Adventure is Risky Business

"It is only in adventure that some people succeed in knowing themselves - in finding themselves.”  Andre Gide

ad-ven-ture - an undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks. (Merriam-Webster)

When was the last time you took a risk and were glad you did?

To have an adventure in its truest form is to do something different, brave and challenging. Often, it is a physical feat and sometimes it's psychological. Many times, it's both. 

There's nothing quite like hitting the open road equipped with a few favourite snacks, a change of clothes (complete with multiple footwear options, of course), and a full tank of gas. And there's something about intentionally get lost for a while that can help you find your way again.

Some people may wonder why I can't seem to sit still and have such a desire to keep exploring new and familiar places. I spend countless hours behind the wheel, thousands on fuel (and car maintenance - ouch!), and have mastered the fine art of living out of a suitcase. I eagerly anticipate the next trip and am often already packing for it - seriously. It's a bit of a hobby, a passion, a lifestyle - and it blends extremely well with my chosen career. It's an actual human need you know, this thing for discovery and exploration (and there are studies to prove it). And it's not that I'm necessarily running away from something, rather, toward something. 

Wild Pacific Trail, Ucluelet, BC. 

Once you get bitten by the travel bug, there really is no cure. It's an expensive hobby, but it's also one of the greatest investments a person can make, in my personal (and professional!) opinion. Fortunately, Canada provides some of the most spectacular opportunities for exploring so you don't have to go far from home... but it sure can be fun when you do!

Taking the time to really explore a place can lead to so many positive things and in my experience one of the greatest benefits is personal growth. Sharing the experience of discovery and overcoming challenges with another person changes the situation and inevitably leads to making a different set of memories than when travelling solo. These memories are often much stronger and sometimes more meaningful than when travelling on your own, simply by sharing them with another person. The experience is just richer and amazing things can happen - even fears have the potential to be overcome when they are identified and faced. (Bears, bridges, cougars, sharks, capsizing, to name a few of mine).

To risk, for some people, means facing a challenge or doing something intentional to overcome a fear... even if it means potentially getting hurt. For others, it means consciously opening a part of themselves, despite the understanding that it could lead to a different kind of pain. Either way, being vulnerable and willing to take the risk is essential to living one's best life. In life and love there are no guarantees but there sure can be regrets.

Old Growth Forest, near Port Renfrew, BC. 

Some of my best and most profound experiences have been found far beyond my comfort zone. Physically being in inspiring places certainly helps, but it's the encouragement of someone close that helps to draw your courage and strength to the surface. What would ordinarily be terrifying suddenly doesn't seem quite so big and powerful when you feel safe with a trusted travel companion. It is out of a place of trust, acceptance, and sometimes even love - wait, especially love, that helps you to move past the fear and truly grab hold of the experience.

It's a necessary part of life to be able to navigate your own way, but sharing an adventure with someone else, especially someone you care about and that cares for you can be one of life's most rewarding experiences as you build trust, learn and grow. These are the experiences that make taking risks so completely worth it. I still believe that to experience the greatest joys in life, you must be open to taking the greatest risks. 

Gargantua Bay, Lake Superior Provincial Park, ON.

Hmmm. Perhaps the journey is the destination, after all.