{ Sunday Soliloquy } What is Adventure?

[ so·lil·o·quy – the act of speaking one’s thoughts aloud when by oneself or regardless of any hearers ]

Earlier in the week I read a very interesting blog post by Sean Conway on the Simply Hike website. It was particularly the last paragraph the caught my attention; I posted it on my facebook and twitter feeds as soon as I read it, and I’ve continued to think about it ever since.

Adventure isn’t all about climbing mountains or rowing oceans, adventure, in its purest form, is simply a way of thinking. There are always things out there to experience and it’s the way you process those experiences, the way you decide to see them, that can turn anything into an adventure.

(Read the full article on the Simply Hike Blog.)

If you’ve been reading Splodz Blogz for any length of time you’ll remember that I’ve written on this subject a number of times. You know that I am perplexed by the idea of adventure and how we are often made to feel that only the rich or famous or elite or “true explorers” can partake in it. I strongly believe that adventure is for everyone – including people like me who have partners, mortgages and other bills, full-time office jobs, pets, brass band rehearsals and other commitments that we have chosen to take up our time and money.

I’m bringing this up again now because Sean put it quite nicely in that blog post. And because a very similar sentiment was mentioned at the bottom of a BBC News article on the subject last week when a number of (quite awesome) adventurers were profiled. We may not all be able to be “career adventurers” (how awesome would that be!), but we can absolutely all be adventurers. Because adventure is within. It is something we create. It is something we make the most of.

Sean is right. Adventure is a state of mind. His particular example of a two hour – eight mile – walk along the Thames Path to a meeting in the centre of London was just perfect. It wasn’t that he had time to walk instead of hailing a cab or getting a tube train that made it an adventure, but what he experienced on the way. Sorry… what he chose to experience along the way. He walked at quite a pace, but was still able to take in the views, listen to the sounds, practice skimming stones, drool over the house boats, and more (not to mention the pigeon). The fact that he made the most of the little things along his journey to his meeting rather than keeping his head down and marching along his route without paying any attention him meant he had an adventure.

Adventure for me is spending a Saturday morning climbing a hill and feeling the wind on my face at the top – a couple of hours outdoors in the fresh air (whatever the weather). Adventure is trying something new in the kitchen such as mastering the art of making home made marshmallow (which I still haven’t quite achieved). Adventure is writing something I am proud of that will be published in a magazine (here’s hoping). Adventure is getting on my motorbike and touring around Scotland during a week of work. Adventure is getting on a plane and visiting a new place, even if just for a holiday.

I know there are people who do not agree with my definition of “adventure”. But I really want to stress this. We can all have adventures. Whoever we are, however fit we are, however rich we are, whatever kinds of jobs we have. Those things don’t matter – but our mindset does.

I am glad I saw that blog post and that Sean agrees with me. Adventure does not have to mean taking yourself somewhere nobody has ever been before and doing something no one has ever done for longer than anyone has ever done it. Adventure is what you make it. Adventure is making the most of our time by experiencing new things challenging ourselves and focusing on the journey. Adventure is a mind set.

Life is all about the journey. What adventure are you having this week?