Adventurous Life Newsletter - Inviting You to Find Inspiration in Odd Corners (August 2003)

You may have noticed that last month's issue was a few days early. Why? Because I was flying across the continent to a city I used to call "home" -- Seattle.

While living in Seattle several years ago, I had the good fortune to live in the International District, just a few blocks southeast of the historical section of the city. Always saving my spare cash for my next big travel adventure, I spent my free time exploring the city on foot or cheap public transportation, hanging out with street musicians, writing feverishly in coffee shops, and developing my people watching skills.

A visit years later as a tourist -- this time with my partner -- didn't seem all that different... at first. The exception? This time, I had someone along who hadn't yet experienced any of my former haunts. As I searched for once-familiar streets and struggled to serve as tour guide in a city that seemed to have shifted a few degrees from the one in my memory, I noticed my own growing sense of curiosity. Things which had become commonplace to me while living there were now surprising -- I didn't always know what was around the next corner.

It came to me that this is the essence of adventure -- allowing oneself to be surprised. Those moments when we admit that we can't (and perhaps don't even want to) predict what will happen next -- that is when we step into the river and find ourselves swept up in a spontaneous experience.

The question I carry away from this visit "home" for myself is this: how can I not only tolerate, but cultivate this surrender, this spontaneity, this not-knowing-the-answer in my daily life? Because we have a choice, don't we? This month, whenever you have one of those moments where you feel frustrated and out of control, ask yourself what it would take to instead view it as a refreshing dip into the curious realm of possibility.

Travel Corner: Two Interesting Alternatives for Your Next Vacation

Looking for a volunteer travel opportunity? The New York Times called Cross-Cultural Solutions "akin to a mini-stint with the Peace Corps." With programs in 11 countries, this family- and group-friendly organization takes volunteers of all ages on programs lasting 3 to 12 weeks (arrangements for two-week placements can be discussed on an individual basis).

Women over 40 who've been bitten by the adventure bug but still want a combination of great company and cultural and environmental awareness woven into their journeys should check out Explorations in Travel. Hey, they're biking in Ireland and rafting in California this month, hiking through Wales next month. And yes, the food is always exceptional!

Adventures Within: On the Path to Self-Awareness

How many of us are brave enough to search inward for adventure? Jeanne R. isn't someone who's seeking outward recognition. In fact, says Jeanne, "I'm an anonymous kind of person….You know, when I was in high school, I counted up to 300 encounters with folks who knew someone who looked like me, 'could be' my twin, 'could be' my younger/older sister. Since then, I don't bother to count. I think it may be a cosmic message that individualism is really interconnected-ism."

This unpretentious 50-year-old is a mother of two children, now young adults, and she's been married over 30 years to her high school sweetheart. "From my earliest memory, I wanted to be a mom. It may sound alien in this day of career women, but I took this job very seriously." In a world where stay-at-home moms often feel a need to justify their choices, Jeanne doesn't spend much time apologizing. "Both kids are a joy. I laugh a lot when they visit. They are out in the world finding their place, using their many talents and not limiting themselves to a narrow field or point of view. That feels like a success."

During these past few decades, Jeanne herself has been on an intrepid journey of "self-understanding," a voyage which has introduced her to many intriguing people and places...

Jeanne shares secrets and insights from her inspiring inward adventures in the complete article on my web site.