Welcome to a New Year! As with every new year, 2025 is full of possibilities and opportunities. I hope that you have all had a chance to reflect on the year that has passed. Regardless of how many crazy or not-so-good things that happened, we can all find some positive moments, growth moments, and even some adventure moments.
As we look into the 2025, I want to redefine what we think of as Adventures. For so long I have thought of Adventure as big trips, deep wilderness, and activities that I cannot do where I live. I have all kinds of adventures I want to go on—running and hiking in the mountains, snow skiing, seeing all of the National Parks, kayaking, ultramarathons I want to run. All of these things are going to require planning, which I love, funding, and time. We don’t always have these last two. It’s been leaving me feeling down that I am not doing some of the things I have been really wanting to do. I’ve had big dreams of taking off with Todd Barkley to explore trails, sleep in tents and cabins, hike with my family, and see some amazing places. At this time, life is not allowing me to do those things. Thinking about it makes me feel sad. I don’t want to feel sad. So what do I do?
I redefine, re-evaluate, and refocus! Just like anything else in life, when something is not working out, we take stock of where we are and what we have, make adjustments, and carry on. Sitting around feeling bad about not being able to do an epic trip to Moab or running Western States isn’t going to do anything for me and that is what has brought me to my Julia on the Edge focus for this year—Everyday Adventures!
You see, I had to think about other ways to have adventures and feel that sense of wonder, discovery, and accomplishment. For the past 3 summers I have held day camps where we have all kinds of small adventures. Backyard adventures. Park adventures. Hiking and exploring and searching and learning adventures. Why not make those kinds of adventures the ones that I can look forward to and actually do? There is no reason not to!
Adventures don’t have to be huge and they don’t always have to be big trips. I have had plenty of fun taking a new trail on a run when I wondered, “What’s down that way?” My camp kids have shown me that they can discover things while on a paved bike trail like a side path or an interesting insect. I will always remember last summer with Addie holding various bugs that she found and all of the other kids huddled around her looking at them. They noticed things about the insects’ bodies, wings, legs, and how they moved. Six campers fascinated by a something they found on the ground.
Our monthly calendars are going to be Family Adventure Calendars this year. We are going to explore and learn and have adventures right from our own part of the world. Check them as they are posted. I am going to try really hard to put up some videos and posts about the activities on them!
And as for me—I’m going to look for smaller adventures closer to home and take in all of the wonder and fun that is already around me if I just look for it.
Peace from the Edge,
Julia
