Few stories fascinate me more than the life of a man named Hendri Coetzee. The idea of the modern day explorer is almost a novelty, but for those involved in the lifestyle, it's an obsession. I spent a lot of my childhood having all types of adventures in Northwest Florida, eventually growing up into a world of adrenaline-infused wanderlust, and my life isn't even one tenth of his or that of the other athletes I've looked up to. For anyone who is interested in outdoor sports or adventure, I highly recommend reading into his story. I've only been kayaking for a few years, but the wilds of Africa and the people like him who devoted parts of their life to them have always instilled in me a strong sense of wonder.
In fact, this entire world is full untamed wilds that can humble any of us. As Coetzee himself once said, "I need to believe there is more to this world than we know. I need to believe there is magic out there." In saying this, he put into words something that many of us have struggled to piece together: why we do what we do. For us explorers, adventurers, and athletes, there is a lot of inherent risk in what we do. It also goes against the grain of what is normal and expected in a society, and is misunderstood by many. For many of us involved, however, we can agree on one thing: adventure is a drug.
I've heard athletes of all disciplines say, "it gets in your blood." For climbers, kayakers, skydivers, backpackers, and so on, once you spend enough time honing your craft, it becomes a part of you. The idea of wanderlust, the idea of always seeing something new, the desire to constantly push yourself past new limits, it is almost a physiological addiction. It becomes such a priority in life that you start using the term "need" instead of "want," and for the money, time, and sacrifice involved, you find a way. I've had this conversation with numerous people before, and we all agreed that lack of adventure leads to withdrawal symptoms, many of which mirror depression and anxiety. You become an animal locked in a cage, and it simply isn't healthy.
When you do manage to get your fix, which hopefully is often, it's more than just a simple euphoria. It's a deep and legitimate happiness, a feeling of peace. It's a living and breathing proof that your sacrifices were worth it, and that while the addiction is real, it's one that actually serves your interests. Humans weren't made to be sedentary or confined, and not only is this sense of wanderlust an escape from the stresses of life, but it's an escape from a society and culture that treats people like a cog in an unhealthy machine.
If there's one thing that truly separates us, however, I think it's the dose. Just like with legitimate drugs such as alcohol or benadryl, you build up a tolerance. Maybe this is a result of things becoming increasingly familiar, and I often believe this is simply a result of your comfort zone continually expanding. After a while that new city you moved to becomes normal, and after a while that class three river that used to scare you might no longer feel worth the trip. It makes sense; adventure is the art of discovering new things. The more you build familiarity, the less intriguing something becomes. We tend to embrace fear and hate complacency, and keeping the same dose eliminates fear and breeds complacency. Somebody once told me that an underlying concept behind heroin addiction is that people can never recreate the same "high" they felt from the first dose, and as a result they keep upping the dose in a failed attempt to do so. Adventure is similar, except increasing the dose actually works.
However, there is a major contrast between wanderlust and drug addiction, and that is in the results. In terms of spending money, giving up material possessions, and even risking professional goals and relationships to get our high, the addictions might be similar, but in terms of results they could not be more opposite. The friendships and bonds I've built from this lifestyle are stronger than any I've ever had, and the opportunities that its afforded me are endless. Adventure doesn't ruin life; it fulfills it. It allows you to open your mind, find out who you are, and be the person you want to be. It is an escape from a world that bores you, and an entrance to a world of intrigue and passion. In fact, many of us have accomplished more traditional goals by entering a life of adventure, such as physical health, and start to erode our preconceived judgments and biases that plague normal life. We've become more environmentally conscious, more open to different lifestyles, and more adept at seeing more than what meets the eye.
The thought of sitting still, while living a normal life in our fabricated society scares me more than any fear of the unknown. I want to continue taking part in this battle against our own limits, while attempting to gain a greater understanding of this world and everything it entails. This lifestyle is a drug, and I am proud to be part of this addiction.
