Sure, adventure is fun, but it’s not always easy to find good opportunities to try something new. I wrote a post several months ago about finding adventure where you live. I still agree with the points I made there, but I want to expand on them a bit in a new post.
See, today I was given a spontaneous offer to go on a little adventure I would not have expected, and I had a great time!
Flying a Plane
A friend of mine asked me today, out of the blue, if I was free. He’s a licensed pilot and often takes friends out on quick trips to fly around the area. Today he had planned to take his roommate but it didn’t work out, so he invited me instead.
I took a quick drive over to his house, and from there we drove out to the local airport. It’s a small little private airport where that same friend first learned to fly a plane.
After a quick run-through of the safety checks and procedures, he told me everything I needed to know (pedals, controls, when to avoid saying anything, etc.) and we were off. It was an easy, smooth takeoff.
We built up altitude pretty quickly, and he eventually did the thing all pilots do when they bring their friends out where he ascended and then descended really fast to mess with me. Even though I knew what he was doing, my body still reacted with panic! It was fun, though!
Overall, though, it was an easy ride where we could just talk about whatever. We got some nice views as we flew from our hometown of Coeur d’Alene north to Sandpoint. Along the way we passed by Hayden Lake and flew over Lake Pend Oreille, located just next to Sandpoint.
The normal drive between the two cities takes easily an hour or more, but flying took maybe 20-30 minutes each way, and I even got to control the plane a bit on the way back!
After a smooth landing, we left the airport and hung out a bit afterwards.
But it goes to show that sometimes, all you need to enhance your view and enjoyment of the place you live is to see it from (literally or figuratively) a new angle!
When I woke up this morning, I didn’t expect to be flying in a plane, but it was a great experience that I would’ve missed out on had I declined the opportunity!
Spontaneity
I’m not typically a spontaneous person. I usually prefer to plan things ahead of time.
But I feel like I usually end up having the most fun when I do spontaneous activities.
During my entire time in Dublin, we only had one planned excursion: the Jameson Distillery tour. The rest of the time we spent there was just exploring the city and seeing what we could find, from museums to parks and restaurants!
Honestly, most of our time in Ireland and Scotland was a spontaneous adventure, and that’s what led us to explore Stirling Castle, one of my favorite parts of our entire trip!
Spontaneous bowling trips, plane flights, and even hikes or little trips to the store could end up being a really fun experience! Just look out for them when they come up and do what you can to go on them. For me, it’s very easy to adapt my daily routine around such excursions. But that won’t be the case for everyone.
Be Daring
A plane trip like that might sound a little scary or nerve-racking. I’ll admit, I was a little bit wary of the idea since I hadn’t done it before. But I trust my friend and his knowledge of flying a plane, so I knew it would be fun. I’m glad I went, and I’d definitely do it again!
Another similar experience I had recently happened around New Year’s, when a long-distance friend came to visit. She wanted to go skiing/ snowboarding with some of my friends. I tried both skiing and snowboarding when I was a lot younger and didn’t really enjoy it all that much.
Still, I figured that since it had been so long I wanted to try it again.
And I am so glad I did. My visiting friend used to be a competitive ski racer and a ski teacher, and did an excellent job teaching me how to ski. I decided to come out again the next day and did my first blue course (twice) by the time I left! (The picture beside this was taken just after I completed it the first time.)
It was, again, an amazing experience. It was more planned than the flight or our adventures in Dublin, but I had a great time nonetheless!
The point here being, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about either of these experiences. Naturally, my brain wants me to fear the worst and avoid the possible dangers of a plane crash or ski accident. But once I pushed past that worry, I gave myself some amazing memories!
Adventurous Jobs
You might not realize it, but there are actually a lot of ways to turn a passion into something that can let you experience new places and things!
For example, Ryan Biddulph of Blogging from Paradise spends his time housesitting in countries around the world to support his travel.
I got a certification for TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) that will allow me to do a similar thing. This summer, I’ll be going to a Romanian summer camp to teach English in an informal setting, with nearly all expenses covered. It also includes free excursions to nearby sites like Dracula Castle!
And, to clarify, I don’t want this to come off as bragging. I just want to show you how many opportunities might be easily within reach.
Other bloggers work as photographers or as freelancers in various professions to fund their trips while they travel, or find an online job that can support it. This won’t work for every job, but there are often ways to find excuses to even visit a new (or new to you) local place. That could be a restaurant, bar, museum, whatever piques your interest!
Get out there and be adventurous!
Conclusion
I’m writing these posts mainly as a way to get you thinking.
There are often ways to be adventurous hiding in plain sight, and when you know where to find them, it can enhance your experiences even in your hometown! You don’t always have to travel (or travel far) to find ways to be adventurous.
Ultimately, being adventurous is really about your mindset. It’s about being willing to try new things and experiment, and not being afraid to try something you end up not enjoying. Because for every experience you don’t have fun with, you’ll have a better idea of what you will like. You’ll learn more about yourself and you’ll be able to find more of the experiences you enjoy as a result!
I hope this was informative, or at least helpful, in enhancing your own experiences, and was an enjoyable read!
I write guides to languages for travelers, and tell stories about my own travel experiences. Expect something about Romanian soon, since that’ll likely be my next destination!
What have you done recently to be daring, spontaneous, or otherwise adventurous? I’d love to hear about it!
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, leave them in the comments below, or you can contact me directly!
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Thank you for reading!
