Fortune Cookie Friday: Adventure of A Lifetime
What do you think of when you hear the word adventure?
Do you imagine a brave warrior traveling to unknown lands on a quest? Do you envision peering through a submarine’s window twenty thousand leagues under the sea? Or do you daydream about exploring a distant planet with a rag-tag crew?
I loved going on adventures as a kid and did things a little differently than most girls my age. I filled my free time with playing in the dirt, climbing trees, identifying animals in my neighborhood, and running around barefoot because I kept misplacing my shoes. As an adult, I’m not much different. Well, I don’t lose my shoes as much.
My current adventures include hiking the woods, canoeing on lakes, and photographing animals and plants. But not all of my adventures happen in the wild outdoors. Sometimes, amazing things happen right outside my back door.
We don’t have to travel far to take an adventure. All we have to do is experience something exciting or very unusual. We could try a new restaurant, walk through the neighborhood, or read a new book. Heck, one could find an adventure simply by cleaning out my refrigerator. Of course, that might be scarier than fighting a dragon or an alien invasion.
Just as our fortune states, adventures can bring us happiness. They don’t always have to be picture-perfect, though. Even if we struggle along the way, reaching our goal can be very fulfilling. Some adventures can be short, while others can last a lifetime. I’m currently enjoying the latter.
Yesterday, I celebrated my 27th wedding anniversary with my husband (and best friend), and every day we’ve been together has been a fabulous adventure. Whether it was dating in college, getting married, moving from town to town, or having kids, each moment together filled me with merriment and admiration.
Luckily, my husband enjoys many of the same things I do. We spend much of our free time outdoors exploring the wilds. My hiking buddy always has my back and is incredibly patient while I snap oodles of photos of mushrooms and water droplets. We also have fun watching TV, cooking dinner, and shopping for groceries together. Those activities may seem mundane, but having a life buddy can make them more enjoyable.
I hope you think of adventures differently from now on. Take some time to try something new by yourself or with a friend. Fully embrace the little things in life that we tend to dismiss. Most importantly, capture those moments in writing, photos, or by sharing your experience with someone else. Adventure is all around us, and we shouldn’t pass it by.
