When it comes to thrill-seekers, adventure becomes the very necessity of life. Finding a new challenge and pushing themselves beyond their comfort zones make any place interesting. However, adventure often leads to self-acknowledgment and empowerment- facets that can be ignored by those who look at this passion as dangerous!

There are very few words that have become as threadbare as adventure! And yet it is also one of the most misunderstood words. What exactly does adventure encompass? Is there really a succinct definition (as Google might suggest)? The truly enlightened will tell you that it is all about being open to whatever experience life springs your way outside your comfort zone and facing them head on! So, adventure does not just entail something like scuba diving or paragliding. If you are travelling solo, figuring your way around a city where you don’t speak the local language, can be an adventure in its own right! All you have to do is to keep going! For Larry and Jaala, it’s not adventure travel until it challenges them to an extent where simply living becomes an adventure! These partners in travel and in life, who work on nation-building projects abroad, make certain to incorporate into their travel itineraries adventure sports that test their limits in an outdoor environment. Because in Larry’s words,

Being outdoors is probably more important to us than travelling! We need to challenge ourselves outdoors to thrive in life.

And it’s not hard to understand why! There are not many as mother nature who will inspire you to get so well-versed in the virtues of acceptance and responsibility, to risk spreading your wings, to perceive the bigger picture. No wonder that Sharon, or DivaVinophile, gets imbued with a sense of deep awe and respect whenever she is out on one of her hiking trails. Scaling such heights aids adventure travellers in rising above the insipid nullity that permeates us habitually. In this cram-full world, nature provides everyone a little space of their own to reflect, to worship and to serve others.

Adventure travel opens up possibilities that one didn’t even know existed, thriving in an exacting circumstance instils in one the faith required to tame the seas raging inside! The vastitude and munificence of nature renders travellers the clarity that leads to breakthrough moments. It gets rid of the immobilizing fear that often tends to impede impending success, be it personal or professional! However, Susan, or @thebigwildwrld, attests that a rational amount of fear is a healthy aspect of adventure that keeps you from being reckless. A Leadership Development Consultant by profession, she says

The presence of fear makes you prepare and anticipate what could go wrong. I also think fear is healthy for female solo travellers who needs to be aware of their surroundings and maybe suspicious of strangers to a certain degree.

In a moment of uncertainty, she just reminds herself of the far scarier things she has prevailed over and continues moving forward. Isn’t that the one mantra that everyone pledges to live by? Because the only way is the way forward. When Susan twisted her ankle in Nicaragua while hiking a volcano solo, she just stayed calm and simply kept on going!

Adventure travellers are not merely risk-seeking gamblers who go on a quest to experience the thrill of living on the edge. The incentive is always far greater- be it the sorcery of self-acknowledgement surrounded by the molten azure in the deep sea or the allure of self-empowerment on the top of a mountain. The one thing that they almost always secure in the process is a never give up attitude. The rewards are so unimaginably high that no one even thinks twice before embarking on such a journey again. Sharon, in her pursuit of a successful scuba dive, is a great case in point. Even though she had a few hiccups her first time round, she says

The things you are able to see with scuba diving are beyond description. So, my next goal is to actually take lessons and get certified to scuba dive

How many times have you come across the adage that life is an adventure? The answer is probably the same number of times that adventure travellers are willing to undertake a journey of self-actualization! The fire of discovering the unknown burns your being and shines a bright light of self-discovery in your endeavour of adventure. And when passion and purpose hold hands, there’s no stopping the seeker inside you!

Not being to able to finish a hike does not spell doom, it simply calls for taking another shot at it, irrespective of whether you channelize your effort along the same trail or a different one. While you will eventually build up endurance to complete the hike, you will also develop the fortitude to never quit anything in life. Adventure travel mirrors life in an uncanny way in that.

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