Being on the race has really opened my eyes to the word
adventure. There is a quote from one of my new-found favorite movies (Thanks
Juddson for the addiction) 180 South which says “the word adventure has been
overused. For me adventure is when everything goes wrong, that’s when the real
adventure begins.” For myself I have found a lot of truth in these words. I
think before the race started for me my view on adventure was twisted. Before I
thought by traveling somewhere in a comfortable car, or by a comfortable plane
was part of adventure— Staying in a comfortable home, or hotel when arriving
at our destination— Or eating out at all of the fancy restaurants was real
adventure. Now four months into the race I think that kind of travel is great
for families on vacation, but that is nowhere close to real adventure.
Adventure starts when you are uncomfortable. When eight
hours in to our ten hour train ride from India to the border of Nepal and the
smells of sweaty people crammed into one box car is normal, that is when you
know you are on adventure. Adventure is riding on top of the speeding buses
through the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains just inches away from a
hundred foot drop off; the fear of death, and the excitement of adventure
collide that’s when you know you are having a great time. And don’t forget
about our eight hour roundtrip bus ride to the border of Tibet and they won’t
let us cross without a visa…ha! No you see comfort holds us back from
experiencing true adventure. When everything goes right can you really say you
had an adventure? I think not. Every inch of my being loves living an
uncomfortable lifestyle. Instead of thinking about which apartment to live in,
my mind is flooded with where will I go next? And what can I get myself into?
Fear of the unknown is the greatest fear of all… but I am ready to go for it.
What can I say, I love my life on the go!
