I’ve never been an overly adventurous person.
I like small, simple walks in nature, but not eight-hour hikes. I like going to the beach, but not going as far out into the ocean as possible. Bears are my favourite animal, but that doesn’t mean I want to meet one while I’m camping.
I’ve never been an overly adventurous person. But adventure still calls to me.
I think it’s the feeling of being part of something bigger than myself. Of experiencing something new, and breathtaking, and exciting. Something you can’t experience through books, maybe.
I’m not someone who has that intense need to travel, either, though there are a few places I’d like to see. But if it doesn’t happen, I’ll be okay. I’ve always liked the thought of traveling by myself, of seeing how I deal with it all. Maybe that’s it; in an adventure, you see your true limits. You see that you can handle so much more, and you see a possible breaking point. It’s worth overcoming the difficulties because of the experience you get from it.
Even though I say I don’t like eight-hour hikes, that’s not quite accurate. It’s more that I’ve never done it before. Part of me likes the thought of it, but I know that at this stage my body wouldn’t physically be able to. Or I’d have to go with the right person, or people, because experiences like this tend to be more positive or negative depending on who you’re with. And their expectations, or pressures. You can see it even when you go shopping in a group, or to the park as a group. You see how you react to other people, you see ugliness in yourself and you find it in others, too. Sometimes they clash and sometimes they don’t.
I love the thought of living as off-the-grid as possible, or traveling New Zealand in a rented van, or showering underneath waterfalls. I love the thought of working hard for that beautiful view, for that inexplicable feeling when you’re somewhere you’ve never been before.
So, okay, I do feel that pull to adventure. It just might not be as spontaneous or intense as other people, which is okay. I like how I am. I’ve never hiked up a mountain, but that’s fine. I’ve done so much on my own that I never thought I could do on my own, and maybe that’s what life is, just going through things that are small adventures to you even if no one else really knows.
Just a small thought. And now, a casserole is cooking and I’m going to mash some potatoes. And that’s enough of an adventure for me today.
Sarah xx
the softest words 