Lesson #186: Adventure is out there.

1/24/15.

No question mark this time.

Remember the time I wrote this lesson?

Well today was a category three.

Adventure is out there.

And every once in a while you need a good one.

A few days ago I said: Not much feels new anymore, even when it is.

But here’s the truth. If it’s new but it doesn’t feel new, then you’re just not doing it right.

If nothing is new anymore, find something that is.

Today my roommate and I took a little field trip, and it was exactly what I needed.

We went to Charlottesville and met up with my long-time friend for lunch at one of our favorite restaurants. He showed us around campus and told us stories. We walked around town and saw statues and pictures and buildings that weren’t ours. It was cold, and lovely, and intriguing.

He had to go, but we still had an entire day.

We googled “Best coffee shop in town.” We ended up at some cool place with gigantic cookies and lattes and warmth. Obviously, it’s the little things that make us happy. We sat in a corner by the window with pillows and just talked for an hour. Then we sat in silence for another thirty minutes, and that cool was too.

We went outside and didn’t know what to do next, so we walked.

We strolled down a strip of shops and had no idea where we were, but we just kept walking. We peered through store windows and looked at food menus we would never chose from and explored inside old buildings. We also took a lot of pictures—but that was mostly me being a tourist and my roommate rolling her eyes. (It’s okay, she loves me)

We went into a store we were familiar with, but it’s always interesting when it’s in a different location.

We read excerpts from books for an hour, and looked at clothes and trinkets. We didn’t buy a lot, we mostly just laughed and smiled and looked.

Then we went to dinner.

We didn’t look or even glance at our phones this time, we just talked. About everything. About life and people and ourselves—things we wished we didn’t do and things that we like that make us who we are.

I can’t remember the last time I truly just talked to someone. Not small talk, or quick talk, or joking around, or catching up. Actually talking. And it was great.

We finally made our way to the UVA vs. JMU hockey game, which was the last festivity of the night that we initially came for. We showed a little ol’ school spirit, danced, jumped around, and bonded with strangers simply because we were there to see the same people succeed. We also went into over-time and won the shoot out, but that’s beside the point.

You probably scrolled past all of that, or skimmed through it because it wasn’t your adventure–so it probably wasn’t the least bit interesting.

I don’t blame you.

I promised you lessons, not a personal diary.

But I guess my whole point of this is to just show you that adventure is out there. Even the tiniest ones. Adventures don’t have to be far, or long, or insane. Adventures can be small moments. They can be days, or people. Adventure can be whatever you want it to be, because you’re the captain of this ship. You define it.

What gets you out of your element? Or re-centers you? What reminds you of how you were, or challenges you to live a new way? What makes you feel confused, or sad, or anxious, but leads to happiness in the end?

My kind of adventure won’t be your kind of adventure, and you have to find it for yourself.

Adventure is not just real, but it’s possible.

Whether it’s to fall in love with the world again, or heal, or escape, or try something new—

Adventure is out there.

Go find it.

Day 186.

But I have learned my lesson.

I made the change.

And I know that this is a start.

This is my category three. This is my leap into something greater.

-Lesson #172