What Does It Take to Have an Adventure?

When I first shared with a friend that I was tired of my monotonous way of living and that what I really needed to do was go on an adventure, she looked at me in surprise. I, too, was amazed as I’d had no intention of revealing what had just popped out of my mouth. I watched her expression as she appraised me, and a thought came to mind that what I’d let escape was very similar to a story I’d read about “Winnie the Pooh,” who had also been seeking an adventure. If I remembered correctly, that hadn’t necessarily ended too well for him, for hadn’t he got stuck in the honey tree with his head inside a glass jar?

The longer I thought about Winnie the Pooh, the more I realized he was always seeking an adventure! Nothing ever stopped him, and for all intents and purposes, he led a great life. The more important thing was that he always moved forward no matter what the last adventure brought him. So what would it look like for me to have an adventure? What would it take?

Was taking a planned trip an adventure? Didn’t it require something more crazy and wild? I tend to be highly organized, so I’m sure I could complete every detail necessary for a journey, such as making reservations for any of my needs and creating a map of places I’d want to visit … right down to the day and time. When I thought of someone having a more incredible experience, I remembered being introduced to someone labeled an adventurer, always doing something out of the ordinary. Anticipating what that person had done, my heart had beaten a bit faster, for it was bound to be unique and exciting.

So what does it take to have an adventure? It’s always about taking a risk. To be adventuresome can be meaningless and no fun unless you are stepping out of the box or the comfort zone you are in. Just thinking of that freedom alone opens the door for possibilities to create your adventure. And even the little things you do in life can be an adventure. It doesn’t necessarily mean you have to go anywhere or do more than you are already doing and living. It boils down to how you look at life. William Feather says, “One way to get the most out of life is to look upon it as an adventure.”

I began to settle in with the idea that every day is an adventure because we don’t know what the day holds for us. It can be as simple as that, although the only way that works is by making the mundane something special by enjoying the surprise of things we hadn’t planned on or anticipated. Looking at it like that, it’s pretty exciting to me to view everyone as an adventurer in their way. So I add, “May your days be filled with adventure and gratifying surprises.”