Ponder for a moment: When was the last time you truly felt alive?

Was it when you raced head-long into the wind, grinning childlike through wetted eyes? Or stood in awe, breathless amid a backdrop of pure, unfettered wilderness? Or pontificated with friends over a bed of glowing coals? 

When did you last enjoy something simple as if it was sacred - an enamel mug, flaring nostrils, and those silent, precious, still-foggy moments over camp coffee, awaiting the promise of daybreak and long-awaited plans?

Do you see it? Can you get there? Just a glimpse stirs something within, does it not? These memories are all good indicators of authentic adventure. 

Yet for the majority, for one reason or another, these memories have been fenced in, permanently fixed in the past. 

Why? Is adventure out of reach? Childish, maybe? Too expensive? Something for only the adrenaline junkies or ultra-rich? For those who’ve been genetically gifted or heroes of old? Whatever our excuse, it is a crying shame!

In 1869, John Wesley Powell and nine adventure-seeking companions completed the first documented exploration of the dangerous and uncharted canyons of the Green and Colorado Rivers.

At the time, Powell was a 35-year-old professor of natural history and civil war veteran who set out to explore the headwaters of the Colorado River all the way to the mouth. 

This is the same Colorado river that carves its way the length of the Grand Canyon, spewing class V rapids through 1000’ walls, creating lifeblood for the southwest and lifetime memories for the summertime thrill-seekers who’ve dared to brave the permit-only, multi-day stretches - most often led by licensed guides.

Unhampered by the lack of his right forearm (amputated after the Battle of Shiloh), Powell opened up the last unknown part of the continental United States and brought to a climax the era of western exploration. 

To be sure, online reviews weren’t a thing in Powell’s time. The crew didn’t have global satellite mapping software, Hypalon boats, aluminum oar frames, life jackets, lightweight tents, lighters, LED headlamps, or even radios. 

They had only wooden rowboats with kitchen stools strapped on top, hand-hewn oars, survey equipment, and rudimentary provisions. They hunted, fished, and foraged for food. They initiated contact with native tribes and journaled their progress.

These were men of grit and courage, men who knew how to “do stuff.” Theirs was a bonafide adventure.

But when it comes to bridging the gap and applying adventure to 21st-century living, it’s easy to become jaded. “Everything’s been explored” we say, “The good ol’ days don’t exist anymore.” And what little remains is out of reach for the commoner. 

Let’s challenge this way of thinking. All of it.

Adventure. Yes, it’s become a buzzword. Marketers are funneling pictures and words ad nauseam to capitalize on a growing trend. You can hardly grab a cup of coffee or even open a checking account without being told, “you’re on an adventure!”. This isn’t what we’re talking about.

We’re talking honest, real McCoy, truest to form adventure. I’ve dedicated my career to its pursuit and defining how it shapes us. I’ve learned that true adventure is subjective. It isn’t bound by place. There is no one prescribed amount of time or distance. And it can’t be reduced to one specific story. 

But, I’d argue that all adventures hold common ingredients - risk, trial, and the untamable element of nature. And what happens when we combine them? This concoction will test you, all of you - mind, body, and spirit. You’ll come alive.

As host of the Adventure Deficit Podcast, over 40 one-on-one interviews have confirmed my initial hunch. Modern-day people are experiencing real adventure and reaping the benefits of incredible growth. Whether hiking, biking, hunting, scaling walls, or paddling rivers, these folks have discovered that, in addition to its soul-touching backcountry views, adventure offers us life lessons of long-standing value.

Adventure has made them better leaders, better thinkers, better teammates, and consistently shapes their daily lives.

Adventure is a proven training ground for growth - think transferable skills, character development, leadership, and the value of a team (i.e., community). In terms of ROI (in exchange for risk, working in teams, and endurance to suffering), I’d put the gains of authentic adventure up against any organized sport offered today.

Scared of looking foolish? “Tree-hugger,” “Crunchy,” “Boy Scout,” - the stereotypes from critics are of no eternal consequence. Your growth on this side of eternity is paramount.

Conditioned: Our earliest years include pampered messaging, “Sit still!” “Don’t touch!” “Slow Down.” All well-meaning, perhaps. But, the confines of our too-careful society have snuffed out the good stuff. We’ve become estranged from our own God-given attributes, our speed, our power. 

There’s nothing more tragic than a full-grown stallion held captive in its stable. Yet this is precisely what we have, a landscape filled with men and women who’ve never so much as galloped through the meadow.

Comfort: We live and work in temperature-controlled facilities. We travel from point A to point B in safe vehicles. Our food choices are many. Our technology’s so smart the human variable seems something old and nearly obsolete. (Ahhh! The bots are winning!). 

We’re too comfortable. Strength, courage, and honest character seem to be evaporating like the Great Salt Lake. Too many people treat sweat like it’s some kind of illness. And iffy 5G coverage invokes the same tone of voice as ticks, leeches, and water-borne parasites.

Our world’s zero-tolerance for the unintended has created a veneer life, a portrait of some risk-proofed, pain-proofed utopia where worst case scenarios include an Airbnb without A/C, or a 43-hour work week, or bad selfie-lighting. These aren’t real issues. This isn’t real life.

Real life will test us with the heavy stuff. And we must learn to be warriors if we’re going to do it well.

Remembering Powell: Remember the one-armed whitewater man, Major Powell? John Wesley Powell was a high-caliber man, indeed, and thus has received his mark in history. But was he cut from different leather? Was his the grit of a bygone era? I’m not so sure. John Wesley Powell was 5’7”, of slender build, fair skinned, and was a teacher when he enlisted with the Union Army. He loved geology and passionately pursued the natural sciences. Seems like a regular enough guy with whom to relate.

A Plan: So, if the last time you experienced soul-stirring excitement was before COVID, then I have you’re diagnosis: You have a case of Adventure Deficit. 

The good news - it’s totally treatable. You can find Adventure today. 

No need for a wooden arm or a wooden dory or nine dudes cut from leather. No need for blue warpaint and a longsword. If you’re a US citizen, you share in the ownership of over 450 million acres of land managed by the US Department of Interior. That’s a lot of lands for you to play on. And the majority is free.

A Few Tips For Getting Started:

Start with what you’ve got. There’s no need to buy a garage load of expensive gear. If you’re looking to try mountain biking, kayaking, or backpacking, most of this equipment can be rented from reputable outfitters. For clothing, focus on whatever polyester or poly-blend shirts, shorts, and windbreakers are in your closet, and build a few layering options before buying, to fill in the gaps.

Adventure isn’t about isolation. Solos are great and serve a specific purpose, but get outside with your friends. Trouble finding takers? Check out a local hiking club, kayaking group, or cross-country skiing. Learn from podcasts and online forums - starting with www.adventuredeficit.com. If you’re in the Grand Rapids Area, visit our partner Bill and Paul’s Sporthaus - they offer opportunities for expert advice, places to go, and a handful of in-person events scheduled throughout the year. Join in on the action!

Weigh your risk. To the extent you can, identify risk ahead of time and then proceed accordingly. Don’t be stupid. If you’re 65, slightly overweight, and have artificial joints, then your goal should reflect what you’re capable of and perhaps just a little more. My counselor friend Matt Kenney says, growth exists where you push “just a little past what’s comfortable.” The same thinking applies here, too.

Use the internet. Even though it feeds the bots, it’s useful. Use Google, internet forums, and podcasts to get acquainted with whatever it is you want to do, set a plan, and DO IT! 

AdventureDeficit.com features a podcast, gear reviews, and short stories all to inspire you into this incredibly rich life of outdoor adventure. It’s so good; we call it medicine. Take Your Medicine!

For Drew DeVries bio, visit www.adventuredeficit.com/about