In a world of Instagram and other Social Media platforms, we often see the best of the best when it comes to “Adventure”. No matter if it’s a epic backpacking trip, or a road trip across the U.S. or even living in a camper van and doing what you love. We all get fixed on the fact that “they are living the life”. But is it what you think?
It wasn’t until I was half way done with my 2003 Appalachian Trail thru-hike did I realize that the adventure started long before I set one foot on the trail itself. I remembered how hard it was to actually get ON the trail. All the research and gear testing (in the rain by the way). All the doubt about actually being out there and living in the woods for five in a half months. Quitting my job, packing, finding storage, selling my car, finances. I mean, if it were all really easy to plan for a extended backpacking trip, there would be multitudes of multitudes living on the Appalachian Trail and hiking 2000 miles. The fact is: It was freaking hard.
My Adventure started the day I made the decision to hike it. Plain and simple. I so much appreciate the “hard” in planning and getting on the trail. Back in 2003, there was no Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, there was barely Cell Service, yet we all hiked anyway. No fame, no endorsements, no video production team. We did it, because it was hard.
We feel the same now as we enter into a new journey. The complete renovation of our 1976 Airstream Argosy. In the same way as a long distance hike, we still feel trepidation in our planning because of what we don’t know. AND just like learning how to live on the trail for months, this journey also has a huge learning curve.
Along with the journey however is the adventure. When we look back now on our renovation process and see how far we have come, we also take time to think back about how much we have learned and laugh about our mistakes.
One time on my Thru-Hike, I thought I hiking with a rain poncho would be easy. I was wrong.
One time while renovating our Argosy, I thought removing 40 year subfloor would be easy. I was wrong.
Would I trade those learning experiences for something easier? NO WAY. This is our adventure. It’s the hard in everything that takes to chase your dream and live it, that’s you have to remember. It’s easy to quit.
Next time you see a beautiful Instagram pic, or a Facebook Post, or a great YouTube vid showing living a minimal life. Just remember, it was the hard that got them there. The adventure isn’t what you are seeing, the adventure is in what happened before the pic, the post, or the vid.
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