Adventure Driven Life - Along for the Ride
Ever since Will came up with the idea for Adventure Driven Life, I have been thinking a lot about Adventure and Driving and Life. I don't feel like I quite represent the brand idea he has, so I am just happy to be tagging along for the ride.
Adventure
I have to laugh because I would not consider myself too adventurous. When I look back at some of my most meaningful and memorable days, it is really the simple stuff that inspires me. Spending time with Will, our families, and our pets, seeing something I've never seen before, reading an interesting book, trying a new recipe or restaurant, taking a walk through nature, and the beauty of nature around us. Nothing that I do on a typical day is going to qualify as an adventure to most people, but I guess I will use a very loose definition for Adventure.
Recently, we were at a park in Kentucky where one of the things you could do was take a guided tour through a cave. We were one of the first in line for the tour group, one way in and one way out, and what seemed like 100 people behind us. As soon as I lost sight of the cave entrance I started thinking I can't do this, I'm going to turn back. What stopped me? The 100 people I would have had to walk back through, no one was having any issue, and I thought if they can do it I can try to keep going, and the fact I was wearing an Adventure Driven Life t-shirt that said "take the scenic route".
I have to laugh because I would not consider myself too adventurous. When I look back at some of my most meaningful and memorable days, it is really the simple stuff that inspires me. Spending time with Will, our families, and our pets, seeing something I've never seen before, reading an interesting book, trying a new recipe or restaurant, taking a walk through nature, and the beauty of nature around us. Nothing that I do on a typical day is going to qualify as an adventure to most people, but I guess I will use a very loose definition for Adventure.
Recently, we were at a park in Kentucky where one of the things you could do was take a guided tour through a cave. We were one of the first in line for the tour group, one way in and one way out, and what seemed like 100 people behind us. As soon as I lost sight of the cave entrance I started thinking I can't do this, I'm going to turn back. What stopped me? The 100 people I would have had to walk back through, no one was having any issue, and I thought if they can do it I can try to keep going, and the fact I was wearing an Adventure Driven Life t-shirt that said "take the scenic route".
Driving
My style of driving is what I would call a Sunday driver, enjoying the scenery and a leisurely pace, maybe with a destination in mind, and maybe just taking a road I've never been down before. Having learned to drive and done most of my driving in South Florida, there are A LOT of driving situations I have never encountered: winding roads, mountain roads, open plains, driving at elevation (anything above sea level, really), among others.
I have had several issues with some of the driving we need to do to get to the next place on the map, and while most of it seems funny in retrospect, the driving days have definitely been some of my least favorite. I try to view it as a challenge, and prepare myself mentally and physically as much as I can. Lots of stories to share on this, remind me to tell you how I left my car in Vegas.
Again, I'm going to use my own definition for Driven, being a force the motivates you. Many different things are driving us towards the next goal in life.
Life
There are too many cliches I can spout, it's the journey we all take, trying to figure out what we are supposed to be doing here after all. I don't think we're "living the dream", because not everyone has the same dream. It's not even our dream, it's our compromise (if you can believe it! And more on that later). I would definitely say this lifestyle suits us, and we are very fortunate to be able to do what we're doing, and I am trying to not take anything for granted during this chapter of our lives. Just when we start to get too comfortable, we will change everything. I think it helps keep us focused, and maintaining our priorities.
While many definitions of adventure cite the possibility of physical danger, for the most part, I hear it used a lot today just to mean exciting or even just different. I am about as adventurous as anyone who enjoys what they do, not necessarily a thrill seeker. Every day is an adventure if we look on it as the gift that it is, and I love that you two are able to wander to places you've never been to, planning to revisit and go deeper in places that surprised and excited you the first time. This week I bought my first bar of silver, and while it is just another form of investing, I felt like it was an adventure, thrilled because I had never done it before! For those of us who enjoy what you are doing vicariously, I think your post really brings out the second perspective, that we don't all think of any event in exactly the same way as our partner (or anyone else for that matter). Thank you and keep on gettin' down the road!
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