One of my favorite movie lines from Pixar’s UP. As I write stories of my previous adventures in horses, boating, and flying I think of all the everyday and future adventures I have ahead of me. I say adventure is where you create it. Those adventures were fun, exciting, and overall expensive. If it says “aviation, marine, or equine” you know you’re going to be paying a ton more. I consider myself lucky to have had those adventures when I did, but life is a bit different now and expense is something that cannot be ignored. The question turns out to be, what new adventures can I have?
Creating adventures is really pretty simple. It involves changing your mindset to be open, pay attention to the details and treat every activity as if were an adventure. We turn a Sea Doo outing into an exploration of uncharted waterways. We turn bicycle rides into spontaneous stops to see this or that.
For example, we bought Sea Doo Sparks a few years ago as our “entertainment”. So, we don’t have a monthly, weekly, or yearly entertainment budget, the Sea Doo’s have used it all up. We are nearly surrounded by water and we thought them the best way to be able to get out and enjoy the water, with only a little maintenance, they can easily trailer anywhere, and we each get to drive. Folks that have lived in this area for a long while or all their lives know all the Bayou, waterways, and best routes but all of that is brand new to us. Everything we explore is brand new and I try to see it with child’s eyes of wonder.
We took a trip in the Sea Doo’s from Dickinson Bayou to Redfish island, (it’s an anchorage/swimming hole protected from the ship channel). It was a decent ride out there, we “beached” the sea doo’s and spent a little time on “dry” land. We turned it into a treasure hunt, we found all sorts of little things that had been left or washed up with the waves. There wasn’t anything too exciting, nothing worth any value really, but it was a treasure hunt adventure, and of course, we used our imagination to create the story of how those things got there. A lighter and plaque were found that day.
Adventure in Your Backyard
Even if we didn’t spend our entertainment money on Sea Doo’s, we find plenty of free adventures. Before Covid, Texas City had a Movie in the Park night. This free-to-the-public event was an all-day affair. We were able to bring chairs and a blanket, a picnic, and relax on the grass during the day while a jazz band played. There were food trucks, kids playing on the playground, football, or Frisbee. They set up speakers and a blow-up screen. As soon as it got dark, the movie came on, and after the movie they had fireworks. It was a fun little adventure.
We also enjoy finding adventure at the beach. We live about 10 minutes away, so it is a quick ride. Sometimes we just walk on the sand and see what treasures can be found. You never know what you’ll see or find. One day we found a line of rubber ducks. All by themselves and with no one around. Other times we ride our bikes along the seawall and enjoy people-watching. On the weekends, more often than not, you’ll be able to watch a parade of one car club or another as they cruise the shoreline. The island always has some cool event or another going on. The last time we were down they had a classic car show, it had an entry fee of $5/each but we like cruising around looking at the cars and talking to the folks who shinned up their cars for the day.
It is so easy to be so busy running, chasing, and coping that we forget to use our imaginations and have an eye for the details. One day I was watering the flower garden, not thinking of anything particular and I was mesmerized by how cool the water droplets looked on the leaves. A little silly thing, but I thought of Dr. Seuss. Whoville exists in a snowflake. I thought about the world (s) that could exist in a waterdrop. The waterdrop that doesn’t roll off could have a galaxy or a universe that exists until it doesn’t. The waterdrop lasts 5 minutes in this world, but that same 5 minutes could last a million years in those worlds. Fun food for thought and there have been many stories written about the possibility.
I guess my long-winded message, is don’t wait for something grand to be an adventure. With a little imagination, you can find adventure in your own backyard.