Adventure...a few things I've learned

I often find myself amazed by the adventures God has invited me on. He could have easily asked someone else but He asked me. Here are a few things I’ve learned along the way….

Saying YES to adventure can be scary but totally worth it. 

-          I realized a while ago that when certain situations present themselves I must say yes no matter                    how uncomfortable it may be or how much it may freak me out. Paragliding? YES! Safari? YES!   Sleeping in the loft of a barn in a village? Um…ok…yes.

Adventure often involves spontaneity

If you keep saying “I wanna do that one day” chances are “one day” will never come. Be prepared to go. This will also keep you from thinking things through too much.

Adventure is even better when you experience it with a friend.

Sometimes I think the main reason for getting married is so that I could have a permanent adventure buddy. For now, I have a few friends that I know, should I ask, they will join me in a heartbeat.

Adventure brings strangers together.

-       I saw this a lot when I trekked through the Himalayas. Strangers staying at the same teahouse often became friends running into one another along the trail. I truly experienced this with the other foreigners that I worked with overseas. The life we lived was far from normal and it created a bond that I can’t explain.

The definition of adventure is in the eye of the beholder.

A lot people think of adventure as bungee bungeejumping, paragliding, zip lining or going on a safari. For some people it’s as simple as spontaneously hopping in the car and driving someplace new. This past mother’s day I realized motherhood may very well be the ultimate adventure.

A lot of my adventures in Nepal involved crazy bus rides, hiking through remote villages and sleeping in the homes of new friends. At the time, I had no desire to take long bus rides or sleep on the hard ground but thankfully I can look back and recognize it was an adventure.

There is one more thing that you should know about adventure, it’s important so pay attention.

Adventure, it’s not going to wait around for you. You’ve got to rise up and meet it.

-I see Americans working so much and packing their schedules full of stuff. Free time is a myth and vacation eludes most. Americans have totally ignored the possibilities of adventure. They miss out  because they are too busy.

I am currently on the cusp of my next adventure. I have absolutely no idea what is next but I want to be ready to go at a moment’s notice….I hope you will be too.