Love this! There's another element of adventures I'm trying to put my finger on, and maybe it's just for certain special ones, but it has something to do with identity. The really good adventures shape you, allow you to discover something about yourself, and become part of your personal story. Thank you for this post, has been good food for thought and makes me want to travel!
Good working definition of adventure, Blake. I'd add two elements: 1) a sense of 'intentionality' -- adventures have some sort of purpose or intention behind them; otherwise, they are just experiences (sometimes traumatic) with novelty/unknown/emotional elements, and 2) perhaps related, an aspect of anticipation beforehand - which is often the best part of the adventure (look up the Swedish term 'resfeber!').
Nice suggestions, Bridget, and I definitely see where you are coming from (and I regularly experience both myself). I guess I hesitate to add anything more to a "definition" than what seems absolutely necessary, and I don't see intentionality or anticipation as *essential* to adventure. Adventures can be unplanned+unanticipated, still turn out well, and still count as adventures, not just experiences. The novelty+uncertainty+emotion triad seems to cover both planned and unplanned adventures.
Love this! There's another element of adventures I'm trying to put my finger on, and maybe it's just for certain special ones, but it has something to do with identity. The really good adventures shape you, allow you to discover something about yourself, and become part of your personal story. Thank you for this post, has been good food for thought and makes me want to travel!
Good working definition of adventure, Blake. I'd add two elements: 1) a sense of 'intentionality' -- adventures have some sort of purpose or intention behind them; otherwise, they are just experiences (sometimes traumatic) with novelty/unknown/emotional elements, and 2) perhaps related, an aspect of anticipation beforehand - which is often the best part of the adventure (look up the Swedish term 'resfeber!').
Nice suggestions, Bridget, and I definitely see where you are coming from (and I regularly experience both myself). I guess I hesitate to add anything more to a "definition" than what seems absolutely necessary, and I don't see intentionality or anticipation as *essential* to adventure. Adventures can be unplanned+unanticipated, still turn out well, and still count as adventures, not just experiences. The novelty+uncertainty+emotion triad seems to cover both planned and unplanned adventures.