Adventure is Calling

Justin Segner

1-20-17

“Adventure” Assignment

Adventure Is Calling

What is it that brings a call to adventure? Is it the need to take time away from our day to day lives? Or just to have fun? Personally, I think adventures all differ from one person to the next. One thing, however, I truly believe makes for a good adventure is the surprise factor. What do I mean by this?

That most people usually tend to get every detail in place before leaving their home. Rather than getting out of their comfort zone and just hopping off the plane and going from there, so to speak. Why waste all that time and energy if there isn’t going to be any immersion in a culture or the unknown? What’s the point of an adventure if it hasn’t changed the mind but rather just the surroundings?

I woke up in the morning thinking all these things to myself and wondering how I was going to achieve my adventure. Soon after, I came to a realization while starring at the smiley face that seemed to pop out of the bubble ceiling. That I’ll let the adventure call me out rather than planning it out. But how could I achieve this, though? If I thought of doing something random then I’ve already planned on doing it, haven’t I? There was only one thing I could come up with that would bring a surprise into my adventure. That idea was to let ads determine my day. However, there being one rule that only non-digital ads could determine my day. (Be too many ads if I did!)

So, after deciding what was going to dictate my day I rolled out of bed and went through my mail only to find a delicious coupon for Mc, Donald’s. Onward, I went to the golden arches. On arrival, I promptly ordered my savory mc muffin with cheese. With delight on my face, I roamed through the daily newspaper. Only to find another coupon! For a world, I haven’t been to in the longest time! A culture so unknown to us we hardly have skimmed the surface of it. What is this place you ask? It’s a five-dollar coupon off admission to Minnesota Sea Life at the Mall of America! With glee, a hoped into my car and drove with “Californication” blaring on the radio.

While making my way to the entrance the smell of the ocean began to hit me. Flashing memories of the beach and the deep hum of waves crashing on the belly of the sea. The sunlight beaming down the feeling of safety as its warmth hits my face. (Oh, wait that’s just a bright light.) As I looked around my curiosity began bouncing off the walls. I was like a kid in a candy shop. Taking in all the magnificent animals swimming close by. Just overhead was a gorgeous female manta ray swimming along with two babies tucked under her spotted bleached fins. Just ahead at the junction was a tank separate from the main display. It read the “immortal” jellyfish. I couldn’t help but relate this jellyfish to a story I had heard from a friend earlier. The premise of his story was that you must die to come alive. (Not literally.) I didn’t fully grasp what he meant, though.

 Tell I got my own understanding while pondering upon this immortal jellyfish. That to grow you must lose a part of yourself to make way for the new. That in the end, it's ultimately the unknown or the surprise events in life that we find ourselves and grow to a better place of understanding. And this is what I believe makes for a grand adventure!