The Rewards of Living Adventurously
There was a turning point in my life that started one day when I decided to try and talk a friend of mine into joining me on an adventure. We both by that time had been living in suburbs of the District of Columbia for several years, had enjoyed a network of good friends, and were securely employed. But we were both desiring for something different. We had talked before about the boredom we shared in the comfortable circumstances in which we were living. Both of us wanted to do something risky, unconventional, and adventurous. Something that was lasting and wouldn’t conclude with a return to our regular lives in D.C. We were both bachelors and didn’t have family responsibilities that would have made it more difficult to cut loose from our situations. I proposed that we participate in a year long program in Adventure Education. The program was based at HoneyRock camp in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. Fortunately, my friend agreed to join me. We soon quit our jobs and moved to Three Lakes, Wisconsin where our adventure began. It turned out to be one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences that I’ve had. But it also involved facing the fears of leaving a more certain, familiar, and secure (feeling) life behind and wandering into the unknown. Since then, my friend and I have tried to make a tradition out of planning an adventure together every year.
O’Donnell and Belliveau with Marco Polo’s will.
Recently I watched a documentary about an adventure that two men concocted. Inspired by the famous world travels of the explorer, Marco Polo, they decided to trace the journey that he had taken. Along the way, they looked for the descriptions and experiences that Marco Polo had described in his writings about his journey. The video reminded me of the rewards I have gained through my choices to pursue adventure and reflect on how I can continue to do so. The story of these two friends is an extreme example of living adventurously, but I believe that we can approach life adventurously during the course of our routine daily lives.
Another message that I took away from watching the film is the benefit of traveling. These adventurers’ experiences impacted their view of people and the world. “Travel is the enemy of bigotry,” says O’Donnell. “There’s a lot more good people on the planet than bad…Get out there, meet [people], they’re good,” adds Belliveau. (source: film’s website)
The documentary is now being shown on PBS, but it can also be seen on the web (http://www.thirteen.org/marcopolo/). Watch it and be inspired to pursue adventure.
Related reading:
How to Discover What You’re Passionate About (blog by Scott H Young)
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