People think that being strong means being able to deadlift 500 pounds.
They think that courage is going sky diving.
They think that embracing danger is about driving fast and recklessly.
They think embarking on an adventure means quitting your job and going on a trip around the world.
I am willing to write about each one of these things separately and make my case for why I think this kind of perspective that most people have completely misses the point.
But I would like to start with adventure.
Maybe it’s because, in my opinion, and from my personal experience, embarking on an adventure enriches one’s life. It makes life more interesting and more beautiful.
And sometimes, embarking on an adventure can make the difference between life being worth living or not.
First, allow me to share a reflection on adventure from personal experience.
Since the beginning of this year:
I quit my job.
I travelled to the other side of the world with almost no real planning and preparation and have lived in 4 different places so far.
I lived in a fisherman’s village and went on a fishing trip out on the open ocean with local fishermen, without a single electronic device.
I lived in a local suburb where, for some of my neighbors, I was the first person from the Western hemisphere they have ever seen.
I had a monkey nest in my backyard.
And I also had some experiences that I cannot talk about.
But the biggest adventure I ever embarked on was while I was in my room and wasn’t able to leave my home except when absolutely necessary.
Don’t get me wrong, all of the things that I’ve listed above have enriched my life.
But my life would be an adventure even without them.
You could say that the start of my biggest adventure was creating my instagram page. At that time, I wasn’t confined to my home. I was able to go out when I wanted and I lived a pretty "normal" life.
And although that was a prerequisite for me embarking on my adventure, I would be lying if I said that the adventure started back then.
Life has its way of being poetic, so my adventure started at the point when my life looked like the exact opposite of what most people consider an adventure to be.
And all it took for me to embark on an adventure of a lifetime was to gather the courage to admit to myself what it is that I care about. To admit that expressing myself is not a way for me to spend my free time and fill up my daily schedule, but something that I live for.
That’s why, if I am able to express myself, if there are people who can understand and feel the things that I’m trying to convey, I want to say that you can also embark on an adventure. You can do it right where you are, right now.
Adventure is approaching a stranger at a cafe and starting a conversation.
Adventure is sending that text message that you are too scared or too shy to send.
Adventure is deciding to break the cycle of toxic behavior that runs in your family.
Adventure is starting to think for yourself.
Adventure is speaking the truth even when you know you will be met with opposition for doing so.
Adventure is letting new people come into your life even though you are scared of being hurt.
Adventure is picking up that hobby that you had when you were younger.
Adventure is admitting that what you are doing in your free time is more than a hobby, that it’s a burning passion.
Adventure is admitting that you care about someone.
Adventure is questioning your old thinking patterns.
Adventure is getting out of your comfort zone.
Adventure is standing up for yourself after years of not doing it.
Adventure is making a passionate commitment towards someone or something.
Adventure is deciding to give it your all.
Adventure is trying even though you know failure is almost certain.
Adventure is jumping boldly into this existence and engaging in every moment as if it’s the most important moment of your life - because it is.
Thank you for reading.