David Goll says he and his wife Louise Britton are a "perfect match," which helps in navigating marriage—and their double scull. Day to day, their work may be worlds apart: she is an artist concentrating in oil painting and sculpture; he is a software developer for Microsoft. But these Outsiders start their day very much together, their oars slicing Lake Union’s surface in tandem. Read on to find out why making time for nature is essential to this paddling pair.
Louise Britton finds balance in nature and honors it through her artwork. Photo by Hannah Letinich.
I make time to be an Outsider because "I feel physically and mentally uncomfortable if I don’t get outside on a regular basis."
The time I spend in nature brings "balance" to my daily life. "Being in nature helps me experience my body and senses more fully."
Nature challenges me by "getting me outside of my head as well as my house. I can push myself physically and still enjoy it when rowing or hiking, unlike indoor exercise."
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My favorite moments spent outside are "when I am sketching or painting 'en plein air' and am completely engaged in the effort to see, understand and represent the landscape before me. I try to perceive the underlying forces and cycles as well as the visible surfaces."
My favorite thing about rowing is "the feeling of connection with the water’s surface; its motion feels precarious but also gives me a sensation of weightlessness."
My favorite place to row is "Lake Union, because it is an open space within the urban environment where I can experience a sense of freedom, and enjoy views of the ever-changing sky as well as the skyline."
Nature brings me "peace" and I give back to nature by "doing what I can to protect the environment. My siblings and I placed a conservation easement on 48 acres of land on the South Carolina coast that we inherited, part of a former farm my mother’s family had lived on for generations. The land is on a tidal creek and contains important wildlife habitat that will now be preserved."
David Goll finds energy and enrichment when he hits the water each morning. Photo by Hannah Letinich.
I make time to be an Outsider because "it energizes me."
The time I spend in nature brings "enrichment" to my daily life.
Nature challenges me by "being unpredictable."
My favorite thing about rowing is "how there’s never a point where you can say there’s nothing left to learn."
My favorite place to row is "Lake Union on a calm morning before the sun rises, because all you hear is the motion of the oars and boat through the water, and yet you’re surrounded by a city."
