Go Have An Adventure

Letting Go

As I reflected on our adventure during the making of the video something became clear to me: the immense value for our spirit that can be found in letting go of plans and simply following your curiosity.

Holidays, and in particular ones in far off countries that take a considerable amount of time and money to get to and that I may well visit only once in my life, spark in me the (very understandable) desire to make the most of the experience. And this leads to a considerable amount of planning and preparation.

And whilst I still think planning is important, I’ve noticed that very often the days I most value – the ones that bring me the most joy, the greatest sense of fulfillment, and that remain most vividly etched in my heart and mind – are the ones that were the least planned, and consequently I had the least expectations.

They’re also the ones that weren’t easy, and challenged me to get out of my comfort zone and do things I’m not necessarily comfortable with…in other words, things that are difficult or scare me a bit.

The Value of Adventure

We live in a world that constantly pushes us to make everything easier and more comfortable, as though easier and happier are synonyms. But they’re not synonyms, and often happiness and fulfillment lie at the end of the harder path, not the easy.

Adventures can look very different from person to person. I’m sure there are lots of people out there that would consider our exploration of the Gletscherbach waterfalls quite tame, whilst many others might see it as well beyond them. Adventures don’t necessarily have to mean being out in nature hiking either: they can look like anything that has some value to experience, but for whatever reason has an element of a challenge to accomplish.

And it’s this element of being challenged, and our willingness to push forwards regardless, that is at the heart of adventure. And at the heart of adventure’s rewards too, such as a sense of accomplishment, fulfillment, wonder and joy.

Choose Your Own Adventure

Danny and I both had truly wondrous experiences on our adventure exploring the waterfalls of the Gletscherbach (which incidentally translates to Glacier Stream). And I believe that’s not just because it’s such a vast and awe-inspiring place, but because we decided to follow our curiosity and explore something we were really drawn to, even though it wasn’t easy and took a fair bit of persistence and effort (looking at the length of the walk above doesn’t convey just how difficult and physically taxing the walk was clambering over all that loose scree, but I can safely say I’ve been on walks many times the length that were considerably easier).

Making this video has brought back my personal sense of pride and accomplishment for this day, as well as the awe and wonder of the experience. It’s a great reminder for me of the benefits of having an adventure. And I hope it inspires in you your own adventures, however they might look for you.

You might not always take your best photos on an adventure, but you’ll almost certainly make your most valuable memories.