the best adventures are...

Over the years I've done some pretty weird and often stupid stuff. It’s definitely experiences like these that you'll remember 10-20 years down the line; the laughs, the tears, and of course, the fond memories. I've come to realize that it's the spontaneous ones that come to be the most memorable. Perhaps it's the adrenaline coursing through you as you try to hobble together last second decisions and iron out 11th hour details. Perhaps it's the sudden realization half-way through the car-ride that you forgot the GPS, or one of your passengers. I love that "oh crap" feeling...sure it sucks when it happens to you at first, but it's the way you come out of those situations that make it adventurous.

Sometimes it's the tale of how an adventure got concocted that will start the snowball that eventually rolls into a funny “when I was your age” story 15 years down the line. Our South Africa trip was cooked up in the last 10 minutes of sunday school last summer. That spring break roadtrip was hatched on the last day of finals during cram-session study breaks. The east coast backpack adventure was born on the back of a napkin at Black Bear Diner in late May. And of course the P-town roadtrip was the result of what happens when you mix 4 people, a late night of phone calls / random text messages, and a 2lb bag of peanut m&m's. Through all the miscommunications and the off-the-cuff changes, you manage to lose your way and find yourself with a different and far better adventure than you started off anticipating.

It’s funny, after every random adventure I embark on, it seems there’s always a flurry of memories to keep me entertained. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that pounding in my chest when we got dropped off the bus on Broad Street in North Philly at 12:30am; or that, let’s just call it an uneasy feeling, walking by that concert in the park on bear week in P-town; or even the 4.5 hrs of banjo music blasting through the car on the drive home (even though the rental had XM radio). And of course, I will never forget that brisk walk back across the border after the “conversation” we had with those hombres in TJ (btw, never leave $$ on the table… hand it to your waiter). These small adventures are the ones ingrained in my memory years from now.

Through all the random roadtrips and journeys, it’s amazing to see how much fun you have when you just set off with no real clue of what you’re doing. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good to plan some stuff out so you don’t find yourself on the side of the road at 2am with 3 friends, no car keys, and a guy in the trunk. Try explaining that one to the cop standing at the driver’s side window. But you know, I must say though, the best adventures are the unexpected.