Outside is sexy. You might not think so, but I can prove it to you. Imagine yourself as the average female Cornell undergrad out for a night with her girlfriends in C-Town when you meet two strangers.

Bachelor No. 1 walks into the bar, his sunken eyes trying for the first time in hours to focus on objects further from his face than his computer screen. You watch him slip out of his feminine black pea coat and pop his collar while he catches his own eye in the mirror at the back of the room. (Note: any resemblance to actual Cornell students is purely coincidental. This character is completely fictitious).

If he was going for the translucent Ivy-League-vampire-workaholic look, he’s hit the nail on the head. Weak arms, skinny shoulders, conditioned by hours upon hours pouring over Facebook and chemistry texts. Yup, this one’s a wimp. His drink order confirms it. He asks for a dirty martini, just the way your mother likes it, and pulls up the empty stool next to yours, muttering something about the damn cold.

Just then, you turn to see Bachelor No. 2, Carhartt-and-flannel-clad, step into the glow of the bar and order a Guinness, leting the foam settle as he removes his ski jacket and readjusts his croakies. He smiles through his goggle tan and toasts his buddies to a great day on the slopes. Ask him what he did this weekend and you won’t hear the words “Uris Library,” but will instead be dazzled by tales from the end of the earth, spun with a vocabulary of powerful words, “extreme,” “gnar” and “shred” among them. And while he’s talking, a revolutionary thought comes to your mind. This guy has a life.

Maybe I can only speak for myself. When given the option to spend my valuable time conversing with either the indoorsman or the outdoorsman, discussing BlackBerry or Black Diamond, the choice is hardly difficult. There’s just something about people who have been outside lately. They have more to talk about than their LSAT scores or the grade on their last prelim. They know how to do stuff, like read maps, cook over a fire, flip a capsized raft, even scale cliffs! They’re interesting. They’re adventurous. Yes, they’re sexy.

Cornell students, it’s time we stop letting the library eat our personalities, and our weekends. You too can learn to drink Guinness. There’s no better way to meet new people, stretch your comfort zone and relieve a little stress than by trading in your Uggs for a good pair of hikers or a snowboard. Think of it as your New Year’s resolutions for better health and wellness on adrenaline.

This semester Red Letter Daze is introducing the first column for all topics outdoors, covering the best area adventures, epics, personalities and yes, gear.

Until next week, two words of advice: GO OUTSIDE. RLD