What is Adventure?

About a year and a half ago, I had the occasion to interview Phil Keoghan, host of The Amazing Race and author of No Opportunity Wasted, for an article in Real Simple magazine. Here's a quote from him in that article:

“Adventure is anytime you step outside your comfort zone and do something new.”

I couldn't agree with Phil more.

Adventure has a lot less to do with what the activity is than with the attitude that you bring to it. So, for example, if you wouldn't hesitate to jump out of a plane at 10,000 feet, then bungee-jumping or whitewater rafting might not be a big adventure for you. But if you've always avoided speaking in public and you sign up to teach a course at the local community college, voila! You're officially an adventurer.

Here are a few other examples that may or may not qualify as adventures in your life:

• Signing up for a swing dancing class
• Trying a new recipe that calls for ingredients you've never heard of
• Going to a speed dating event
• Going on any date
• Traveling to a country where you don't speak the language
• Writing a letter to the editor
• Volunteering for a committee at work

Oh. And, um...

• Starting a blog :)

What examples do you have? What kind of adventures have you done or hope to do in the future? What is it about them that makes them an adventure in your mind?

Share your thoughts in the comment form below. I look forward to hearing your thoughts!

Comments

[Jen Berkley]

Great blog, Elizabeth!

My most recent personal adventure is embarking on a regimen of doing fitness bootcamp 3 days a week...at 6 a.m.!

I've never had a regular fitness regimen, but decided 'it was time...' and, after discussing my concerns and possible obstacles with the bootcamp instructor, I jumped in, paid my $$, and showed up for my first class.

I was scared to death, but realized that the class could accomodate ALL fitness levels and that it was an opportunity to not only improve my personal fitness, but to prove to myself 'what I was made of'.

To show up regularly and sweat for 60 mins. next to hard bodies 15 years younger than me is much more of a mental thing than a physical thing. I am so blown away that I'm now on my 5th 4 week bootcamp session and am a 'poster child' for the bootcamp owner who likes to have the press interview me about how 'normal people' can do bootcamp.

This experience proves to me that I'm capable of other seemingly impossible things...not that I plan to walk the edge of a cliff or skydive anytime soon, but I have a much higher level of confidence in myself...and have met some GREAT people...and have lost 10% body fat in the process...and have seen some spectacular sunrises...talk about multiple pay-offs!

[Elizabeth Kricfalusi]

Thanks, Jen, for sharing your adventure (and for being my first commenter!).

Your story is a perfect example of embracing adventure. I'm thrilled that you're reaping such great rewards from your efforts. Congratulations on your success at bootcamp. VERY inspiring!

Now drop and give me ten... :)

[Carla]

Adventure, well, at age 31 I imigrated to Europe because I wanted to see what it was like to live there, not just visit, and find my roots. As I was born with the Netherlands nationality, I managed to get myself into the country.

I got a part-time job working for a technical support call center. That was a great way to meet people as it was full of international students and others in the same boat as myself. Most people marry much later in Europe than in Canada/USA so there was a great singles scene.

The main obstacle was that I didn't speak the language. Although my parents were both Dutch, the language was taboo in our house, we were Canadians and Canadians speak english.

Luckily, I mananged to enroll into a language school offered to immigrants and within 5 months I wrote my college entrance language exams.

Living in a different country and speaking a different language not only gave me a new perspective on life and the world but I was able to re-invent myself.

Since then, I met a wonderful, tall dark, intellegent Dutchman, have had a lot of wonderful vacations (travelling once you are in Europe is soooo cheap and I started with 36.5 vacation days per year - PAID!!) lived in Scotland for a few years and now California.

cheers!
c

[Elizabeth]

Hey, Carla!

Thanks for sharing your story. Sounds like you've already got a lot of adventures under your belt. And I hope they only get better!

(36.5 paid vacation days... yep, the Europeans definitely have something on us there...)