Adventure!

[BarefootDawsy]

I don't know about you, but my life isn't worth living if it doesn't include a healthy portion of adventure. I've got a heap of things planned and in the back of my mind that I want to do before I'm dead, and can't wait to get started.

One of the best parts of adventuring though is sharing stories and experiences with others, so I thought I'd start this thread to get people all excited to set out!

So, to make this a bit fun, reply to this thread with something you have done that was awesome, and something that you plan to do in the future.

I'll go first

Something I've Done

5 years ago, my wife and I were living boring old lives, just commuting and hanging out, and generally wasting our time. One night, we went out for Chinese and got talking about the adventures that we would like to have. We landed on going to live in London for a year and use it as a base for even more fun and travel. After a few drinks, and a lot of manic discussion, we decided that the decision to either stay and take the safe route...buy a house, have kids, etc or got to London and travel, would hinge on what the fortune cookie at the end of the meal told us to do.

It read: You will go on an adventure

Seriously, it said that.

The next morning, I marched into my boss' office and basically told him that I wanted a transfer to London or I would start looking for another job.

6 weeks later, after a whirlwind trip through Japan, France, Switzerland and Scotland, our train pulled up in London.

Something I Plan To Do

Something my wife and I have often talked and joked about is the idea of living on a boat for a year and sailing around thither and yon, just to see what it's like. We've read some of the great circumnavigation books, and, being hopeless romantics, find it hard to resist the pull of the open ocean. All we need to do is overcome our fear of the sea, and of course, learn to sail We're in the early phases of working out how to do this with 2 kids, but we're getting there. We've bought Adventuring With Children which is a pretty inspiring read, if a little out-of-date. Watch this space for details

So, how about you? What's you next big adventure?

[Leimanu]

Wow, so fun! So weird about the fortune cookie. And so NerdFitness too! Dream of adventure...and then plan on how to do it.

Something I've Done

Peace Corps in the Republic of Vanuatu. Two years of no electricity, no running water, bugs in everything, so many mosquitoes and flies, and taking anti-malaria meds everyday. And that was the easy part. Well, I did get to live in a custom house on the ocean. (two tidal wave run-for-the-hill warnings)

Something I Plan to Do

For August I'm going to Albany, NY to find work. I'm going to try to leave myself completely open to whatever come my way, ask questions, and meet people. Networking is the hardest for me. And I'm actually looking forward to it!

Good luck to everyone!

[SusieBlu]

Something I have Done

Joined the military, moved away from my home in Colorado to the other side of the country. Now I am in Germany.

Something I plan to Do

Travel Europe. Visit North Africa. Ski the Alps. Swim in the Med. Bike Beligum. Backpack Ireland. Hike Norway. Visit London during the Games. Eat and drink everything.

[shortstuff]

Something I've Done

Not as adventurist as all of you guys, I did only finish school last year if that makes up for anything, but I went from a primary school (year 1-7) which had 56 kids split in to three classes in it, yes only 56 kids split in to three classes, to a high school which had 86 kids in my grade, and we were a "small" grade, and I went from knowing all the kids and teaches by their name and not just the ones in my class, to knowing only two people, my older sister and a girl that went to the same primary school (who went on to change schools). I also had to get use to the fact that the trip to school took an hour one way by bus, instead of 15 minutes by bus and part of that was waiting for the bus, and picking up kids from a different school.

Something I Plan to Do (ok more like really badly want to but that doesn't I will get to do it)

I want to join the navy, I tried out this year and didn't get in but I get a second chance next year if I still want to join. I am trying to think of it as it just having more time to train as there is a couple of physical tests I don't think I would at that point in time pass. Think beep test, sit-ups and push-ups to get in, and once I get in I will have to be able to do even more sit-ups and push-ups than what I do to get in, as well as a swiming test, and a running test (either a beep test or a 2.4k run) in order to pass recuit school. When I tried out this year, I also got told because of my size (I'm 152cm which is the min height you can be to be able to join) I might found recuit school to be hard because of the lifting and the carrying involved. So now I am also working to be stronger all over and not just in the areas I need to be able to pass the physical tests.

[Morrigainz]

Something I've Done

Hiked through a volcanic crater that was active in the 1950s, taken a helicopter ride (sans doors) to see lava flows, explored Austria, walked on a 13th-century wall. Those are just a few

Something I'm Going to Do

Summit Mt. Kilimanjaro. Still figuring out when/how this is happening, but it's happening.

Hike the Appalachian Trail. Something I've always wanted to do...maybe not the whole thing, but a good chunk.

Visit Japan.

[cline]

Something I've done:

Traveled like crazy - Africa (including safaris, including one on foot = crazy bad idea but was with local folks), Hong Kong for 4 days on a whim (crazy jet lag), the Galapagos

Something I'm Gonna Do:

Hike up Pike's Peak