What does adventure mean to you?

My husband, Owen, and I recently watched The Winds of War on Netflix. During the Nazi invasion of Poland, Byron Henry told his friend how much fun he was having. She exploded asking how he could be calling that was happening, “fun.”

“I know I’m not going to die, and this is the most excitement I’ve ever experienced.” He said.

When I first heard those words back in 1984, they shot deep.  Wow, what a concept. I’ve been living my life with that philosophy in mind, ever since. I check in with myself to see if what I’m about to do will kill me. If I get a doomed feeling, I demur. If I feel alive, I’ll go for it.

The one time I recall feeling exactly like Byron Henry is when I was caught in San Francisco during the Loma Prieta Earthquake in October of 1989. A woman from work and I got each other out of the city in her red Mazda Miata. The weather was beautiful, and the top was down. There were stops along the way, we had to get her cat from her Marina district apartment, but it was an adventure, and I knew I would live to tell the story.

Adventuring involves accessing inner resources that aren’t accessed while sitting at home watching the Winds of War. Mental toughness is required. Problem-solving skills are exercised, and solutions come from deep within. When living in the present moment, I feel authentically alive.

Adventure can be something like driving to Southern California alone to finding a taxi to take you back to the cruise ship in Saigon Harbor.  Another friend and her husband have hiked from the top to the bottom of the Grand Canyon five times! What’s your favorite adventure? Please go to the blog page and share.