“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

So we have been back from our last trip away for a few weeks now.
It is cold and overcast in Canberra.
But so far, the great times we had away have lingered and infused somewhat into the winter droll.

And although happy to be in the familiarity of our home once more, we all look forward to our next adventure away in Ripley with great anticipation and gratitude.

I keep thinking that of all the worlds population, what percentage have the opportunity, the good health, and the security to be able to travel at will like this. And for no other reason than for the fun and adventure of it.

OK, it was just a road trip away in our camper van for a few weeks. We were comfortable, we ate fine food and did our laundry.
But I am calling it as adventure.

I am quickly discovering that adventure does not necessarily need to be infused with adrenaline or bridled by extreme hardship.
It does not need to be huge, or far, or exotic, or unsafe. It does not need to rhyme with macho or testosterone.

Adventure does not need to be compared, or perfected, or filtered, or hashtagged, or liked, or shared (although perhaps it is best shared).

Adventure is simply your own heart quickened by unaccustomed colour and sound and place.
It is simply the process of opening to a wider palate of experiences that are made precious by your own immediacy to that very unfamiliarity.

The author Roy T Bennett wrote:

“Don’t let the expectations and opinions of other people affect your decisions. It’s your life, not theirs. Do what matters most to you; do what makes you feel alive and happy. Don’t let the expectations and ideas of others limit who you are. If you let others tell you who you are, you are living their reality — not yours. There is more to life than pleasing people. There is much more to life than following others’ prescribed path. There is so much more to life than what you experience right now. You need to decide who you are for yourself. Become a whole being. Adventure.”

Yes adventure can be epic if you dare it. But it sits just as comfortably in the complete simplicity, the utter availability of small invitations.

A short trip away with no particular destination.
A pushback against the inertia of routine.
Bending the rules.
Trying something new.
Not believing what you think.

And I am also discovering this; Adventure seldom arrives uninvited, but it always wears an unexpected hat.