyone; it treats everyone the same. And when you're in a group that treats everyone the same way as well, it provides a much clearer picture of the consequences of your own decisions and actions, which creates greater responsibility. Likewise, the wilderness will never nag you or tell you that you should be doing something else,which provides the space and time for personal reflection. Also, it is real. Everything out there in the wilderness is there because it should be, not because one of us decided it should be there. It provides a cleansing, complex, perfectly balance perspective.
Q: What do you think Open Sky students need?
A: A safe, loving environment that is built on trust. Time and space to let the teachings of the wilderness reach them. Structure and an easy way to see the direct consequences of their actions and decisions. A place where they feel accepted unconditionally. Also, fresh air, sunshine, wind, and rain!
Q: What do you like to do for fun when you aren’t working in the field?
A: I dance as much salsa, bachata, cumbia, and merengue as I can!I also like to rock climb, do yoga, knit, crochet, shop at the co-op and farmers market, cook delicious meals with friends, stargaze, and travel in Latin America. I'm also learning how to breakdance and play the harmonica.
Q: Anything else you want to tell us about yourself?
A: Not at this time.
Professional Experience
Trees For Tomorrow, Eagle River, WI
Seasonal Naturalist
New Vision Wilderness, Milwaukee, WI
Wilderness Instructor
Vertical Endeavors Rock Climbing Facility, St. Paul, MN
Instructor
Oso Andino, Boyaca, Colombia
Volunteer
Peace Corps, Panama
Sustainable Agriculture Systems Extension Agent
Education
BS, General Business Administration, Concentration: International Business
University of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie, WI
Wilderness First Responder (WFR)
