Around this time last year, I was feeling sad and down, I was scrolling and watching all these people on Instagram live their best lives, traveling, going to these fancy dinners, doing all kinds of vacations and having such an amazing time. Meanwhile I was sitting on my couch just scrolling and watching them, wishing my life was half as exciting. Thinking that it would be more fun to go on all the extravagant trips and do these activities, living an expensive lifestyle. So, there I was just thinking how this could never happen for me and my life wouldn’t be eventful, and I would just life a boring life. And then I questioned myself; why couldn’t I have an “exciting life” the only reason it wasn’t was because I was not doing anything that was “exciting”. My life was boring because I defined it that way and no amount of money or expensive lifestyle was going to change that for me. My life was as exciting or boring as I defined it and I needed to stop waiting for “adventure” to find me and go and make my own exciting life.

                I started researching activities for a girl on a budget, fun free things to do in the winter. And I continued the search into the summer too. I ended up going on vacation with my one girlfriend it was a bit more expensive, but we made it work and it was such a good time. I found that going for winter walks with my dogs served well for my mental health. I found that I loved working out and looking up different exercises really made me feel good and also felt productive. I owned a few kayaks and hadn’t been kayaking in over two years. I live in a town that has lakes everywhere and hadn’t been swimming in almost 4 years. The town I live in also thrives in the summer and I never really experienced what it had to offer. The summer patios are so nice and welcoming and beautiful right on the water, and I let my self stay and home and miss it. I was letting all the adventure that was available to me pass me by. I needed to reflect on what I used to enjoy doing. A lot of this came from pulling out my inner child.

                Things had to change but they weren’t going to change unless I got up off the couch off my phone and went out and reached out to some friends and asked if they wanted to join and if not went out on my own. Last year was an amazing year of adventure for me, I went on kayaking trips, I hiked, went for walks with my dogs and friends, I experienced some patios and downtown shops. I went to a few workshops, girls night out events. I swam, floated and did yoga at the beach! I went for boat rides, I made new friends I really had a very adventurous year, and most of it I did for free. Last year at this time I was feeling down and sad that I did not have enough excitement in my life and for what ever reason I thought these people on my Instagram just magically had adventure present themselves to them. That is not going to happen. I needed to go and seek out my very own definition of excitement catered to what I enjoyed doing. This I feel can be applied to anything if you want it (it being whatever it is) go out and find it for yourself stop sitting around watching others live the life you feel you can only dream about having. Take action, find what excites you and go and do it. Stop waiting for adventure to find you, or for you to magically stumble upon it. The magic happens when you make it happen, when you go to that restaurant you always wanted to go to, or go on that nature hike that has always looked so amazing and you’ve heard other people rave about it. Or book that trip that you have been waiting for it to somehow book itself. There are so many resources out there that can help you book and plan a trip with a budget you just have to look hard enough for it.

                The world is too big to be watching someone else live in it, please right now go and write down or verbally say 5 things/adventures you would love to do in 2019 and they don’t have to be these massive month long trips to far away places (unless that is something you absolutely want to do). Just adventures that get you out off your couch and off your phone. Reflect on some activities you loved doing as a kid. It could be as simple as swimming or going and getting pizza with friends. Having a gathering as a local toboggan hill, catch up with an old friend over some hot chocolate at a café or at your home. Make the adventure happen if it seems so far fetched and not financially feasible start researching doing this on a budget because I bet you there is a way to do it without making your wallet cry.  As an example I have listed my adventures for 2019 below;

Snowboarding,

Chai tea lattes at a local café with a friend

Snowy nature walks

Yoga and exercise in my home

Swimming in the summer

Ice fishing in the winter

Going to the drive in to watch a movie

Fall nature walks

More restaurant patios on the water in the summer

Travel Iceland on a budget

Hikes by the lakes

Visit some local waterfalls

And that’s just the beginning!

Go and find your adventure friends, because it’s only going to happen once you go out and find it. Feel free to post your adventures on my latest Instagram post or on our Facebook page.

XO

Kristy