Tag Archives: adventure

Source: chicwithwords.wordpress.com

Back in the mid-90s, a guy I used to go to high school with created a completely new life for himself. He’d been working in construction for almost a decade and had saved over $25,000 and instead of socking it away for retirement he decided to do something drastic, something he’d been dreaming of doing for a long time. He sold everything he owned, took his life savings, moved to Belize and bought a scuba dive shop. As I look out my window at the Oregon autumn and prepare for nine months of gray drizzle, I can’t help but envy that guy. He’s probably still down there to this day, teaching suntanned tourists how to use a regulator and fins.

Breaking free

We have all had that moment in our lives. You know the moment I’m talking about, the one where you’re stuck in traffic in a heavy downpour just trying to get home on a Tuesday night when that thought of escape enters your head. That glorious and shining moment when you are transported to your happy place. Whether it be a tropical beach or a well-hidden duck blind or a sturdy treestand, the emotional and spiritual distance is still the same. The stress of life and the monotony of the day-to-day, 9-to-5 grind just has a way of getting to us all. As a consequence, it is natural to fantasize about dropping everything, quitting our jobs, creating a new life where we’re doing only the things that we want to do.

How amazing would it be to become a dive resort owner like my high school counterpart? Or what about moving to Alaska and becoming a professional hunter? Or living in Bend and making a living as a fishing guide? Each of us has our own fantasy job where it would be a pleasure to get up every morning and go to work. How incredible would it be to actually act on that impulse?

Fact or fantasy?

Of course I say it’s a fantasy, but is it? Or the question I should ask is, does it have to be? Of course it doesn’t. People have done it. People have traded their mundane lives for adventure, digging themselves out of their ruts and becoming what they’ve always dreamed of, and so can you.

There are all kinds of stories out there for inspiration. Take the story of Roz Savage. In 2005, at the age of 32, Roz had felt like she was in a deep, dark hole with no way out. She knew she needed a change, and she needed to do it quickly. So she did something drastic. She quit her job, sold her car, left her husband, and rowed solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Over the next several years, she added the Pacific and the Indian Oceans to her resume. After that, she wrote about her adventures and is now inspiring others by speaking about her incredible life.

And then there is the story of Robert Schrader. In 2009, Robert, like many Americans, was hit hard by the economic collapse. He had always had a lifetime dream of traveling the world, yet never had the money to do so. However, he knew he needed to escape his life, so he just did it. First he went to China, but he didn’t stop there. After visiting 50 other countries, Robert is now making a living by blogging, inspiring others to follow in his footsteps. Robert says that it was scary, and all of his friends were skeptical, but once you get out there and see the world, you will find it worthwhile.

Running from your problems?

Some people may say that the idea of uprooting and changing your life completely by pursuing a lifelong goal of adventure and travel is not solving any problems. They say that if you are in a rut here, simply moving to another place and getting another job does not mean that you will not find yourself in a rut once you are there. They say that you cannot run away from your problems, and no matter where you go there they are. I say so what? Having problems is a part of life. Everybody has them, no matter how rich they are or no matter how enriched their lives are. But wouldn’t it be nicer to have a problem when you are living the life that you have always dreamed of living? Dealing with stress would be so much easier when you are happy to get out of bed and go to work. Handling problems would be a breeze when you are doing what you love to do.

Another criticism people have of the breakaway lifestyle is that they say it is inevitably a temporary fix. They say that most people who quit their jobs and move away to start a new life usually come back. Whether it is after a few months or after a few years, something ends up going wrong—either the money runs out or the lifestyle is not what it is cracked up to be—and the would-be adventurer comes home with his tail between his legs. Again, I say so what? So what if it is only temporary? Then look at it as a vacation, a short-term adventure, a break from life where you actually went and did something for a change. You tried at least. Don’t look at it as a failure. Look at it as an experience that you would’ve never had if you had never put your neck out in the first place.

So I guess my point of all of this is that if you have a dream of breaking away, then do it. Life is too short. Regrets last too long. Anything can happen, so make it happen.