On New Year鈥檚 Day 2010, my two-year-old son broke his femur in a skiing accident while we were vacationing in Lander. I spent eight weeks there while he recovered, thinking about life. For a 颅decade, I鈥檇 been moving up the law-firm ladder in California and relegating what I really love鈥攃limbing鈥攖o the weekends. My husband and I decided to just stay in Wyoming, and I started looking for work with an organization whose 颅mission matched my core values. I applied for an internship with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) as a blogger. Within a few months I was hired as a writer, and this summer I became the diversity-and-inclusion manager and trained to lead wilderness courses. NOLS is flexible with schedules, and we鈥檙e encouraged to spend nice days skiing, climbing, or running. Some meetings happen on bicycles. I make a fifth of what I made as a lawyer, but I鈥檓 at least five times happier. I鈥檓 climbing four days a week, and I play with my son outside every day.
HOW YOU CAN DO IT: Build a strong background in 颅wilderness travel, and get certified in disciplines like climbing (the American Mountain Guide Association鈥檚 guide program: ) and paddling (the American Canoe Association鈥檚 instructor workshops: ). NOLS offers a 35-day instructor course (). Full-time instructors earn $16,000鈥$40,000 a year. Search for jobs at and .