Adventure is Everywhere!

Before having a kid, 'adventure' was defined as major wilderness experiences. Little hikes on popular trails were only viewed as exercise, the same with an in-bounds skin.

One thing you hear from other parents is that outdoor adventure is too difficult once you have kids. It is difficult and there are a million reasons to not go outside: it's raining, it's cold, your kid hates getting put in boots/gloves/snowsuit, your kid screams as he gets puts in the pack, you have to organize stuff to go and then again upon return, it might throw off their schedule, you have to go to the store, etc. There are certainly times it feels too hard, as I'm getting K dressed or putting him in the pack but, once we are outside, I always know it is worth it.

Now I'm learning that every outdoor experience is an adventure when you are with a toddler. One day last week, we spent almost two hours jumping in mud puddles, throwing rocks in and watching them sink, creating ripples with sticks. It wasn't exciting in the sense I once viewed the word, but it was exciting in a new way, watching K learn and be fascinated with the world around him. Last Friday, I hauled him up the closed ski hill in a pack as the sun set behind the beautiful mountains and then skied down with K hollering 'plow' in my ear, excited to see the snowplow at the bottom. I was not enjoying epic powder in the backcountry but this will be remembered as one of my fondest skiing adventures.

And yes, it was an adventure. First, I had to get all the gear together. Then, I had to dress a squirmy toddler in the backseat of my car. He screamed as I buckled him into the pack, as per standard protocol. Finally ready, I hurled the 40 lb. pack on my back, which is pretty heavy for me, and then began the sweating uphill trek. Occasionally, I stopped and turned around to appease the toddler on my back who wanted to watch the groomer. Once I stopped to pick up a toy truck that had fallen and was about to take its first ski run. At the top, I felt adept at pulling skins with the pack on my back and not falling over. Then I skied, carefully, down the hill. Sounds adventurous, right?! While very different in many ways from my former adventures, there are also many similarities: a goal set, a challenge, adversity, weird issues, and then meeting your goal (or giving up). The main outcomes are exactly the same and perhaps better -breathe in fresh air, admire stunning outdoor beauty, remember that you are alive, and, as a mom, why you are alive.