Our story is a familiar one. For years we talked about quitting our jobs in order to go travelling. One day we did it.

But that’s not the adventurous part.

The idea of jacking it all in* and taking off around the world might sound wild to some people but we like to think we were adventurers long before we actually hit the road.

Remember that feeling you had as a child, that the whole world was ripe for exploration and it was your job to conquer its territory, uncover its secrets, and learn its ways? “Come on,” you’d tell friends, armed with magnifying glasses, pocketfuls of Lego and a headless Barbie doll. “Let’s be adventurers!” Even if the whole world was only your back yard, the sense of wonder burned just as strong.

That’s what adventure means to us. It’s about being open to opportunity, alert to possibility, interested in what’s new and fascinated by what’s different. Moreover, adventure is entirely relative. You don’t have to zip-line off the back of a dinosaur, although I’m sure that’s a marvelous adventure too. Negotiating public transport, ordering a round of drinks in the local language, haggling with a street vendor, or just navigating your way to a new place – all these can feel like remarkable feats of heroism when you manage them for the first time.

Back home it can be as simple as taking a new route on your morning jog, trying out a restaurant on the other side of town, saying hello to a new colleague or neighbour – it’s all a matter of how you view it.

There is excitement and change happening all around you if you only open your eyes and ears to it.

There are many out there who would have you believe adventure is about risks and adrenaline; saying “fuck the world” and going the other way. There are many more who don’t believe you’ve had an adventure unless you’ve done something completely new, completely different, something no one else has done before. Good luck to them.

For us it’s about curiosity and an open-mind. Never stop exploring, never stop asking questions. Engage with your surroundings and keep your sense of wonder alive – wherever you are.

Come on, let’s be adventurers!

 

 

 

*Of course, as a journalist you never really “jack it in”. We both worked for British newspapers, now we work freelance. So much for bravado, eh?