planning for adventure
/Adventure. Sometimes it finds you (like when you unexpectedly become unemployed as a single parent with 4 kids and a house payment- that's adventurous), and sometimes you plan for it (like when you've had a helluva week and you and your best friend set aside a day together and decide that you should try snowshoeing- that's also adventurous).
So you block out time. You pack snacks (and maybe drinks). You borrow gear. You bundle up. You do something different with someone who's the best kind of familiar. You make a goal to get a little lost. You set an intention to get out and be silly. You smile a little when you think of the very real possibility of mischief.
You consult trail maps. You look at webcams. You read trip reports. You charge your camera battery. You put silly things in your backpack like extra socks and matches and more granola bars than you could ever eat in a couple of hours... just in case. This is all preparation for spontaneity. All of the setting aside of time and pulling together of details used to bother me. I used to feel as if the scheduling and planning took the adventure out of having an adventure. Now I see it as taking the necessary steps to free myself up for fun. I can be present and wander off the beaten path when I've equipped myself to do so.
And then you just go. You ignore your phone, your email, your schedule, your kids, your clients, your aching heart, your dwindling bank account, your tiniest little worries, and...
You just go.
I can't tell you what comes next. It's a grab bag. Hopefully you stay safe (mostly). Hopefully you end up back in your own bed at night. Hopefully you take at least one picture. Hopefully you fall a little bit more in love with your life and the people that you share it with. Guaranteed you will create memories.
You just never know what kind of adventure you'll have, but at least you planned for it.
Here are a few of my favorite links for adventure planning