Every day is an adventure waiting to be had

Lindsay and I travel a lot. If we could make a living off of traveling, taking pictures, and writing about it I can safely say we would both forgo our current career paths and do exactly that. We both love to explore, see new things, have new experiences. If I can give one piece of advice to anyone, it would be to travel, and travel often. Fly across the country. See a new city. Take a long drive. Find something new. You won't regret it.

With that being said, you don't have to travel far for an adventure. Sometimes you get to experience new things without leaving the town you live in. Sometimes without leaving your own house.

Case in point, one frigid February evening (don't ask which one. They were all frigid this past winter) when Lindsay and I took my youngest son, Chayson, to her studio for some painting.  Chayse is a sweet, albeit occasionally temperamental, 9 year old boy. He loves his Razor scooter, Legos, and anything outdoors. And he is shy. That's how we started out that evening, with Chayse being a shy 9 year old who was still trying to figure out exactly what to make of the changes going on in his life.

And then Lindsay handed him some paint. Paint the backdrop, she suggested. He did, with some hesitation. "How about this? Paint your face". "Ok..." "Wait, let's just paint your body". "Really?"

What started out as a slightly awkward painting session with a shy 9 year old and his mom's new girlfriend turned into an adventure in self expression. Going through the pictures, even now, I can see Chayse start out slightly tentative and by the end... well you can see for yourself.

If this face doesn't scream adventure and fun, I don't know what does.

So, do something fun today. Do something new. Paint. Go for a drive. Play in the rain. Teach your kids, or your parents, something fun. Laugh. Dance. Sing. Watch the sunset. Have ice cream for dinner. Create an adventure. Don't wait for that vacation you've been planning. Don't wait for whatever excuse you have that keeps you from enjoying life to the fullest. Don't wait for tomorrow to do what will make you smile today.

New Year's New Adventures

So how did I, someone who hates when the ambient temperature dips below 70*, and Lindsay, who is more apt to vacation on a Cali beach than a frozen mountain, end up 400 miles North in Bar Harbor, Maine during one of the coldest winters in recent history? Simple. It was new.

Lindsay and I are both the types to pack a bag and head out for a new adventure on a whim. Whether it's a quick hike in the Connecticut woods, a road trip involving a 7 hour drive, and an adventure involving 2 plane tickets, we are both ready to try new things. We both love to try new things, see new sites, and visit new places. So when I suggested visiting Acadia National Park for New Year's Eve, Lindsay, of course said, yes. What better way to start the New Year than by adventuring with your favorite adventure partner (and amazing girlfriend!!)?

There are two things I can tell you about Acadia National Park in the winter. 1) It's cold. Really cold. And 2) It's stunning

Picture walking out on to a rocky ledge covered in a frozen waterfall that runs into the icy and rough open ocean below. Driving down a completely deserted road and seeing a deer eating grass on the side of the road, and being able to get out of your vehicle and spend time staring at her, without any disruption. Climbing perilously down the frozen salt water encrusted stairs to view the Natural Wonder of Thunder Hole without waiting in line or feeling rushed. Hiking 3 miles into the ice covered Maine woods to visit Jordan Pond House, which is usually bustling during peak season with tourists eating their famous popovers and jam, and being the only people there. And then hiking 3 miles out of the woods as the sun sets, stepping out onto a ridge overlooking a pond, and the only sound you hear is the rustling of your backpack as you breathe. 

Stunning doesn't even begin to describe those moments.

On average 2.5 million people visit Acadia National Park each year, most during Spring and Summer. During the winter months, however, Bar Harbor Maine is essentially a ghost town filled mostly with locals and a few crazy adventurers (ie Lindsay and I). So after a long bath in the jacuzzi tub at our suite at the Mira Monte Inn we headed downtown to one of the 3 open restaurants and bars on the island, The Thirsty Whale Tavern where we rang in the New Year with a small band playing acoustic rock and 20 some odd locals who were somehow able to stand out in -2* cold in t-shirts to smoke cigarettes.

The music was ok. The locals were very hospitable. We split a bottle of Allagash Curieux and talked and laughed and loved as the ball dropped in New York City and 2014 began. I can't think of a better way to start a new year than that.