Each January, we hope for a new beginning. Most commonly, we resolve to better ourselves—to lose weight, spend less, save more, give back to our communities, keep in touch with friends and family—the list is as long as it is individual. Sadly, most of our resolutions fall along the wayside of our busy lives before month’s end. We set unrealistic goals, we don’t keep track of our progress, or we simply forget the promises to ourselves.
That’s why this year, I’m stepping outside (I didn’t intend the pun, but it works) the norm. This year, I’m skipping the “better health, better wealth” litany. I work for a company that holds true to its core value of inspiring our customers to discover a deep connection to adventure and wonder in the natural world. This year, I’m going to embrace that journey. My resolution for 2016 is simple: be more adventurous.
This year, I will get outdoors more. Take longer hikes on trails I haven’t followed before. Snowshoe into the woods and listen to the winter birds. Trade crowded downhill slopes for a quiet cross-country ski trail. Spend time with folks I know who forage for early morels, wild ramps, and fiddleheads and relish a found bounty. I’ll take the kayak and the canoe out more often along the water’s edge for peeks into the summer homes of nesting shorebirds. Discover the hidden spots in my own backyard. Learn the names of more trees, the songs of more birds, the uses of more wild plants. And onward through the seasons. . .
Adventures don’t have to be grand or sweeping. Sometimes the most memorable adventures are the simple feats of everyday life. Getting outdoors, seeing the world with new eyes, renewing a sense of gratitude and enthusiasm is an exploration unto itself. So my wish for you and everyone I know is for a year of new discoveries and rekindled passion. Adventure awaits—happy trails in 2016!
