Adventuring is something that I hold near and dear to my heart. My bucket list pretty much has no end and there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t dream about getting to check each and every adventure off of the list. I’m in no hurry and think experiences are always more fun when they are spontaneous and have no set plan, but seeing as how life is oh so short, getting a head start is A-Okay with me.
I’m a firm believer in taking risks and stepping outside of my comfort zone to be a part of an extraordinary experience. I’ll try anything once and no matter how scary, far out-of-reach, or stomach-turning it may seem, I’m always up to the challenge! Up until my senior year of high school, I had never been out of the country before. The only places I really traveled to were states along the East coast while visiting family. My senior year of high school, I went on a trip with my school's foreign language department, and it was one of the best experiences of my entire life.
I seriously had the most incredible time ever and this trip changed me forever. We visited France, England, and Spain and I got to see the beautiful cities of Paris, Versailles, Normandy, London, Barcelona, Madrid, and more! The food was fabulous, the people I met were extraordinary, and I saw some of the most breathtaking places in the world. Traveling to a brand new country I'd never seen before and having the time of my life made me realize how small my problems were. To think that I could have possibly even let someone or something bother me that was over 5,000 miles away, halfway across THE WORLD made me realize how insignificant those stresses really were. This trip taught me how to love harder, smile brighter, laugh louder, and never take my health or happiness for granted ever again. I definitely have to make it back at some point in my lifetime.
A few my favorite, most exciting things that I’ve gotten to check off of my bucket list thus far include skydiving, wakeboarding, snowboarding, skiing, ice skating, *attempting* to surf (and failing miserably), jet skiing, sailing, rock climbing, kayaking, paddle boarding, swimming with (and kissing) dolphins, horseback riding, climbing to the top of the Eiffel Tower (and getting some pretty epic photos), riding Big Ben in London, and cliff diving into the Mediterranean Sea.
Nothing can compare to the feeling of exhilaration that runs through my veins when I get to go on an adventure and try something NEW! Whether it be planning a weekend road trip, camping, exploring through the city I live in to find new trails and cool spots to hang out by the James River, sleeping on the beach underneath the stars, having a picnic somewhere beautiful, going to a music festival, learning how to cook a new dish, or even just dancing in the rain - as long as there's a little bit of spontaneity and originality involved, I know I just cannot go wrong! I have a journal (corny, I know) FILLED with tons and tons of things I want to do/accomplish before I die - I think this is an awesome way to keep your goals and dreams in clear view!
It doesn’t take loads of money or even a set plan to start checking new adventures off of your bucket list. Just get up, get out, tuck all of your fears somewhere far, far away, and venture beyond your comfort zone!