Cardinal Emprise

The Call

Maybe it starts with a fascination with maps.  Maybe you find yourself drawn to TV shows, movies, books or even blogs (wink, wink.  I see you. 😉) about travel.  Maybe you know someone that always seems to be on an adventure, and that looks like a good thing to you. 

No matter how it begins, at some point, every adventurer gets hooked.  They feel the call of the road, the trail, the sea, or all three.  They long to wake up in a new city with all day to explore.  They dream of climbing mountains and paddling streams.   They start spending way too much time searching the internet for adventures.

The Challenge

Here is where new adventurers can get discouraged.  Grand adventures can be expensive and often take more time than the average working person can commit. 

The second way adventurers get discouraged is by talking about their travel dreams to friends, family, or partner and finding no one that is interested in joining in.   Some will make the mistake (hopefully only once) of talking someone into going on an adventure, only to have that person ruin the whole experience.  Sadly, some people can only enjoy an activity if it is their idea.

Overcoming

So, if you do not have two weeks off and thousands of dollars to take that fantastic European tour, what can you do?  What if no one wants to go with you?

When I am short on time or money, I look for mini-adventures.   So often, there are cool places that are just a few hours or less from our home that we have NEVER visited.  At some point in my life, I lived in the Smoky Mountains.  When I first moved there, I tried to go and see and do all the cool things that the beautiful mountains offered, but over time, work and general life took up most all my time.  It felt like I could always paddle the Nantahala River, enjoy the arts scene in Ashville, or take a hike in Smokey Mountain National Park.  Yet, I didn’t.  It was a shame in many ways to live in a spectacular place where people vacation and not take advantage of it regularly.

Even if you do not live in a tourist destination, if you look around, you will find many adventures to be had that are inexpensive and can be done on a day or weekend trip.   A day at the lake.  A hike on a nearby trail.  The museum you have never taken the time to visit.  Immersing yourself for a day at a Renaissance Faire.  Catching a ballgame or a play.  Packing a picnic to a summer concert or Shakespeare festival.   These are all things I can do within a couple hours or less of my home in rural Oklahoma.  If you look around, you might even have cooler options even closer. 

If you struggle to find a pal, partner or posse to join in on your plans, short adventures are a great way to ease into solo travel.   Getting comfortable with solo travel opens a lot of doors.  I figured out a long time ago that I would mostly be sitting at home rather than doing the things I wanted, if I always waited for a pal, partner or posse to have the interest, time and/or money to go with me.  If you are not sure you would enjoy solo travel, then start small and dream big.

Start Somewhere

At some point, you must stop dreaming and planning, get off the couch and leave the house.  Every state and many towns have a travel website that visitors from other states use when they are visiting to find fun things to do.  You can use this, too!   You might be surprised to find hidden treasures less than a tank of gas away.  Here are some of the things I look for

• Events:   Music festivals, sporting events, art festivals, renaissance fairs, small town festivals, theater productions, concerts
• Cultural Centers:   Museums, historical sites
• Outdoor recreation:  Hikes, eco-tours, kayak or boat tours, lakes, rivers, beaches
• Classes: Adventuring is not just about travel. It can be about trying something new. Find something interests you—photography, bird watching, music, crafts, dance, literature. 
• Other:  Take the long way home.  See where that side road goes.  Visit a new shop or restaurant.  Give into your natural curiosity and see where it leads.

An Adventurer is Born

Adventuring is not about doing something dangerous or expensive or obviously epic.  Adventuring is about exploring and experiencing life in a larger way.  Seeing new places, trying new things, meeting new people—these activities open our minds and make our world both bigger and smaller.

I chose the name Cardinal Emprise, which loosely translates to the most important adventurous and daring endeavor, not because I believe there is some ultimate best destination, but because I believe exploring our world, both close to home and abroad, is a great and important endeavor.   Every place I go, I learn more about myself and others.  Getting out of our comfort zones is a daring emprise, but it is cardinal to our growth as humans.

So, please, overcome the obstacles.  Start somewhere.  Sometimes people feel like they need permission to listen to their heart and pursue their dreams.  I hereby give you permission.  Just take a step in that direction, and an adventurer is born.

So, where are you going this weekend?