About Me — Joyce Nielsen

Summary

Joyce Nielsen is a nature enthusiast and retired critical care nurse with a passion for mountaineering, who has led a rich life filled with adventure and connection to the wilderness.

Abstract

Joyce Nielsen, a self-proclaimed "child of the woods," grew up in a surplus Army Hospital Tent on a New York mountaintop under the Homestead Act. Her deep connection to nature has been the cornerstone of her life, preferring the serenity of the wilderness to the hustle and bustle of cities. Despite her urban nursing career in burn units, her true calling has always been the outdoors. Joyce has been married for 35 years, has a large family, and currently resides in Iowa. Her love for the wild has led her to climb major peaks across the world, and she has shared her passion through Girl Scout leadership and writing about her nature and gardening experiences. Joyce is also an avid dog lover, particularly huskies, and has enjoyed sled dog events. Her adventurous spirit is further evidenced by her RV travels across National Parks in the United States with her husky, Chan Teh, including a memorable trip to Alaska to see Denali.

Opinions

Joyce has a profound affinity for nature, considering it her primary teacher and finding her greatest comfort in wilderness environments.
She values her experiences in critical care nursing but contrasts the energy of cities as abrasive and noisy.
Joyce cherishes her family life, mentioning her long marriage, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Her passion for mountaineering was sparked by a trip to Switzerland and has been a significant part of her life for 25 years.
She expresses a special bond with her rescued huskies, drawing parallels between their behavior and that of wolves.
Joyce is open to connecting with others, inviting interactions through her email and LinkedIn profile.

About Me — Joyce Nielsen

I am a child of the woods. I grew up on a mountaintop in New York State. My parents settled under the Homestead Act. I spent my early formative years living in a surplus Army Hospital Tent. The forest setting was my primary teacher.

My spirit resonates with anything found in Nature. I am most comfortable living, working, and recreating in a wilderness environment. I find the energy of cities abrasive and noisy. My best friends are trees, flowers, birds, and all creatures.

That doesn’t mean that I can’t work in a city. I was a critical care nurse in Burn Units for many years. I absolutely loved that career. I have experience working in a Bakery also. Then there was a short stint in a Nursery/Garden Center.

My marriage of 35 years ended in divorce. I have three grown children, two sons, and a daughter. There are four grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. I live in Iowa with my daughter, Chris, and son-in-law, Jack. We share a home and chores.

An active Girl Scout leader, I volunteered to chaperone senior Scouts to Switzerland. That experience precipitated my passion for mountaineering. I’ve climbed major peaks in Europe, New Zealand, and the United States for 25 years. Those were some of the best moments of my life.

I love dogs, huskies in particular. I have rescued three of them. Their behavior reminds me of wolves. I have participated in two sled dog events. What a thrill it is to travel silently over the snow and frozen lakes.

In 2007 I bought a used RV and visited most National Parks in the United States. My husky, Chan Teh was my copilot. We drove throughout Alaska. It was great to see Denali from the road.

My climbing team spent close to two weeks on her slopes in a bid for the summit. We got stranded at the 17,500’ base camp by a wicked snowstorm. Sad to say, we had to descend.

I write about anything related to Nature and gardening. I’ve been fortunate to go on many backpacking, cycling, and kayaking adventures. I also write inspirational stories about these travels. I look forward to connecting with many of you on Medium.

You can contact me via email: [email protected].

I’m on LinkedIn under Joyce Nielsen also.