Grand Adventure

For the last six months we have been counting down to this week, the fourth grade field trip to the Grand Canyon.  Visiting one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World would be an exciting adventure in and of itself, but add-in waking up at 3am and riding on a charter bus, and you have an event that can only be compared to the anticipation of Christmas Eve.  It was a very BIG deal.

Her excitement was contagious (and mildly annoying at the same time - lol).  Each day would begin with the countdown of 5 more days, 4 more days, etc.  When the night finally came, I was the one waking up multiple times hoping that we didn’t over sleep the alarm.  Of course we did not, we got dressed, packed the bag, ate a little and joined the caravan of cars cruising down the sleepy street at 3:30 a.m.  There was a quiet, subdued buzz as we checked in with the others.  A quick hug and that was it, she was ready for whatever the day would bring.

I thought of her and the other fourth graders frequently throughout the day, following their itinerary and hoping that they were having fun.  I thought about how as a child, my neighborhood friends and I were always trying to create an adventure.  Whether it was riding down a side street we had never been down or finding a new area of the school yard to explore or trying a new “stunt”.  The rush, the thrill of not quite knowing how something was going to turn out, but being naive enough to trust that everything would be ok.  If you’ve never given much thought to the natural chemicals in our bodies, think back to a time when you felt that rush of excitement, adventure and anticipation, and you’ll quickly realize how powerful those chemicals really are.

So what happens to our adventurous spirit?  We get busy.  We like to plan.  We think of the risk.  We get nervous.  We stick to what we know.  It’s more predictable.  It’s safe.  It’s what we have time for.

But at what cost?  What happens when we stop pushing ourselves to have new experiences?  To step outside our comfort zone, to go on a true adventure?  Are we afraid we might be rejuvenated?  We might learn something new about the world, or ourselves?

Sixteen hours later, the charter buses pulled into the parking lot.  It was my turn to be excited (and relieved).  I scanned the crowd and found her on the final bus.  I couldn’t wait to hear the stories of the day and relive her adventure through her stories and photos. 

At the end of the day it’s the experience of the adventure that matters, not the scale.  It’s exploring somewhere you’ve never been or trying something new.  Simply naming it an “adventure” will set the tone, bring a little added anticipation and open you up to learning something new.  What adventure is waiting for you today?

Heart-FULLy yours, 

Kacey