It was a lazy Saturday morning. There was a threat of rain in the forecast and we were drinking coffee and going through the options for the day.
“What do you want to do today?”
Such a frequently asked question, right? We tossed around some ideas and rabbit trailed until Caleb threw out THE question.
“Want to go on a road trip?”
I would love to be able to tell you that I ran to the closet, grabbed the suitcase, and quickly started packing. However, as I stared at the map that hangs in our office, I was stuck.
This map has pins in all the places we want to visit and I was faced with a hard question. Did I want to go? Did I want to leave the comforts of home and travel somewhere new? Did I want to do the work it takes to travel? How important is adventure really?
I stared at those pins for awhile. Just thinking… Excuses were flying quicker than I could comprehend them.
- It’s expensive.
- You have laundry, dusting, vacuuming…all waiting to be done.
- You hate long car trips.
- You have pets.
- You hate long car trips.
- You are still drinking coffee in your jammies.
- It’s almost lunchtime.
- You hate long car trips.
The excuses piled up and just kept coming. It was now decision time. Do I really want to visit one of those places? Do I really want to go on an adventure? YES! The answer was yes! I had to push the excuses aside and say yes, yes to the unknown, yes to the idea of trying something new, yes to adventure.
I grabbed my suitcase, packed some clothes, and was in the car in less than an hour. Our road trip had begun!
We traveled 13+ hours, in two days, and had the time of our lives. We laughed, we talked, we lived. We met new people and ate new things.
We made memories. We saw new things. We rode a tandem bike!
I spent the car ride home smiling at memories made and then I stopped short. I almost let excuses stop me. How often had I let that happen before? How many times did I talk myself out of something because it was out of my comfort zone? When did I become such a coward?
I don’t want an answer to those questions, honestly. I just don’t want it to happen again. So, here we are at road trip life lesson #721. I want to share with you what I learned on my road trip.
What does it take for each of us to live our best lives? How can we seek out adventure?
Step out of the comfort zone!
We all live different lives. We have different responsibilities and demands on our time, I understand. Jumping in the car and driving 13 hours isn’t always possible, but we can all live a life of adventure.
A comfort zone is a dangerous place. We love it because it feels good and is safe, we are happy here. However, it can also be a trap that keeps us from truly living. It can prevent us from trying new things, going new places, and meeting new people. A comfort zone can stop us from living the life God has called us to live.
When my son was younger, he used to dislike new experiences, new foods, new places. He was REALLY happy in his comfort zone. My catchphrase to ward off the complaining, that I knew was coming, was to tell him, “it could be an adventure.” We encouraged him to try lots of new things, foods, and experiences…sometimes it was a win and sometimes it was a failure, but we still tried. Parents have adventures with your kids, try new things and let them experience it with you.
Adventure happens when we step into the unknown and take a risk. It could be something as simple as taking a risk and sharing encouragement with a stranger in the store, paying for the person behind you in the drive-thru line, trying a new recipe, or even deciding to start volunteering. Don’t overcomplicate it. I will tell you, however, that adventure comes with some warnings.
- You will experience joy and excitement.
- You will make memories.
- You may stop being lazy.
- You will have a great deal of fun.
- You may learn some new things about yourself and the world around you.
- You will want to repeat the process.
- You will start living your best life.
Start small or start big, it’s up to you. Whatever it is that you have been wanting to do, start, work on, or try…give it a go. Don’t let the comfort zone hold you back from taking a risk.
I would love to hear about your adventures and what new things you tried and how you felt about it. Leave me a note in the comments!
Happy adventuring!
Kim