I spent 80 percent of this weekend driving around in a 1990's Toyota mini-van, and it was one of the most life-giving weekends of my entire life. It was the people, the beauty and the music. It was a camera in my hand, and it was having no agenda. This weekend was perfect.
This past couple of days, I drove around Kangaroo Island in South Australia. It's an island that's about a 30-minute ferry ride away from the mainland, and it's an island that's free from big cities and full of authentic, untouched Australian 'Bushland.' I have to admit, out of all the places we've visited while we've been here, this was my favorite. It trumps Sydney, Carnes and all the above. This is just personal opinion, of course, but for me, it was a wonderful experience exploring some of Australia's most preserved land. It had me wondering, "why don't more people come here?"
I talked to many locals around the Adelaide area before we left for KI, and many of them had never been, and the ones who had been had only gone when they were young. This amazed me. It's a place of such natural beauty, yet people don't seem keen to make the two and a half hour trek to the small island. It seems crazy to miss something so beautiful that's so close to home, yet honestly, it's the same deal for me; I don't explore home either.
Have you ever had the chance to explore what's around you? Or, better yet, Have you ever had the desire to explore what's around you? Your home. I mean like really explore it and appreciate it for what it is. It's super easy to take something for granted when it's close. It's easy to say, "I'll see it sometime. There's always next year." And then you say that for 10 years, 20 years and so on, and then it's too late. You've missed it. You've missed the adventure that was closest to you.
So far, I've missed it. I've missed the adventure closest to me. This is how I've treated my home state, Oklahoma, most of my life.
In reality, Oklahoma has some wonderful natural beauty that I've never taken advantage of. It's home to some of the oldest mountains in the world, the Wichita Mountains, it's home to a mini desert in the Little Sahara, and it easily has one of the most scenic freshwater lakes in the country at Beaver's Bend. I haven't explored hardly any of these places, and these are just a few of the many examples of local adventures that I haven't explored because honestly, what adventure could I ever experience at "home."
How wrong I have been.
The truth is, there's a lot of adventure to experience in one's home. Just like I've taken for granted all the wonder in my own home state, it's easy for others to do the same. No one ties the words 'home' and 'adventure' together in the same sentence very often, but I believe we should. There's plenty of adventure to be had right where you are, so have at it. You'll undoubtably see something you've never seen before.
Go explore home.
-Cliff
Cliff's Note: Before you adventure across the world, adventure across your home.
P.S: If you're interested, and want to join, I'll be planning some weekend trips across my home, Oklahoma, starting after the new year. If you'd like to join, get in touch with me. We'll make it happen.