Venturing 101: Getting into the Mindset

    When was the last time you challenged yourself to do something daring? 
Before you begin planning your next trip, let's make sure your mind is in the right place.

    Venturing is all about stepping out of your comfort zone in search of something.

 

    What you are searching for can be determined by yourself beforehand, and changed at any time. Are you looking for a cool local secret spot to chill with your friends on the weekend? Are you scoping out nearby trails to revisit for your weekly exercise routine? Are you pining for the answers to your life purpose on the Appalachian trail? You decide! 

    Even if you’re unsure, or if you have endless objects of fascination, you aren’t getting sweaty and working up for nothing.

 

When I had free time during my first few camping trips, I would go exploring for wild animals or weird bugs. We all start somewhere. Now on my most recent trip to Antelope Valley, I noticed cool

rock features and went scrambling up them to find myself looking out at a beautifully scenic view. 

From my personal experience, I can tell you that we often find the answers we search for, but we can leave with greater treasures than what we first had in mind. These treasures don’t fall
into our laps though, we have to put in some amount of work.

We must challenge ourselves in order to gain. Doing something that is daring should look different
for everyone though, so assess where you might fall on this spectrum. Are you an avid backpacker
who can set up her hammock and a one person tent, plus cook up a delicious three course trail
dinner within 30 minutes after having just submitted a 4,000ft peak? If you are, you should start
looking at summiting the roughest Rocky Mountains' peak pretty soon. However, if you’ve never
camped before and you couldn’t tell the difference between a camp stove and a bear can (don’t
let the gadgets intimidate you), then try venturing on a smaller scale first. Have you ever wondered
where that weird road in your hometown leads? Or maybe where the nicest nearby sunset spot
might be? Challenge yourself to spend time outdoors, and follow your gut and your curiosity. 

    A common concern should be brought up: how does one walk the line of staying safe and
venturing out? It depends on person to person, but trust your gut and be prepared. Carry
whatever helps you feel safe and comfortable, such as pepper spray, a knife or even
something more heavy duty depending on where you’ll go. I have found that the more I
push myself out of my comfort zone, the safer I feel in general. As long as I stay aware of
my surroundings, have my safety equipment in an easily accessible place on my body, and
I steer clear of sketchy areas at night, I trust myself to handle what will come along. 

Everyone starts somewhere, so this isn’t about comparing yourself to the accomplishments
of others. If it is, you might want to reassess your motives for venturing. This is about your
journey and your comfortability. There is nothing to lose if done safely, and after venturing
out for your first time, you might look back and realize that there was nothing to fear at all.
Your journey will be worth your time, because even if it doesn’t quite go as planned, or gets
somewhat stressful at times, you still did it. You can say that you prepared yourself, stepped
outside of what you previously thought you could do, and learned something along the way.
If you learned that a certain area is not one that you would enjoy revisiting for as long as you
live, then you know where not to go next time. 

Take baby steps if this is new to you. If this is all old news, maybe start coming up with ways to be more creative with your ventures. We’ll get to that later though. For now, (if you want) schedule a time this week to walk around a new place, explore an interesting trail, or just wander around a neighborhood. Remember to be prepared and aware of surroundings, and challenge yourself to get out of that cushy familiar comfort zone.

Until next time, happy trails!

Images from Mindy Kantor and PostivePsychology.com