Brave New Adventures

I am not a particularly brave or adventurous person.

I willingly take financial risks, like quitting one job before having another lined up, leaving the practice of law without knowing what my next career would be, and moving to Florida without waiting for our house in Maryland to sell.

And each of these times the financial gamble paid off ~ not monetarily, but in increased life satisfaction.

Still, when it comes to activities with a potential for physical injury, I tend to be  more cautious and risk averse.

Nevertheless, I try to brave new adventures by stepping outside my comfort zone on occasion . . . and am always delighted when I not only survive the challenge, but enjoy the experience.

After all, boats are safe in harbor, but that’s not what boats are for

Over the years, I’ve ventured past self-imposed boundaries to experience new sensations:

* Learning to ride a bike after 30 years away from the saddle.

* Sailing through the desert in a hot air balloon over Palm Springs, CA.

* Flying in a 2-seater prop plane from Winston-Salem to Raleigh, NC.

* Battling gusty winds to ride my bike over a steep narrow bridge next to loud traffic to go to the dentist.

* Going white water rafting on the Poudre River in Colorado.

* Traveling to St. Thomas, by myself, for Spring Break my senior year in college.

* Taking a helicopter ride over the Badlands of South Dakota.

* Canoeing down the New River in North Carolina, getting jammed up in the rocks and overturning.

* Sailing for 3 days and nights on a Windjammer Cruise around Penobscot Bay in Maine.

* Running off a dirt road in our RV and being saved from rolling down a steep incline by a fragile looking fence.

* Singing and dancing on stage as The Grouch in Green Eggs and Ham.

* Swinging through the treetops in a harness during a High Ropes Course.

* Starting a daily blog . . . Spirit Lights The Way.

Adding each of these “firsts” to my expanding Life List pleased me because I willingly sailed away from safe harbors to confront the unknown.

On Saturday, we added another “first” to our Life List ~ kayaking.

Balanced on top of Sea Kayaks, we bounced up the  choppy Manatee River (at the confluence of the river, Tampa Bay, and the Gulf of Mexico).  We learned to  steer our 2-man kayaks around channel markers, and up and over boat wakes, as we explored the waterways around De Soto National Memorial.

What a wonderful adventure!

Not only did we see the park from a different perspective, we saw ourselves from a different perspective.

Aah . . . that’s better!

Quote:  Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions.  All life is an experience.  ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Related post:  Paddle Boarding At Oscar Scherer