ad*ven*ture: 1. exciting experience, and exciting or extraordinary event or series of events; 2. bold undertaking, an undertaking involving uncertainty and risk; 3. involvement in bold undertakings, the participation or willingness to participate in things that involve uncertainty and risk
Remember having summer adventures as a kid?
When everything was fun and exciting…
But certain adventures created that nervous tension we feel when we’re about to do something we’ve never done before.
You know that feeling?
This summer I had a quite a few fun and exciting adventures.
But my biggest adventure, and the one that created that nervous oh-my-God-am-I-really-going-to-do-this tension, was a trip to the Oregon Caves National Monument.
A trip up to the caves isn’t necessarily a big adventure.
But the man in my life (we’ll call him my ‘Tall Guy,’ since he’s 6’2 & I’m 5’4) has a passion for restoring classic motorcycles and loves to take road trips.
Off we went for the three hour ride on his favorite classic motorcycle to The Oregon National Caves.
The Caves are at the top of a 4000 foot mountain.
The motorcycle ride up there was breathtaking and stunning on the narrow one lane road up the mountain. Definitely an adventure.
But the next day was when our real adventure started.
You know those Things-I-Must-Do-Before-I-Die Lists we all have?
(And if you don’t, you should start one, because they make life infinitely more fun… especially when you get to start crossing things off your list!)
Well on the list of my Tall Guy was a “Go on a Caving Adventure.”
The Oregon Caves Off-Trail Caving Tour Adventure falls more under the third definition listed above for the word “Adventure” – “involvement in bold undertakings that involve uncertainty and risk.”
Had I only known…
But I’m not one to back down in the face of a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, especially when it’s on the Bucket List of the man in my life.
So we suited up in our gear- overalls, hiking boots, hard hats – and hiked up to The Caves.
This caving tour is NOT for the faint of heart.
We climbed. We descended. Over uneven, rocky slopes and boulders.
We crawled. On our hand and knees. On our bellies.
We negotiated extremely tight spots.
The smallest passageway has a one foot tall ceiling and a width of about fourteen inches for a distance of about twenty feet. We slithered through sideways like snakes on our stomachs.
We hiked over slippery, rocky surfaces. Over wet, wobbly rocks.
All in the comfort of a cold, muddy, damp, dripping, forty-four (F) degree cave.
There are only about 2000 people in the world who have taken this off-trail caving tour because you have to fit within their very specific physical requirements.
Like I said, it is NOT for the faint of heart.
But it was an incredible adventure.
For over three hours, we hiked, crawled and squeezed into places I never would have thought I could manage.
It wasn’t just a test of my physical strength and endurance. It was a greater test of my inner determination and courage.
It pushed me way beyond my comfort zone. But that’s exactly what made it such an amazing experience for me.
And that’s what adventures are for…
Pushing us beyond what we think we’re capable of. Helping us move past our limiting beliefs about what’s possible for our lives, our relationships and ourselves.
I came back from that adventure with a bigger view of my life, of myself and my relationship with my Tall Guy because we experienced it all together.
When we push ourselves beyond our limiting beliefs, our whole world expands.
And when we share those experiences and adventures with someone else, it adds another layer of connection and depth to our relationship.
It not only makes the adventure more meaningful, it makes the relationship more meaningful.
“You know, I never would have done this without you,” my Tall Guy said to me as we hiked down the mountain after our caving adventure.
“Really?” I said. “How come?”
“Because it was so much more fun and meaningful with you, than it ever would have been without you.”
“Then we should go on another adventure,” I said looking up at him.
“We will,” he said smiling. And we have.
Don’t ever stop having adventures.
In addition to making your life more fun and interesting, they give you a bigger view of YOU.
And that makes YOU infinitely more interesting.
You’ll automatically become more magnetic to YOUR someone special whether he’s in your life yet or not.
Even if you’re adventuring alone, you never know who you might meet.
It may end up being the greatest adventure of your life… and in love.
Of course, we all have different ideas for what defines an adventure.
What’s your definition of an adventure?
How did your last adventure make you feel?
More importantly, when will you go on your next adventure and what will you do?
Share it with me below, okay?
I’d love to know.
I can’t wait to hear about your adventures!
Until next time,
With much love and wonderful blessings for your greatest adventures in love and in life yet to come,
Dawn
P.S. My Tall Guy and I are the two on the far right.
And in the cave photo, we’re the two on the far left.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
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bonjour. i love your blog How An Adventure Can Help You In Love & In Life… | Dawn Caryl Allen and will certainly do a link to http://dawncarylallen.com/2011/09/how-adventures-can-help-you-attract-keep-the-love-of-your-life/ on my site.
You are a very intelligent person!