Finding Adventure in the Ordinary
Traveling alone relaxes me. Immersed in a crowd of strangers, I wander down airport halls. I lean against the airplane window, notebook in hand, and let my thoughts wander as the world shrinks below me. Sometimes traveling is the only time I have to be quietly alone.
But I’ve found that if I want adventure, I go with my closest friends. During my 5-week Christmas break, my best friend Tamara flew from South Carolina to South America to spend the last two weeks with me.
With her by my side, even a trip to the grocery store turned into an adventure worth remembering. I showed her the places where I grew up, from downtown Lima to quiet neighborhood streets where I used to bike. We went on picnics with my family and friends and spent hours swimming (thank you, Peru, for combining my two favorite times: Christmas and summer).
Everything from encountering spiders in the shower to buying fresh bread from street vendors became a great adventure, one full of wonder and excitement.
Every place I took her I knew by heart. I’d walked these streets countless times. Layers of childhood memories filled every corner and familiar sight. But with Tamara beside me, these simple things, places, stores, and foods were no longer mundane, but became new and exciting.
I found adventure in the city I’d always called home.
By the end of most Christmas breaks, I am bored and restless, ready to return to the fast-paced schedule of work, classes, and studying. But this time I did not want to leave.
I had fallen in love with home again. I remembered how amazing and beautiful everything was.
My point?
You can go adventuring anywhere, starting right where you are. Sometimes all it takes is a different point of view, or an awesome friend who teaches you to see the wonder and excitement in life again.
It’s who you go with that makes the adventure.
Who is your choice adventurer? Who can make Walmart memorable or quesadillas in the backyard a treat?
