Adventure

I recall boldly announcing to my four housemates at 2:00 in the afternoon, “Let’s just go for an overnight trip.  We only need a toothbrush, underwear and clothes for tomorrow.  We can be in the car in thirty minutes.  I’ll get CD’s and snacks.  This is an adventure!” 

Is this memory from the undergrad years of my life?  Were the CD’s Adam Ant or Cyndi Lauper?  No.  It was two days ago.  The CD’s included an audio book about Ramona by Beverly Cleary.  The cooler was packed with organic milk and crackers.  The peoples’ ages did average 21 which cracks me up since I am double that as is my husband (nearly) - clues that the other participants were our kids, none of whom have reached the teen years! 

The Collins English Dictionary 10^th Edition entry retrieved from Dictionary.com defines the noun adventure:
1.  a risky undertaking of unknown outcome
2.  an exciting or unexpected event or course of events
3.  a hazardous financial operation; commercial speculation

Our adventure included stops at the state line rest area to use the facilities and pick anything we each wanted from the vending machines.  Along our drive we bought fast food burgers and milkshakes.  We arrived in time for several rounds of Boggle and tuck in stories before bedtime.  We ate cereal, apples, cheese or peanut butter crackers, tuna salad and prepackaged pudding for our remaining time away.  What was it about this descriptively ordinary undertaking that made it adventure?  The attitude.   We named it adventure, therefore it was.  Fabulous! 

Day to day predictability can keep us plodding along.  Monday brings school, work, a meeting, an afternoon class, errands, blah blah . . . whatever.  What can we do to make these things feel exciting or imbued with unknown outcome?  I’m not advocating trashing decent dietary living but one day with unexpected food plans felt great!  I don’t assert that a single pair of panties in a plastic grocery sack is proper preparation for most days, but this one time it was fun.  It felt like we were taking a risk, albeit a small one.  I’m wondering how to feel open to unexpected events or outcomes in my approach to life which seems necessarily directed by schedules and lists to keep everyone where they are supposed to be promptly and prepared.  If I examine my existence the whole thing could be adventure if I consider how often planned things really do have unknown outcomes – marriage, motherhood, writing, a new recipe, Zumba.

We returned hungry for substantial food.  But, we reveled in the simplicity of unloading the car, usually a monumental chore after a trip.  We carried one light bag and a handful of trash apiece.  I didn’t mind being the one to go back for the cooler because it was only my second trip and it barely weighed a thing!  My youngest child quipped as she trotted toward the house bare-footed and clutching her sneakers, “That was a good adventure.”