Our lives are loops of comfort. We alternate between high-mental stress and low to medium physical.
In a way that 10k run after a whole day of computer work is just a tiny attempt to equalize. We feel good afterwards, but it’s fleeting.
I believe we need adventures outside of our routine every once in a while.
Groundhog’s day
I’ve been in that loop myself for a long time. And I’m one of the fortunate ones. I’ve been outside the 9-to-5 since 2009. That’s 16 years on my own terms as they say.
But what does it really mean? At first it was working 24/7 to build up the momentum of the company. Then, with time there was more chill and procrastination. Much earned relax.
Even morning routines at the beach at sunrise eventually end up a part of your current loop.
At some point it stabilizes and life becomes free of needing to by anywhere at a specific time. That is liberating and beautiful.
But it’s another loop, just a different one. And without overstimulating your senses sometimes, that loop can be just as deadly for the mind.
What’s an adventure?
Anything deep out of your comfort zone counts as an adventure. In my cases adventures are mostly physical, but going to live for a week with the monks and taking a vow of silence also counts as adventure.
Andrzej the Bear was a gift from Diana for my first bigger adventure – the Wim Hof Method expedition. Since then it’s been with me on mountaintops of Spain, Norway, Iceland and Poland.
This weekend I climbed Rysy. At 2499m it’s the tallest peak of Poland. But while at it, I also climbed the slightly taller second peak of the summit on Slovakian side.
Then descended on the Polish side on one of the most difficult hiking trails I’ve seen. It was scary (especially in two places near the top) and required complete focus. One bad step and you’re 900 meters down in a second.
While relatively safe (it wasn’t a climbing wall, just a difficult descent) it bumps up a lot of the processes in the brain. I loved it. And the views seen from the top on the famous two ponds were breathtaking.
When adventure becomes passion you can push it a little further each time. After a 2499m peak, climb a 3500 one. Then, years later you’ll see yourself in the Everest base camp looking up exhilarated.
But you don’t have to. The problem is that that can eventually also become a loop, and after Everest you won’t have a higher mountain to climb. So you’ll go more difficult. And that can lead to tragedy. Or not.
Switching up the adventures
At least that’s how it works in my brain. It needs stimulation but not of the same kind. So instead I push myself in different directions and alternate.
There’s definitely hiking. Walking uphill is a good metaphor for life and can get exciting.
Especially when you’re shirtless at -20°C during a WimHof method expedition.
And you get to experience Wim’s aura.
I’m not really a fan of cycling. So I bought a bike and cycled the entire Polish coastline. 404km in 2.5 days. With one of the days being a 200km ride that lasted 10 hours.
That was an adventure too!
So was swimming way above the arctic circle in Iceland and fist-bumping an iceberg.
And seeing the beauty of monumental Norwegian fjords, then surfing the arctic circle beaches. Switching it up every time.
After a while I can return to a type of adventure given it changes enough from the past ones.
This puts my head at ease. Breaks the loops. Gives pause to appreciate life as a gift it is. Every time when I reach the peak of an adventure I feel grateful for how lucky I am.
Sometimes it’s done with a group of friends. Sometimes alone. But every time the loop breaks, even if for a short while, it makes everything else worthwhile.
Motivation for daily routines goes up. Mental clarity returns.
Adventures are happiness condensed into a slow vibration. That’s when you’re nervous system counter-reacts after a tough climb or bike ride.
I’ll leave you with this
There are some adventures that push those boundaries slightly too far. One thing I did last year, was climbing La Concha completely barefoot.
Through pine-needle forests, pebbles and sharp rocks all the way to cactus needles.
I mostly walk in barefoot shoes, so my feet are pretty tough, but the climb took 2x longer than usual. And my nervous system was overstimulated from millions of extra pricks at the feet.
Imagine walking for 4 hours on rocky terrain without shoes. Primal.
When I reached the summit I was shaking to equalize.
Not planning to repeat that one again anytime soon. But it was an experience I’ll never forget.
Adventures are a big part of my overall longevity stack.
