Outdoor enthusiasts fear not- Mappy Hour has made its way to Detroit. After being introduced to Mappy Hour in NYC, Lauren made a move to the Motor City. She soon became embedded in the community and realized that it was time for a DET chapter. Here is a little more info about the chapter leader and what inspired her begin this Mappy Hour adventure.

Mappy Hour (MH): How did you first get interested in the great outdoors?
Lauren Fryan (LF): I started running in college as an escape from stress. I loved the feeling of fresh air and connection with nature and was hooked from then on!

MH: What parts of the outdoors do you connect with? Why is it important to you to get outside?
LF: Every time I camp, run or go on a backpacking trip outdoors I am reminded to not take life too seriously. Nature is so beautiful and can make life feel simple again. I think everyone could use a reminder from time to time to just breathe in some fresh air and enjoy the outdoors to help take their minds off of things.

MH: How did you originally get involved in Mappy Hour?
LF:  I was living in NYC and missing my connection to nature. I wanted something beyond just my normal running routine so I started looking into groups in the city that could broaden my horizons. After attending my first Mappy Hour event, I was instantly drawn to the people in the Mappy Hour community. Upon moving to Detroit, I realized there were a lot of people here that could relate to the same feeling I had in NYC. Starting the Detroit chapter is really exciting and I hope to build the same sense of community that I was able to be a part of during my time in New York.

MH: Why do you want to bring Mappy Hour to Detroit?
LF: I really enjoy building community and think Mappy Hour is a wonderful way to get like minded people together. Often when people live in a city, they are totally unaware of what exists in their own backyard from an outdoors perspective. I want to create a platform where people can come to learn something new about Detroit and Pure Michigan.

MH: What can Detroit-ians get excited for in the upcoming year? What are you excited for with the launch of Mappy Hour Detroit?
LF: Detroit has so many new things popping up every day. The city is growing and it is really exciting to see. I want to give people a place to come, hang out and find a core group they can count on to enjoy the outdoors with. I hope to also use the group as a platform to help support all of the good that has been going on from the non-profit side of things as well. After having our pre-launch January Giving Circle event, I look forward to seeing how non-profits continue to evolve as a part of Mappy Hour DET. I think it could have a really positive influence on the city and the outdoor community within Detroit.

Join Lauren on April 25th at the official Launch event for Mappy Hour Detroit – details below.