Adventure is in the Air

Maybe it’s the arrival of spring on the calendar: crocuses aren’t up yet but I can visualize their yearning, stretching to reach through the soil.

It could be visualizing my daughter Renee on her three-day solo hike-ski-backpack in the Laurentians. I’m rejoicing for her happiness (just a wee bit jealous) and anticipating when time and place will be right for my first solo adventure.

What really elevated my high alert for adventure was a weekend of attending two back-to-back presentations.

Jenna (from GetOutside ) – a woman in her 30’s living in Canmore, Alberta – shared her thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail story. Her inspirational presentation was followed by the Women’s Adventure Film Tour the next evening, featuring women adventurers from ages four to ninety!

I will never – that’s right, never! – be heli-snowboarding in Iran, mountain biking on narrow, mountain precipice trails in Nepal or competitive surfing in Hawaii.

But I am pumped for expectation and awareness for my own adventures.

Adventures I already love, i.e. plans are in place with friends for an annual ocean-kayaking trip, and the ones waiting for me to show up.

random thoughts for being open to adventure

Adventure is relative to your individual desires, the stage or season of life you’re in now. Taking a train cross-country as a teen-ager or as a senior; exploring hikes from a list like this of Canada’s best ; cycling from one end of your state or province to another. Pick your pleasure.

Adventure is curiosity and knowing enough to get yourself started; then trusting yourself to figure out the rest.

Adventure is making choices that will cost you something – gear; time in researching and preparation; travel; unfamiliar discomfort i.e. sleeping in a tent or rustic conditions; money.

When you invest in something you want, it doesn’t feel like a sacrifice.

Adventure is spontaneity: don’t over-think before accepting an invitation or opportunity. Look for inspiring presentations; join a hiking group to build confidence and fitness; sign up with a paddling group to be safe as you stretch into new territory.

Adventure can be following an education and career path you never expected to go – with challenges, even danger – forging a path that will forever change your life. Like this story (referral link) Find Me Unafraid: Love, Loss and Hope in an African Slum by Jessica Posner and Kennedy Odede – your adventure could impact hundreds of others.

Adventure is attitude. When blogger and author Osheta Moore (referral link) – eight months pregnant with a two-year-old – realized that evacuation following Hurricane Katrina would be months-long she chose to accept: “….I could look at this like, God is with us on this adventure and I’m going to be open to anything that happens at this point..”

Adventure is Facing Fear: challenges to make it happen; fear of injuries; fear that others might think you’re crazy, fear of setting adventure goals and not reaching them.

Feel the fear and let it work for you in energy and motivation, and not as an immobilizer.

Adventure can bring rewards of accomplishments. You’re sure to grow in learning and adapting ‘for the next time’.

Adventure is for every age. It might have been my cross-country move in my 50’s or because I hang around with women like my friend Nancy – but I truly feel more adventurous now than I ever have. Mindset can carry you long after energy wanes.

I understand the fear factor. Running marathons, paddling, cycling, hiking – daring to encourage others to stretch and face their fears.

I hate to think of what I – we – miss in life when fear immobilizes us.

If you feel your life is too short, too precious and expansive to be limited by fear – I would love to help you move ahead with coaching using mindset strategies and starting with small steps . You can reach me here or at ketoews@gmail.com.

Helping you script your vibrant life with healthy eating, activity, purpose and adventure!

Love and gratitude,  

Karen

P.S. If you would you like to catch video interviews, snippets of recipes and random thoughts and tips for all things related to holistic health – and adventure! – visit my FB page: https://www.facebook.com/karentoews/