I was a bit of a baby when I was a kid.  I didn’t like to get far from my mama and I did not like to leave home.  Camp was out of the question.  I don’t think anyone would have called me adventuresome or a risk taker. 

I remember specific incidences of my unwillingness as a child to take risks.  Sometimes it is a little hard to understand the risk or reason for fear that I perceived at the time.  For example, I cried when my mom left me at ballet class (trust me, ballet was definitely an adventure for me).  I threatened a hunger strike when my mom attempted to switch all natural peanut butter for Jif (if you have seen pictures of me as a child, you know that this didn’t last long).  I cried and wouldn’t get on the back of a tandem bicycle with my brother as I thought he would kill us (ok, that may have been a legitimate concern).

I pretty much have always done what was expected of me – I did well in school, got into a good college, went straight to law school, and went to work at a law firm in Philadelphia.  I worked hard to accomplish my goals.  To use the old cliché – I didn’t veer much from the beaten path. 

Every year, birthdays were a little hard on me.  It is not because I was getting older necessarily, but it was more that I became very contemplative as to what I have accomplished in my life and whether or not I was truly happy.  In my twenties, after three or four years in my career, I struggled with the answers. 

My first big foray into risk taking was in my late twenties.  I left Philadelphia, a secure job, friends, a boyfriend and a marriage proposal and moved into the deep South.  Oddly enough, I did it without really thinking or planning; it just felt like the right thing to do.  I never looked back once and I have never regretted it.  

Maybe it was that first big step that started my addiction to adventure.  I believe I understood (consciously or unconsciously) that I needed to shake my life up a little.  I have blogged before about the book entitled “Fortytude” by Sarah Brokaw; that book spoke to me in many ways.  Adventure is the third (as addressed by me) of the five core values espoused by Sarah in “Fortytude” for women approaching middle age.   (Two other core values are covered in these blog posts: Fortytude, on grace and equanimity, and Girlfriends, on connectedness.)  The remaining core values are accomplishment and spirituality.

Of the core values, I immediately identified grace (and equanimity) and connectedness as two that I needed to work on right away.  I could argue with myself about accomplishment.  My mama would say that I have accomplished a lot; sometimes I am not so certain.  Spirituality scares me.  I consider myself a spiritual person, but I am not conventionally spiritual.   I am not certain that I am ready to share my beliefs on that issue, as I do not want to offend anyone.

Adventure is the one core value that I had already incorporated into my life; somehow, I knew that I needed it.  Reading “Fortytude” caused me to recognize it, though, and to think about it more and to realize how much I have grown.  

As Sarah explains in “Fortytude”, “[a]dventure means not settling into a tired, old pattern but rather challenging ourselves to renew our interest in and enthusiasm for life by pushing out of our comfort zones.”  I get a high (like a runner’s high) from challenging my comfort zones.  For the most recent example, read my blog post entitled Dodging Grizzlies.  When climbing a mountain at 10,000 + feet elevation, three hours into the climb with tired legs, and encountering a snow bank to cross, I crossed it twice.  It was exhilarating and terrifying at the same time.

I have a phobia of sharks (thanks to Steven Spielberg and Jaws).  While at one point it caused me hesitation in swimming in large bodies of water (even fresh water – don’t ask), I now will swim in the ocean.   Several years ago I competed in my first triathlon – another adventure outside of my comfort zone.  While I felt incredibly proud that I was able to finish, I was a little disappointed at my performance in the swim portion, which was in a lake.  For my next triathlon, I trained by swimming in the ocean.  While the sharks were always on my mind, I refused to let the fear prevent me from training.   At my next triathlon, I cut in half my time in the swim portion.

I was hesitant to try yoga.  I have been an athlete all  of my life, but one who did not stretch until the age of forty.  I had a difficult time touching my toes.  Plus, in all truthfulness, I typically avoid athletic “classes” where there seem to be an abundance of petite women in cute matching outfits.  I thought I would make a fool of myself.  Again I pushed myself and I am now absolutely addicted to yoga.  My body feels better than it ever has.

Being adventuresome and taking risks does not mean that you need to be reckless – as Sarah Brokaw is quick to point out, and as I also firmly believe.  I enjoy an adventure, but I am not stupid.  One of my recent adventures may seem reckless to some, but it wasn’t.  I researched the place and made certain of its standards.  Given that I have now taken multiple rides with my brother on his motorcycle, I thought it was fitting.  I got a tattoo.