The film “Up
My wife and I recently moved to New Zealand on a quest for adventure. I had lived my entire life in Atlanta, Georgia. While it was a lovely place to live, we wanted to do something different and out of the ordinary. Heading to a new country on the complete opposite side of the world may have been a bit drastic, but New Zealand is full of beaches, mountains, glaciers, fiordes, rivers, sounds, volcanoes, and more.
Our epic adventure was practically guaranteed.
Then, Disappointment
After being here for a few weeks, however, I felt disappointed. We had made some great friends and the job hunt was going well, but adventure seemed to elude us. I expected every day in this country to feel like something out of The Hobbit, and yet our biggest thrill had been a simple bike ride through the park.
And then something life changing dawned on me:
No matter how exotic the location of your home, you still need to walk out the front door if you hope to find adventure.
Image Credit: Hobbiton Tours
Rarely does adventure happen to you by chance, at least not while you are on the couch. We all want great stories to tell, but it becomes remarkably difficult to tell good stories when we are not living them.
For the first few weeks in our new country, we mostly stayed inside. We had plenty of good excuses – freezing temperatures, job applications to fill, jet lag, high gas prices.
And yet I could not shake the desire to go do something exciting.
The Threat: Comfort and Convenience
Here’s the problem: adventure is inconvenient. We bought an incredible couch that is softer than our bed and large enough for my 6’1” long body to completely stretch out. To go on an adventure means I have to actually decide to get up off the couch. Few things are more inconvenient than decision making, and living vicariously through a hero on Netflix is much easier than packing a lunch and driving out to the mountains.
Aimlessly looking at other people’s lives on facebook is much easier than heading to the park. Saving the galaxy in a video game is less risky than getting out and actually helping people.
Definitely better than a video game
And while movies, the internet, and video games are convenient, they can never truly replace authentic adventure. I’m not saying those things are bad or evil, I enjoy all of them at certain times. But if you want to live a story worth telling, playing video games won’t get you there (unless you’re that kid from The Wizard).
When you add business to the equation, life moves pretty fast. Adventure will pass you by without you even noticing.
The bottom line is, adventure takes effort. But perhaps not as much as we think. As J.R.R. Tolkien said through Bilbo Baggins in Lord of the Rings, “It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door. You step into the Road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to.”
If you can make a decision and get off the couch, odds are you can find adventure and live a great story. You do not even have to move to New Zealand! It can happen in your very own home town.
Simple Ways to live a Life of Adventure:
1) Go outside: I am fortunate to live close to the mountains. Spending time amongst these towering objects is naturally epic. Their beauty and majesty can stun, and they remind us how small we are. If you do not live near the mountains, find a nice park or two and visit them often. Fresh air, rushing water, and the sounds of wildlife can inspire you like nothing else.
Oh the Places You Will Go
2) Capitalize on Long Weekends: We cannot take loads of time off work, so when long weekends arrive we get as much done as possible. On Labour Day weekend we drove 10 hours, hiked 10 km of one trail and 17km of another, relaxed (briefly) on the beach, and spent 4 hours on 3 different boats. It was busy, tiring, and fantastic. What can you do with your long weekend?
3) Go in Community: The great adventure stories often have great camaraderie. Frodo had the Fellowship, Luke had Han and Chewbacca, and Robin Hood had his Merry Men. Granted, certain moments are best spent alone with the Lord, but having good characters around always makes for a better story. With the right people, anything, even a simple night out for dinner, can become an adventure.
4) Try New Things: I have no musical talent, but someday I will learn to play the piano. I recently took on a marketing job, despite my lack of marketing degree. I enjoy cooking, and especially enjoy making up recipes on the fly. Sometimes it tastes horrible, but other times it becomes our new favorite. The unknown is all part of the adventure.
5) Set goals: If you aren’t intentional, you’ll struggle to find adventure. Look ahead on your calendar, find some open space, and start preparing to do something amazing. We saved money for 3 years before moving overseas. We didn’t even know for sure if we would move when we started saving, but we wanted to be ready. If you’re prepared, you’re much more likely to take that step out the front door.
For the record, I am very happy we moved to New Zealand. The disappointment of our first month is a distant memory. We have lived many adventures here, and have countless more to experience. Someday we’ll move back to America, but I know that will not be the end of our adventure. It can happen anywhere, you just have to keep your eyes peeled and be willing to step outside the ordinary.
Adventure is out there…But you have to go and find it. [Tweet That]
Your turn: What can you do this week to find adventure?
