I have been an adventure lover ever since I can remember. I’ve always loved being outside and I was an avid tree climber when I was younger. I’ve always wanted to travel to different countries and have been making plans on which countries to go to for years. I used to think that adventure meant I had to travel far away to different countries or fly on a plane.

Now that I’m older, I realize that the term adventure has a much more fluid meaning. I don’t have to go very far to find adventure, fly on a plane, or leave the country. All I need are some of my best friends/family and a place to explore. That place could be a few hours away or right in my hometown.

I still have a thirst for seeing places I’ve only imagined, for meeting people that are completely different than I am, and for becoming more comfortable with being a stranger somewhere. I long for travelling up mountains and through forests, and for walking around unfamiliar city streets and listening to different languages. I want learn all that I possibly can from each place I visit.

There are things that are holding me back--the most prominent of those being money and time. And there’s the fear. I’ve never travelled out of the country, so I have no idea what to do or how to prepare. Would I have to go alone, or will someone want to come with? Will I be safe? Will I need to buy a different phone charger?

The lure of adventure overrides all of these doubts, and I know that sometime I’m going to have to ignore my hesitation, take the risk, and leave. I know it’ll be worth it in the end. I’m someone that usually doesn’t like to take big chances. I like to keep my feet on the ground and think rationally, but there’s something enticing about going on a big trip to somewhere completely new.

The word adventure also means to me how I’m choosing to live every day. Adventure and taking risks doesn’t have to mean something like jumping on a plane randomly one night and finding yourself in a totally strange place. Maybe it has more to do with how you give yourself to people, what you work towards, and how you help others. Taking a risk can be leaving a little part of yourself in everything you do, and going on an adventure can be going somewhere you usually don’t, even it’s as small as going to a restaurant you’ve never been before.

I will travel, I will explore, I will push my boundaries. I think many people have this idea that in order to go on an adventure, you have to take a huge risk. But I’ve found that that’s not always the case. Anything can be an adventure if you make it.

It’s similar to finding my way on a forest path--I’m not exactly sure where I’m going but I know I’m going to make the most of every step I take forward. Sometimes the trail will twist and go uphill, and sometimes the weather will be less than perfect. The trees may seem foreboding sometimes, and I will probably trip here and there. But as long as I have my favorite people by my side, and the endurance to keep hiking onward, then I think I’ll end up okay. In fact, I might not ever want to leave.

I am an adventurer without a compass. I might be lost, but I love the view.