Eleanor Roosevelt once stated, “The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for a newer and richer experience.” However, we often meander through life with what is familiar and do not try new things. Even as a photographer, I am guilty of defaulting to what I know, and when I do, I get stale and stuck in a rut. When that happens, I have to find inspiration by seeking adventure off the beaten trail.
Why You Should Seek Adventure
In general, did you know that if you ask others what is on their bucket lists that new experiences are at the top? Secretly we all want more adventure in our lives but get comfortable in the state we are in. The longer we stay with the typical patterns of life, the harder it is to break free from them.
This explains why, as we age, that time appears to go by faster. We lose the connection to our inner child, and the wanderlust that excited us diminishes.
Do you remember how the summers seemed to stretch on forever when we were children? That was because we created adventure for ourselves that interrupted our typical day to days. Compare that to your life today and see what you find.
There are additional benefits to seeking adventure, though; below are some examples of why :
- We learn to tolerate uncertainty better when seeking adventure.
- Adventure allows us to try on alternative lifestyles safely.
- Promotes the growth of new brain cells, You Get a Bigger Brain!
- Adventure feeds your dreams!
- You will gain a confidence boost!
Adventure is Vital for Self-Discovery
If you want to get to know yourself more intimately, than going off the beaten trail of life could be the catalyst for self-reflection. New experiences open up parts of our minds that we may have never encountered before.
Going off the Beaten Trail is for Everyone
Looking for adventure is for everyone, and there is no age limit. You are never too old or young to find a way to break the norm. However, if you need inspiration for doing so, just look at children.
We are born with curiosity and wonder we are just conditioned by society to stay busy. In our quests to be successful, we forget how to enjoy the simple pleasures of life.
How I Have Found Adventure Going Off the Beaten Trail
I have always sought serenity since I was a child. I would venture to guess a lot of it comes from my father. The mystery of the woods and mountains of Western North Carolina have been a siren beckoning both of us to explore them.
I have fond memories of climbing the mountain behind my Grandmother’s home in Hot Springs. I would make my way through the barbed wire fence and follow a faint trail to the mountaintop that overlooked the quaint mountain town.
I was always excited to see what was around the bend and have time to myself to daydream and feel the breeze tickle my face. When I became more independent, my need to seek the unknown evolved into long drives between my classes when I was an undergrad at Mars Hill University. Now, I seek out random areas of the wilderness around my home and throughout the Southern Appalachians to discover.
I have found some of the most amazing things just by exploring!
You Can Seek Adventure with Photography
I am now on a mission to nurture my own wanderlust. Because of the chaos 2020 has brought my own family and the world in general, I defaulted to the familiar and became stuck.
Recently I took off in my Jeep to a location I knew had ferns to create some images for myself. After capturing the images I sought I discovered a faint footpath deeper into the woods, and what did I find? A waterfall I knew nothing about! I cannot explain the elation that shimmered to life in my heart when I discovered Little Bird Falls.
This bubbling cascade over Green Creek Gulley has now become a little hideaway for me, just like the ridge behind my Grandmother’s home during my childhood.
My urge to create and find authenticity through my lens awakens my inner child, but I don’t want to stop there.
Take Adventures with Me!
If you are eloping or having a micro-wedding and need a photographer, let’s explore together! I have created an exclusive Adventure-Off the Beaten Trail Experience with Destination Elopements. Your wedding day should be as unique as you are and what better time in your life is there to seek adventure than now?
Love is an experience that thrives on romance and adventure! I would love to show you some of my favorite areas that are less crowded but just as breathtaking as the famous hot spots.
If you need a travel elopement photographer, I would be just as delighted to travel to you and discover the places that only you know of.
Do you need family photos and want to take your children somewhere to play in private? I will take you to where I bring my own children.
Or maybe you need to find solace and need images for yourself. We can go together. I will share with you how I find restoration in the forest, hilltops, and streams.
I want to go on adventures with you too! Sharing experiences make for enjoyable memories.
Nonetheless, if you are not in a place where you can travel at the moment, you can always share your stories and read mine here.
