Adventuring

A shameless (edited) holiday snap from beautiful Lisboa

Adventuring // ədˈvɛntʃə // based on the Latin adventurus - "about to happen". 

One of my least favourite tasks after a holiday is editing my photos. Partly because I usually take so many that it takes ages to sort through them; but mostly because by the time I finish, regular life has taken over and those photos feel like a distant dream; already memories in the past.

More than ever, photographable moments are really important, and I absolutely adore them. Whether that's sunny summer holidays, fancy dinners or long-catch ups with friends, it really doesn't matter how extravagant the moment is - I love capturing people, expressions, food and laughter. I love that once a photo is taken, the memory is preserved, so that later, I can look back with fondness at those happy moments and remember them with joy.

Yet, like so much of our culture, sometimes I find myself craving excitement and happiness more for the 'photographable' moments than I do for the moments themselves. And recently I've been asking myself what it means to live a life of true joy; rather than one which looks good on social media.

I'm pretty lucky that I have a job which means I can use our website to explore topics which excite me (providing they also attempt to interest other people) and this summer I've been asking a few people what it means to live adventurously - even in the everyday, non-photographable moments of life. And I'll admit that when I started, I was a bit cocky in believing I was already doing a pretty good job at it. 

However, we're all a little bit susceptible to losing perspective. 

And as summer draws to a close and winter draws nearer,  I've been feeling a little bit negative about the "lack of adventure" over the next few months; envisioning dark nights, negativity and not so much fun.

So I turned back to my own blog series, not for a confidence boost, but rather to relearn lessons I was trying to teach just a few weeks ago. And post-holiday, pre-Autumn -  standing in a different place - I'm grateful for those wise words from others:

"Our human desire for adventure is best quenched when we feel encouraged that we’re living our lives to the full; when insecurity is replaced with God-given, community-encouraged identity" 

So, as creative as I want to be with a camera, the real adventure comes from about living in the moment instead of waiting for photographable ones. 

That's appreciating the blessings on my doorstep and utilising them. Praising God for the community of people who are around me in my hometown. Striving to do the very best at work because it might make a huge impact on someone's life. Listening, daily, to the tiny prompts which might make my day just a little bit more meaning-filled or worthwhile.

As I so frequently mention, in a regular 9-5 job it's easy to become comfortable. To do the same things in the same way because it's easy and safe. Just stepping out and doing something uncomfortable but positive is how the real adventures begin, continue and shape the future.

Autumn is coming; and as my photos become even more distant memories, I reckon the lesson for this season is to seek out that true sense of adventure - the radical and exciting call of living, praying, and seeking true joy; the joy that comes in the everyday.

NB: The word adventuring has been used instead of adventure because back in 2012 I already used it. Also back then, I vowed to never use the exact same word twice.