Staying Grounded

We're all looking for a way to grounded; true to our roots. However, as you get older you realize how much your tastes and actions change. 2010 has been an excellent year of exploration and transformation for me, even though I still struggle with the mid-20s crisis (that age where you're well out of adolescence and you resist like hell all the trappings that traditional adulthood can bring). It seems that I stay grounded when... I'm not on the ground at all. I've gone sky diving, tried my hand at a flying trapeze and flown on a plane more times this year than in recent memory. Every one of these trips seems to bring me some sort of mental clarity, so it was no surprise when I found myself e-mailing a rock climbing facility outside the Northern Liberties section of Philadelphia. I've always had an interest in climbing things since childhood, why not act on that? I look forward to trying my hand at another adventure to remain grounded.

Adventure awaits

At the beginning of the year I made a to-do list of all the things I wanted to accomplish. Everything from skydiving to saving money was included. Then, there was this enigmatic goal: do something great for ME. After I wrote I thought to myself, what the heck could that possibly be? This thought weighed heavy in me for months. What DID I want to do that I would think would be so "awesome"? Then it hit me.

For a good portion of my young adult years I've spent my Saturday mornings and early afternoons watching cooking and travel shows on my local PBS station (I love public television). My favorite travel show as of late is Globe Trekker. This show doesn't showcase the resorts or much talked about tourist traps that plauge most vacation spots. Globe Trekker delves deep into the history, art, landscape, culture and people of the countries they showcase.

                                                 

                                         AN ADVENTURE VACATION!!!

That's my just-for-me-awesome-goal! Climb the Canadian Rockies? Hike the trails in Costa Rica? Discover the pyramids of Belieze? People watch at Carnival in Brazil? Who can say for sure which exotic location and off-beat activity I'll partake in, but in 2011 I plan to live the stories I will later tell my friend's grandkids about.