Is it still possible to be an adventurer?
I really want to do something off-beat, exciting, and perhaps a bit dangerous that could warrant having a book written about me, or at the very least, a wikipedia article. Any suggestions?
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If it happened to 78 year old Carl Fredricksen it can happen to you too.
You can attempt to swim and migrate with the whales.
I say we take you and put you into the projects a couple of blocks from here – it’ll feel like an adventure, that’s for sure – it was, for me and I have an ‘in’ through friends.
only if you are doing it for fun i guess. adventures (unless you’re like Indiana Jones or something) don’t pay the bills.
In my experience, people who have grand adventures don’t see them as adventures, but life. Stories are recorded and told when someone else, perhaps tamer, intersects the path of the grand adventurer and is compelled to spin a yarn.
Only if your name’s Conan.
@FevoIsGod, I’m not too concerned with bills-paying. I’m alive, so I might as well do something exciting. I’ve been reading Teddy Roosevelt’s autobiography all day, and I want to do what he did and make the most of what the world has to offer, even if it means I may get shot, gored by an elephant, etc.
Jeruba is crafting a response…
And it’s gonna be awesome.
@Fiddle_Playing_Creole_Bastard Where is your sense of adventure – it can be fun, you just gotta go with me this time Oh all right, fine you want a serious answer? My friend Adrian is at some obscure organic farm in Mexico – he no longer even exchanges money with people – you can go visit him.
@Fiddle_Playing_Creole_Bastard….hm let me think… you can donate your living body to science… train as a ninja for 10 years then single handedly take down the communist parties of the world… yep thats about it
I challenge you to a balloon race around the world…..
@Simone_De_Beauvoir, that’s more like what I’m thinking of. I want to do things that will enrich my life experience and broaden my horizons. I’m tired of reading about foreign cultures, weird customs, and dangerous game. I want to see it and feel it myself. What point is there to living, if I can’t do things?
Oh, what a fascinating question! I think it is still possible, but maybe not in the old way. For instance, there was this guy, the Yak man, who has gone all over the place by bicycle. I think that was a true adventure.
There might also be inspiration in the stories of Richard Halliburton (The Royal Road to Romance and other writings), even though they are very dated now. They certainly fired my imagination when I was a kid. If I had had the means when I was young enough to do it, I would have loved to follow in his footsteps.
I think certain professions are an adventure, either by their own nature or by where they take you, but maybe that is not what you mean.
Another fabulous adventure would probably be to follow the Silk Road all the way from one end to the other. There are still strange things and wonders to be found. The days of Marco Polo and Prester John will never return, but if you follow the threads of research into thousands of subjects, they lead into worlds that are still magical and amazing.
@jaytkay Jeruba is crafting a response…And it’s gonna be awesome.
@Jeruba something awesome
Told ya!!
@Jeruba, Fabulous answer! I’m actually thinking about starting with the Appalachian Trail, but the Silk Road would be awesome!
@jaytkay, he’s also my favorite president, as well as my personal hero and role model!
@lilikoi, that’s a great question that I ask myself. I’m currently enrolled in school which is completely paid for by scholarships that I have to work very hard to keep, so I’m sortof obligated to my studies. My family is also very protective and would probably frown upon me going on safari or moving to the Badlands.
@Fiddle_Playing_Creole_Bastard I know how you feel and what you mean. I was in the exact same position not too long ago when I was in school. You will graduate, and then you will be free. It is liberating. If you can’t afford to travel, you work for a while like I did, and use that time to plan your next adventure. I’ve been on safari – it is awesome. One thing that I think about from time to time is how far reaching the influence of “man” has been. There probably isn’t a square foot of earth on this planet that has not been touched by humans. There are still a lot of way awesome things to do on the planet, but even the most awesome ones have been done before. It makes it easier for me to do these things knowing someone else has walked the path already (and as Jeruba’s example points out, retracing historical footsteps can be a new kind of adventure in itself), but at the same time there is an element of ‘extremeness’ that is taken out of it when you are not the first.
Some more role models.
—Anybody who works in Antarctica
—Didn’t some guy walk across Africa in sandals for National Geographic?
—Burt Rutan
—Howard Hughes (minus the crazy)
@lilikoi, those are good points. I don’t necessarily want to do something that has never been done before, I just want to do things that you don’t often hear about people doing and that are pretty atypical of the average Joe’s existence. What type of safari did you go on, if you don’t mind my asking?
@jaytkay, Burt Rutan sounds pretty cool. I like his story.
I think what I want most is to have stories that my grandchildren will listen to with wild-eyes as they play with my collection of artifacts that I mention in my tales. What a boring life to be plugged into an Ipod all day and glued to the internet. I don’t want to live like that forever. I’ve had a bit of survival training, and I’ve read plenty of books on the subject. I really want to test my own abilities. Jesus, I’m rambling now.
@Tink1113, haha, I’m glad you mentioned him. I was actually thinking about his character a bit when I asked this!
Heck yes it is still possible to be an adventurer. Become a crazy courageous sea captain. Become a sky pirate. Search for Treasure. Try to take down the corrupt world banks or become a vigilante something else Special Agent-ish. You can do anything-It all depends on how serious,(crazy) and determined you are
@WolfFang, I don’t care much for banks or special-agenting, and I don’t have access to a zeppelin, but I’ve always been drawn to the sea. And I am crazy, serious, and determined as well!
@jaytkay, as much as I love military history, shooting, and heavy machinery, I don’t think the military is for me. The Greenpeace anti-whaling thing doesn’t have the “vibe” to it I’m seeking, but thanks for the suggestions.
@Jeruba, wow, that guy is awesome!
Larry Walters launched his aircraft from San Pedro CA, my former home.
He is an inspiration to all San Pedrans and people around the globe!
Damn you.
For about the last 10+ years I have wanted to bicycle or walk across the country. Now I have the means to do so and I am really thinking about. Summer is coming up soon.
And we want you to check in here every day, or at minimum once every other day, and report on your adventures so we can get all vicarious about them. You, too, JP.
Chris Quillebeau’s website is inspiring, @PandoraBoxx. I’m adding him to my list. Here’s a great quote from him:
The advice for doing something really big is the same no matter the task: you’d better know in your heart why you want to do it, and you’d better have enough internal motivation to keep going when times are tough.
Thank you, my lovelies.
I’m actually going to Italy next Christmas. I think that may be a good start, and from there, I’ll figure out some more things to do.
Italy! Venice! Europe’s terminus for the Silk Road! Great starting place. Look at this list. Send me a postcard from Karakorum, won’t you?
Oh wow, I definitely want to go there.
I’m actually going to the village that my surname is derived from (well, not so much derived from, as is.) Everyone there has my last name. My grandfather has been once before, and he found my great, great, great grandfather’s military records in an attic. He’s taking me along this time ;-)
Maybe I’ll sneak off and board a ship, or head a few miles south and meet the Pope.
or @Fiddle_Playing_Creole_Bastard you could do like the guy that invented SpaceShipOne…that was freaking awesome. But you say you’ve been drawn to the sea. Become a mariner and venture to dangerous lands like antartica and beautiful islands like Fiji. You just have to get a license, a boat (unless you already have those) and a small crew if you think you need one. You could also join up with various Marine/Sailing organizations…
@WolfFang, I’m weighing my options right now. Thanks for the input.
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