More than just travel

I had an interesting conversation with someone yesterday.

I had gone by my mom's office to see if she wanted to go to lunch.  Someone there commented on my sunglasses (shown below) and told me, "You need to stay here and liven up this town.  It's like Mayberry here."

the 'anti-Mayberry' sunglasses

That got me thinking: being adventurous is about more than traveling the world.  It's about being your most authentic self, without fear of being mocked or ridiculed.  It's about doing (or wearing) the things that make you most happy, no matter what public opinion deems is 'in.'

For me, that means wearing all those vintage dresses/hats/gloves/etc. that I've always felt were a bit 'much' for everyday life.  I love 1940s and 50s fashion. I always feel good about myself when I'm in pin curls, seamed stockings, and red lipstick.  So why be so afraid of wearing it?

Yeah, there are going to be people who don't get it.  Who ask me, "why are you in a costume?" or "aren't you a little overdressed?"  Who giggle at me behind my back.

Screw those people. My happiness is not dependent upon someone else's opinion.  I'm going to make every day an adventure simply by virtue of what's in my closet.

xoxo,
Samantha

A little adventure inspiration...

That first step is always the hardest! Committing to doing something nerve-wracking and new and adventurous feels like it takes more self-convincing than actually doing whatever adventurous thing it is you want to do.

So here are some motivational quotes to help you...

...when you're working up the courage do something:

...when people try to talk you out of something:

...when you're scared things might go wrong:

...when things do go wrong and you feel set back:

...when you're ready to have an adventure:

What quotes inspire you for an adventure?

xoxo,
Samantha

Welcome to my blogging adventure!

I'd been dreaming of adventure since I was a little girl - of traveling to see all the far off, wondrous sites in the archaeology books I'd been checking out from the public library. In these dreams, I'm well-dressed, knowledgeable, surrounded by various friends and loved ones, and just having a grand ole time. I have a fantastic, flexible job in a vibrant large city that pays ridiculously well and lets me do pretty much whatever I want.

Obviously....life isn't exactly going that way.

The blogger at roughly age 2, already obsessed with shoes

A year and a half ago, I moved back home (which is the literal opposite of a large city) to finish up my master’s degree and figure out what, exactly, it was I was going to do with my life.  (Spoiler alert: still trying to figure that out.)  I worked odd jobs until I took a position working at the local art museum as an education coordinator.

...and then I found myself in a rut.  I go to work, I go to lunch with my parents, and I go home at night and binge watch something on Netflix while scrolling through social media.  

Not exactly how I thought my life would be going at 25.

“I had the firm conviction that, if I went about looking for adventure, adventure would meet me halfway.”
Agatha Christie, The Man in the Brown Suit

I had read The Man in the Brown Suit numerous times, but when I reread it a few months ago that line took root in my brain.  Adventure was not going to just show up on my doorstep one night when I was in the middle of a Netflix marathon.  I had to go out and start looking for it.

But where to start looking?

I'm taking my first trip out of the country in a few short months - to Rome, Italy, to be exact.  I'm excited and nervous all at once, and so ready for the trip to be here.

But, adventure isn't just about seeing the world.  Adventure is about stepping out of your comfort zone.  Adventure is about wearing that outfit that most people would think is ridiculous.  It's trying the new food you're not even sure how to pronounce.  It's about learning to speak your mind, and learning about the world beyond yourself.

Life is an adventure - from digging through the Salvation Army racks to find an amazing vintage Pendleton wool blazer to hopping on a plane by yourself to go to a country where you don't speak the language.

So I'm challenging myself- and hopefully you, too, reader - to step out of your comfort zone and start meeting adventure halfway.

Ready for an adventure?

What adventurous thing are you going to do first?

xoxo,

Samantha