The weeks that followed would be an adventure of another kind. The air quality would go from “dangerous” to “hazardous” to “try not to breathe if you can help it”. We made multiple visits to the Emergency Room (don’t worry, in the end everything was ok). And then, there were the challenges of my brother’s wedding. I won’t go into the details, but let’s just say it isn’t all that easy to have a large family gathering during a global pandemic. Like I said, the kayak trip was easy; the goals were very clear and we mostly focused on staying safe and finding beautiful places to have lunch. But dealing with everyday life can be hard. For most folks, the difficulties they face day in and day out are more than enough adventure, and I think the Covid pandemic has exposed the frailty of the support systems that make even rudimentary tasks possible. Our friends and family were astounded by our kayak trip. But really, people like Giovannina and I – those who are privileged enough to do a six week trip – aren’t all that special. We are just lucky. Lucky to have bodies that could do what we asked them to. Lucky to have enough resources to take time off from work (though I was teaching an online course for half the trip – gotta love cellular networks.) And lucky to have friends and family who supported us along the way. Yes, we did a lot of planning and even spent some time training for the trip. And my years as a kayak guide in the San Juans were a huge help, but again, I was lucky to get that job in the first place.
There’s plenty of adventure in the day-to-day living. Or at least I think that’s a useful way to look at it. If you’re like me, and you want to feel like you’re living life to the fullest, understanding that our quotidian existence is already full of rich experiences is – in my mind – a recipe for longterm happiness and contentment. The trick is to see life’s ups and downs as part of the adventure. I was once complaining to a friend that I was tired of all the highs and lows or “riding the rollercoaster”, as I put it. She said, “Do you know what a flatline is? That’s when you’re dead.” She was right. The ups and downs are life, whether we like it or not.
And if you do feel stuck in the day-to-day humdrum, well, maybe it’s time to take a closer look at how you’re getting by. Maybe you need to make a change. Maybe you need to find some help. And if you’re just so sick of it all and you’ve got a little bit of luck on your side, maybe you decide to set out on that trail, or step onto that bike, or get in the boat and start paddling. And if you do, I can assure you, you’ll have a whole other set adventures waiting for you.