I believe that my sense of adventure is one of the things that is most precious to me.  I’ve always had it and as I’ve grown older, it’s widened to include littler moments than the grand romantic notions and far-fetched road trips.  Not to say I don’t love those!!  Anything from taking off to find Ohio’s famous Grandpa’s Cheese Barn (even though it was 100 miles out of the way) to taking 3 days to cook a formal French dinner for a French professor and her State-Dept.-Official-husband when my best friend and I didn’t know thing one about French cooking.  Countless camping trips, excursions that revel in getting lost first, racing the car through my hometown (sorry, Mom – no harm done!)

I love it still more whenI have the adventure perspective on little moments  – my hair adventure, a trip to the farmer’s market or…like today…a quest for Paw Paws!!  I was introduced to the Paw Paw just yesterday as a friend identified them along the Potomac.  They look like green potatoes and taste like banana custard inside.  You have to find them  yourself and use them because they are very perishable – but they are supposedly delicious and have all sorts of laudable qualities!  So, this morning, the dogs and I set off to see if we could find some.  We easily found a Paw Paw Paradise in the Potomac riverbank park closest to our house and I had a great time shaking the trees and trying to dodge the ripe Paw Paw cannonballs while the dogs romped in the river.  Brought home a basket full and spent a part of the afternoon making Paw Paw custard and Paw Paw cookies.  Awesome!

I realized, as I drove home from the outing, that it felt like my sense of adventure had returned…and that it had been away.  Yes, this summer and this past many months have been huge and full, challenging, enlightening and many things…but I’ve not had the perspective of adventure that I love.  When I felt that today, I both missed it terribly (as though I had to feel that active sense of missing) even as I was happy and relieved to have it back!!

It’s a sense that I want about me often – through big things like Nelson’s transition and my journey with my new body – through little things that break up the routine – maybe even about how I face routine!  A little bit too optimistic, perhaps, but worth the moments that the perspective takes hold!

It fits in with my “no more normal” language stance.  Wikipedia’s definition of Adventure reads, “An adventure is defined as an exciting or unusual experience; it may also be a bold, usually risky undertaking, with an uncertain outcome.”  It’s not the risk that I’m focused on in this post though sometimes the risk is certainly a part of the fun!  It’s looking at any given experience as potentially exciting and unusual…read unique.  And the uncertain outcome is paramount to going with the flow and staying present.  Of COURSE, really, anything has an uncertain outcome no matter how certain you are!

So, that’s my two cents for today!  It’s time for a Paw Paw cookie!