The Quest for Travel, Freedom, and Adventure

[4x4tripping]

The captivating adventure of travel or a world journey has enchanted me since childhood. I sought and found adventures, not least during a Trans-Africa trip and other overlanding tours around the globe.

Interestingly, in doing so, I've sidestepped certain other adventures, not even recognizing them.

The principle "One rarely regrets the deeds accomplished, but mostly those left undone" is quoted in various vlogs and travel blogs in some form or another before embarking on a journey.

Life offers an almost boundless array of possibilities; consequently, we inevitably have to miss out on much.

The fact that with advancing age, we also reconsider, analyze, and potentially reevaluate fundamental decisions should also be kept in mind by us travelers, as I find in hindsight.

For many years, I never wanted to see what other adventures life had in store - and wouldn't have thought to find one of them in the role of a father.

For those who are interested - there's also an article about it:

Article:
My desire for freedom, adventure, travel, and adrenaline! - [Leaving Land Cruiser Club]

For the more seasoned individuals here, perhaps this is old news, but it was at least "new" to me. Now, I'm even more curious about the future and excited about upcoming travel adventures, which surely include a significant portion of "everyday adventure"!

Please note that translations might not always capture the nuances perfectly. :wink3:

The article is also available in my native german language...

trippin

 

[DintDobbs]

Well, here's to a fella who's living his best life in all the ways!

The prospect of being a husband and father is the greatest challenge of them all, a true test of strength, courage, trust, and above all, being the leader even when nobody wants your leadership.

I am a bachelor of many years, and find myself somewhat affrighted by the responsibility of trying to maintain even a casual relationship, let alone the responsibility of trying to raise a child in this baffling and uncertain world. Life between yourself and a machine is simple and easy. You break it, you fix it. It does for you exactly the return for what you do for it. The same IS NOT TRUE of human beings.

I've never seen a relationship that ended well, but I've seen many a project car started and finished. There is a certain low-risk, low-reward mentality that brings satisfaction from not having let curiosity kill the cat. "Aim low, and hit hard" has always been my method, and I have found success in very nearly all of my endeavors. But the meaning of life is not in single-player campaign mode.

As I age, I find myself more and more divided between even bothering to try to cultivate a relationship, and trying to hurry up and get things going before the world gets too far beyond my comprehension. But in either case, the quest to find a woman who is worth the time it takes to convince her she should like me, is not worth fighting over with the four other guys she would rather be with.

Your wife cannot be trusted. Your children cannot be trusted. Your friends cannot be trusted. Your workmates cannot be trusted. Your truck can be trusted as far as you trust yourself to keep it running. But any of these things can be taken away by a false accusation, or a careless driver, or a spontaneous heart attack. I have seen all of this and my mind cannot be changed.

Even on the worst days, I climb into any of my trucks, thank God for his providence, turn the key, and it cranks over and puts a smile on my face. I don't think I'll ever get that kind of enjoyment from a human being.

You go get 'em, old man. You've been able to experience more than I ever will, on all fronts. A life well lived.

I've never sought adventure. I've always spent my whole life seeking those rare moments when I can get away from the adventure and take rest in the simple things like, uh, I dunno, four-wheeling and looking at the local flora and fauna.

 

[MMc]

Well, here's to a fella who's living his best life in all the ways!

The prospect of being a husband and father is the greatest challenge of them all, a true test of strength, courage, trust, and above all, being the leader even when nobody wants your leadership.

I am a bachelor of many years, and find myself somewhat affrighted by the responsibility of trying to maintain even a casual relationship, let alone the responsibility of trying to raise a child in this baffling and uncertain world. Life between yourself and a machine is simple and easy. You break it, you fix it. It does for you exactly the return for what you do for it. The same IS NOT TRUE of human beings.

I've never seen a relationship that ended well, but I've seen many a project car started and finished. There is a certain low-risk, low-reward mentality that brings satisfaction from not having let curiosity kill the cat. "Aim low, and hit hard" has always been my method, and I have found success in very nearly all of my endeavors. But the meaning of life is not in single-player campaign mode.

As I age, I find myself more and more divided between even bothering to try to cultivate a relationship, and trying to hurry up and get things going before the world gets too far beyond my comprehension. But in either case, the quest to find a woman who is worth the time it takes to convince her she should like me, is not worth fighting over with the four other guys she would rather be with.

Your wife cannot be trusted. Your children cannot be trusted. Your friends cannot be trusted. Your workmates cannot be trusted. Your truck can be trusted as far as you trust yourself to keep it running. But any of these things can be taken away by a false accusation, or a careless driver, or a spontaneous heart attack. I have seen all of this and my mind cannot be changed.

Even on the worst days, I climb into any of my trucks, thank God for his providence, turn the key, and it cranks over and puts a smile on my face. I don't think I'll ever get that kind of enjoyment from a human being.

You go get 'em, old man. You've been able to experience more than I ever will, on all fronts. A life well lived.

I've never sought adventure. I've always spent my whole life seeking those rare moments when I can get away from the adventure and take rest in the simple things like, uh, I dunno, four-wheeling and looking at the local flora and fauna.

WOW. I feel sorry for you not being able to trust and surender yourself to another. We never had kids because of my of my hobbies and sports. We didn't think it would be fair for her to raise a kid alone. Traveling with my wife having her support me and my adventures are some of fondest memories. Remembering her and our time together helped as I grieve from her passing.
The things I value the most are things that were the hardest to achieve also .33 years together is by far my most valued experience.

 

[DintDobbs]

@MMc Raising a child is a taxing endeavor, physically and mentally. It's not some thing that one parent should attempt, yet most people to day either are, or know others who are, the product of one-parented or split-custody families. I respect any who refrain from producing children for whom they are not able to make the time.

On the flip side, I doubly respect any single parent out there who does his or her best to take care of the kid/kids when the other parent is a deadbeat. But here, I digress.

33 years together is an achievement, undoubtedly completed through much personal effort and sacrifice on both sides in the relationship. Kudos to both of you for putting in the work and doing it right!

Back on the core topic, however, travel, freedom, and adventure - to some, travel is a necessity. To others, it is a leisure activity. Separately but intersecting, to some, travel brings relaxation and to others it brings anxiety.

Freedom is great no matter how you slice it, but some find that too much freedom causes boredom and lack of productivity. (Must be nice, ha ha!)

Adventure is what you make it! If you keep that adventurous outlook and take it with you into all of your endeavors, you're more likely to stay loose, stay ready, and keep an open mind in problem solving. This applies to work, home, hobby, travel, and every thing you can do.

@4x4tripping has the right idea!

 

[MMc]

I have always had a wanderlust for life, my first trip abroad was 4 months in western Europe alone at 19. I can tell you the day I sold out to a work a day world. I still have some connections that are more important than my travels, otherwise I would be on the road . I chose not not to have regrets if I can fix them now. Your life is not what you want, but what you settle for.

 

[MMc]

I have always recreated, I never carried a vacation day forward. Most of my working life taking more than a 10 or 12 days off cost me income. I couldn't take the last week of the month off because of billing. the most I ever took off was 2 1/2 weeks for Africa and 2 week to surf into. I love adrenaline sports, hang gliding, mountaineering, rock climbing, scuba diving, skateboarding, surfing, motor cycles just about anything that scares the crap out of me. I took dance lessons cause it was out of my comfort zone. Not have a kid was a decision we both made, looking back on it, it was the right thing. As I watch others being single parent it seems so very difficult. This is mostly my self-centered point of view.

 

[Murphy Slaw]

If you're insane, every day is an adventure...

 

[DintDobbs]

@Murphy Slaw I'm not insane, but all the insane people make every day an adventure for me!

 

[Murphy Slaw]

I was referencing myself.

Hey look, a squirrel.....

 

[DintDobbs]

Six months later...

I said:

"As I age, I find myself more and more divided between even bothering to try to cultivate a relationship, and trying to hurry up and get things going before the world gets too far beyond my comprehension. But in either case, the quest to find a woman who is worth the time it takes to convince her she should like me, is not worth fighting over with the four other guys she would rather be with."

I meant:

Women are like, the point of life. That's why God made Eve, and didn't just have Adam living alone on the world, in peace and harmony and solitude. I'm just a sorry doofus who wasn't brave enough to venture into the only field of life that really matters, and yet for which there is no map.

I said:

"Your wife cannot be trusted. Your children cannot be trusted. Your friends cannot be trusted. Your workmates cannot be trusted. Your truck can be trusted as far as you trust yourself to keep it running. But any of these things can be taken away by a false accusation, or a careless driver, or a spontaneous heart attack. I have seen all of this and my mind cannot be changed."

I meant:

There's nobody who doesn't make poor choices at times. Friendships are based on understanding and forgiveness. When one fails, the other is relied upon. We all hurt people at times, and if you drive like me, you have probably hurt your rig, too. Regrets are some thing that we have to accept. You can't prevent friends or possessions from being taken away from you, so you'd better make sure that you give them your all, while they are still with you. If it doesn't work, regret it, apologize, accept it, and move on.

I said:

"Even on the worst days, I climb into any of my trucks, thank God for his providence, turn the key, and it cranks over and puts a smile on my face. I don't think I'll ever get that kind of enjoyment from a human being."

I meant:

Had two of my trucks knocked out on the same day. One of them was no sweat, and the other has been down for months. I've been pummeled with huge expenses and major life changes over these last few months, and while my mind hasn't changed from what I said back in August, I've come to a more complete understanding of these things. Human beings aren't machines. The enjoyment experienced in a good friendship does not compare to the brutish enjoyment brought by a material possession.