"Security is mostly superstition. Life is either a daring adventure or it is nothing."
-- Helen Keller (1880-1968)
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“It is only in adventure that some people succeed in knowing themselves -- in finding themselves.”
-- André Gide (1869-1951)
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"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the things you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sail. Explore. Dream. Discover."
-- Mark Twain (1835-1910)
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Who wants to live an adventurous life? Not everyone, of course, and those who give security top priority probably won’t invite much adventure into their lives.
Young people are often known for courting adventure. For a smaller number it becomes a life-long preoccupation, or at least a vacation (or weekend) pursuit.
If you have to work, it’s not easy to integrate much adventure into a work week. Unless you’re one of the lucky ones, work days can be somewhat predictable.
But the potential sources of adventure are almost limitless. Hiking can provide small doses (and occasionally bigger ones), which can come in the form of meeting wild animals up close, being surprised by extreme weather events, etc.
Other kinds of adventure can accompany activities closer to home, or at work, or anywhere else. Doing anything creative -- writing, composing, making art, acting, dancing, etc. -- will often involve adventurous elements.
In almost any realm of life, sensible (not reckless, one hopes) risk-taking can add a measure of adventure to anyone who’s willing to step a bit outside of their comfort zone.
Some of us who hike regularly love the fact that every hike is distinctively or surprisingly different each time we do it. Exactly what we’ll see and how the day will unfold are never totally predictable. And that’s part of what can make it fun!
-- Charlie Cook