I’ll never forget my summer adventure of 2000, a tough and terrific six-week trek through Nepal and the Himalayas including a circumambulation of Mt. Kailash in Tibet. Your summer adventure might be a tent in your back yard. Or taking your local bus for a five-mile ride, and walking back home. Go for it. It’s not the destination that matters. It’s the adventure of getting out of your comfort zone. And surviving. Your brain will love it and so will your body, so move slowly, breath deeply (in and out of your nose, not your mouth) and smile at everyone you meet.
So, are you planning an adventure for this summer? I hope so. Confusion, chaos and despair over COVID continues to challenge us, but as we head into summer, it’s time to navigate best we can through the perils and pleasures of whatever lies ahead.
Adventure travel, soft or hard, is a wonderful way to break through old fears, nasty habits, and discover more about who you are, why that matters, and what’s important to you in this one and only life you have. What was most important to me in my 6 week trek through Nepal and around Mt. Kailash in Tibet was getting home alive.
Some days were terrifying, some days were treacherous, and every day was a thrill.
This summer, I hope you’ll plan for some thrills. Dare to do something different. Test your limits. Don’t hurt yourself.
I kept a journal and when I got home, O Magazine asked me to write an article about my adventure.
This, from Day 11:
“I will not realize Perfect Enlightenment in this lifetime My goals are much simpler. I just want to be a good person.”
My trek around Mt. Kailash was 21 years ago. And I still want to be a good person.
What do you want to be? What summer adventure can you plan to take you there?
