An Adventureful Life

I spent 20 years in the Army and my absolute favorite thing during that time was moving… not moving exactly, but the road-trips we went on as we transitioned from one military location to another. This is probably most people’s least favorite part about the military – but the opportunity to explore new places brought me the greatest joy. I would spend hours looking over maps and google earth to plan the most perfect road-trip. We actually saved up to commemorate our 20 year retirement with a 4,000 mile road-trip in the west (that will be a blog post for another time) where we visited 10 different National Parks! Now that we are officially settled in to domestic life here in the Pacific Northwest, it’s finally time for me to take my love for adventure to the next level. This isn’t a how-to (there are plenty of other resources for that- which I will try and share where appropriate), but more of an inspirational nudge to go find your joy! My biggest recommendation is not to set out to recreate something you saw on Instagram… you will likely be disappointed. There is so much beauty out there – get out there and have your own experience! Don’t wait for someone else to go – start doing your thing and people will follow (or don’t… solo experiences are amazing!). Other people may enhance your joy, but you have to make yourself truly happy. Don’t be afraid to do the things you want to do… everything won’t always work out perfectly, but chances are you will learn some valuable lessons and make some great memories. At the end of the day, I want my children to see me out doing things that make me happy, I want them to see me being a strong and independent human, and I hope to instill in them an adventurous spirit and willingness to get outside of their own comfort zones.

With that… welcome to An Adventureful Life!