– Get Outside and Grab a Handful –
I reorganized files on my laptop. Last week, I got lost while searching through hundreds of gigabytes for a picture to share. The folders I searched through were organized for my old style life where I had one big adventure every year, maybe two. The old way of making adventure has been replaced by a newer, easier method.
As you see, there are 15 folders in our 2022 Adventure collection. Four of them were day trips to someplace different or exciting. Only one of them was international (our Middle Fork trip last September). Most of the new adventures were weekends with our bus group or by ourselves. Simple trips that qualified as adventures… and we stacked up a bunch of them.
Easy to Be Active
It’s easy to be active if it’s a priority, and getting away from the house on a regular basis is important to us. We love our home, our garden, our little town and the almost daily walks to shop for necessities.
But the simple life gets too simple if it’s the same old thing every day. And that’s how we know it’s time for a trip; every few weeks, we get tired of the same breakfasts and shopping lists, so we break up our routine.
The important thing to do is get away; where we go and what we see is secondary. The need to breathe fresh air and recharge our life batteries is the priority. Consequently, we always seem to have a couple or three destinations ready to serve the purpose.
Also, we keep an eye open for special events in the general area; those can be interesting enough to initiate a visit. We’ll take a suitcase and the dog and visit someplace new. Unless you’re one of those people who say “No” to every suggestion (because you don’t really want to go anywhere – really, there are people like that), there is a menu of seasonal options at hand. And don’t reach for that “I can’t afford it” excuse; you’ll spend money this weekend even if you stay at home… and if you need to make a little extra, side hustles are a great source of adventure.
Mountain Adventure
One of our favorite sources of adventure close to home are the mountain ranges that serve as the natural border around southern Poland. We have easy access to moderate and difficult hiking trails through the Karkonosze Mountains that are an hour’s drive from Strzelin.
We go in all seasons. I did not expect that Ela would be amenable to hiking in the snow, but sometimes bad weather makes it more exciting and she doesn’t seem to mind. Trails are maintained year-round, and there are restaurants and bars strategically located at most popular sites. Two or three folders contain pictures from day trips to the mountains because its so easy to get out for a hike.
Adventure by the Sea
Honestly, Ela prefers the sea. Though my greatest adventures have been in the high country, I’m learning to appreciate the quirks and character of big water. Since I moved to Poland (a place most people do NOT associate with sun, sand, and surf), we’ve been to the coast a half dozen times. Too far for a day trip, we usually take a week to drive north to the Baltic Sea, get a room with a small kitchen, and play in the sand for a few days.
The thing I find most curious about the water is the sound. With my eyes closed on a quiet day, I realize the sound of waves on the beach is the only sound that sounds the same all the time… even a million years later. They have sounded the same since the beginning of time. I like the sun and the sand, but I learned to love that sound.
I remember listening to the wind in the Frank. The sound of the wind was a constant companion and a source of meditative calm. The wind followed me to Poland but sounds different here. It pushes the water up on the beaches at Leba and Debki, and the rhythmic pulse takes me back to something long ago.
Public Events
Everywhere, there are public events. In Boise, Fort Worth, or Wroclaw… doesn’t matter where in the world you are, there is probably something happening.
A week ago, an old friend stopped by while touring Europe. His timing was perfect; there was something happening in the city while he was in town. We didn’t really have to plan anything ahead of time. We built some memories by attending the Guinness Book of World Records ‘Largest Guitar Orchestra’ event in Wroclaw.
It was a perfect example of easy adventure. No costs to speak of; three train tickets to town and a meal. And t-shirts, of course! But we stirred the energy up and infused ourselves with something different, and that makes all the difference. We never know who we’ll meet or what we’ll see… but we know it adds another folder to Life’s collection. And that’s our secret.
Do Something
Then we come home. We unpack our clothes, do the laundry, get organized. The next day, we walk to town and see our friends, restock the refrigerator and begin our next project. Depending on the time of the year, we get busy with the garden or the house or somethng else that merits our attention. We get back into our routine, but it doesn’t feel ‘routine’; it feels fresh. And we remember why we like home so much.
We’re going to Krakow this weekend. A former Marine Corps buddy with Polish roots is finally visiting his ancestral home. Ela and I are meeting Annita and Tom in Kazimierz for some sightseeing. It’s a three-hour drive, but we get to stay in a hotel for a couple nights and that is always romantic (especially when we leave the dog at home). We’ll break bread with good people, enjoy some lively conversation, and spend a few hours walking through one of our favorite places.
And that’s how you keep it interesting. Open the windows of your life and circulate some fresh air. Maybe you’ll get turned on to a new interest, feel the attraction of a new hobby, or meet a new person that adds value to your life. You never know what excitement is waiting for you. It is easy to find adventure, but you have to get out and look for it.
