Adventure. Oh this word conjures up so much!
My life has been one big adventure so far. Having lived in nine different countries, and travelled in 60, I’m eternally curious, forever wanting to explore more. In this sense adventure means physically exploring new unknown places, the less discovered the better.
I’ve been lucky and have experienced plenty of this, one highlight being a train journey from Hanoi to Helsinki in 1994. My friend and I shared a second class cabin with Russian newlyweds and a cat called Genghis Khan. We provided the alcohol and chocolate, they provided bread and meat. We made a great partnership despite a lack of communal language.
We had few plans and took the adventures as they came. We jumped off the train and explored the wilds of Western Mongolia by horseback; we stayed with local nomads in their gers. This was how adventure used to be.
But circumstances change and my life is more settled. Adventure now encompasses family and running a business; less physical perhaps though I still discover new and unknown places regularly, both metaphorically and actually. Recently, however, I found a new, unexpected and serendipitous adventure – blogging! I blog, I follow other blogs and so the adventure continues!
Over to you, readers, what does adventure mean for you?
Further Reading
A Year of Blogging – 19 Years in The Making?
Yes, blogging us a marvelous adventure! And circumstances do change. Thank you for sharing your marvelous adventures with us!
Hi Pheebes, have just read this one after looking back at your blogs. You and I had some epic adventures including that train ride. I was also remembering today that it was the first vin chaude party where we ask the maid to help us to buy cinnamon for the mulled wine. We were wracking our brains trying to think of where to buy it because it didn’t appear with other spices. The maid came back with a whole branch of cinnamon which is where I discovered that cinnamon is bark. There you have it. Interesting I think that people often have desintations on their bucket list – not something like ‘learn to cook cassoulet’, or ‘meet ten blind people to understand their challenges. I’ve been thinking a bit about that recently – while I prepare for my next adventure ;).
Maybe when I get to 70 countries I’ll consider a book RT!!
I always thought I was 10 days old when I first changed country but my parents put me right recently . It seems I’d been exaggerating and didn’t move till I was the ripe old age of 17 days old!!!
You’re right, adventures can take place locally too. We often want to explore far away but ignore what’s on our doorstep.
Hi Lisa, I did think about writing a travelog years ago but the moment’s passed and I can’t imagine ever having the discipline to do it now. Blogging is enough for me.
60 countries is mightily impressive. You should certainly turn some of your blog into a book, laced with your marvellous photographs.
You sure have packed in a lot of travelling . How old were you when you first moved countries? Do you remember?
For me, adventures means exploring somewhere new. This could be a new country or even somewhere local where you have never been before
Phoebe and Caroline, you guys are the sweetest, thanks so much for the kind words! 🙂
Great post! I can only imagine the wealth of knowledge you have about your journey into different cultures! Have you ever thought of writing a book?
Absolutely Caroline, I agree fully about the excitement of blogging. I’m super jealous of Alaska, that’s somewhere I’d love to explore, by boat too. Thanks for taking the time to comment, I appreciate it 🙂
That’s a lovely goal Robin, I wonder how many other places your ancestors came from? Enjoy exploring their countries 🙂
Phoebe – I just loved this post possibly because I related to it. Not that I’ve lived in 9 different countries, but I have travelled in a fair few.
What I mostly related to was the fact that these days the adventures are ‘less physical’. I too find using the Internet, running a Blog, meeting new people online etc etc, just so exciting – how anyone can be bored these days is beyond me.
Davina & I still do have physical adventures – our last one was to Alaska in a 100 person boat. Great times.
I’ll second that Phoebe – speaks like a native! :p
Phoebe, I am amazed that you have lived in nine different countries, and traveled in 60. What an amazing accomplishment! My goal has been to visit the countries where my ancestors came from. So far, we have visited Scotland and Germany. I’m looking forward to visiting more.
I suppose looking at it that way then I have been adventurous. I was brought up a a farm and I always wanted to get back to that way of a life … I just never realised it would be in France!
Emigrating is a HUGE adventure. I had no idea that you’d only been in Canada for 13 years Delia, your language skills are phenomenal.
A kindred soul! Lovely to have you onboard!!
Rosie I’d say you’re very adventurous, it’s not just about travel! To have upped and moved to a new country to live a sustainable life is as adventurous as it comes! 😉
I fully agree with you Deanna about blogging and I’m happy that I’ve inspired you to travel. I’ve never been to Mexico, but I’d love to!
Wow, you visited 60 countries I cannot believe it, Phoebe! Now this is a real adventure! I guess mine would be coming to Canada 13 years ago with big hopes of a wonderful life. It’s been a marvellous adventure and I cannot be more thankful and grateful for everything that I’ve accomplished so far 🙂
I know how you feel, I also lived all around the world and had loads of adventures. Now I have a young family so the furthest I travel at the moment is to see family. I look forward to taking the kids with me one day to explore the world some more. 🙂
I have to admit not being a great traveller … so quite how I ended up living in a foreign country is a bit of a mystery to me. Maybe I should try and travel more but it’ll have to wait for a while – at the moment my life is full here with the smallholding, the gite and the boy’s education. So what does adventure mean to me? I’m not sure I am the adventurous type so I will have to settle on reading the travel adventures of others 😉
I love that you have had so many adventures…I am jealous! The only other country I have been to is Mexico. Once my kids are a little older, my husband and I want to travel. You inspire that in me. Blogging and reading blogs is another way to take a virtual adventure…I like that!
I often consider doing a post along those lines Rosemary and would love to develop this blog further into travel in general. But right now I’m just not sure how this would fit in with the overall premise of my blog. It’s certainly something to think about.
Thanks for sharing your definition of adventure Linda; being a “shamanic practioner” certainly sounds very adventurous!
I do have lovely memories of everywhere I’ve lived and it was fun going back and scanning the photos from 1994!
It was a pleaseure to nominate you Chrissie and I’m glad you enjoyed writing your post.
I am very impressed with your adventurous travel! 60 countries including 9 you’ve lived in. Wow! How about a post sometime telling us a bit about all the countries you’ve lived in. I’m very intrigued, to say the least.
My adventures are local. I explore places I haven’t been. I also have some creative and magical adventures, plus being a shamanic practitioner gives me an endless landscape to explore.
Wow! You are well travelled! You must have so many wonderful memories!
Great photos x
What tales you must have to tell, Phoebe, of all your travel adventures! And they continue. The world of blogging is definitely one of my favourite adventures.
Thanks for nominating me to take up the challenge, it’s been a great post to ponder, reflect and write.