The Beauty of Adventure: Why You (and Your Family) Need It
On my birthday this fall, we were barely 30 miles from home when smoke started wafting up from under the front end of our Expedition. That was how our latest family adventure began. One $300 tow bill later (and with my dad driving out to bail us out), we were back on the road to the state park where we’d planned to hike all along.
Honestly? That’s adventure. It rarely goes the way you plan. And I’ve come to believe that’s part of what makes it so beautiful.
Why I’m Talking About Adventure
Adventure doesn’t get talked about nearly enough, especially among women in the thick of motherhood. But making room for adventure, passions, and hobbies isn’t a luxury. It belongs in your actual, everyday life.
For me, it’s travel. A local park, a national park, a new city, even overseas: I love all of it. And I love the planning almost as much as the trip itself.
Our East Coast History Trip
We just got home from a big one. Since we homeschool, we turned it into our ultimate American history bucket-list trip. We started in Jamestown, Virginia, site of the first permanent English settlement, and worked our way up the coast through Washington, D.C., Philadelphia (hello, Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell), New York City and the Statue of Liberty, and Boston. We saw Plymouth Rock, where the Pilgrims landed. We visited Yorktown and Lexington and Concord, so the kids got both the beginning and the end of the Revolutionary War. We added Gettysburg for some Civil War history, then wrapped it all up with a few days exploring Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor, Maine.
The kids learned SO much. But the best part wasn’t the history. It was us. We laughed over silly things. The kids played hacky sack on top of Cadillac Mountain, and that evening we sat up there together and watched the sunset. I got to watch my kids grow closer as friends, and I got real, intentional time with my husband. Oh my gosh, what a blessing.
The Stories We Still Laugh About
Looking back, nearly all of our best family memories have happened while we were traveling together. And some of the best ones came from the trips that went sideways.
Like the time we got stranded at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Our tour bus broke down and left us there for almost an entire day. The entrance where we went down is on a reservation, and some local Native men had driven down in their own pickup trucks to test the water in the Colorado River. We ended up hitching rides back to the top with them, total strangers who saved us from spending the night down there. We still shake our heads and laugh about it.
Or the time a tornado rolled through a tiny South Dakota town on our way to Mount Rushmore. We’d landed in a filthy, run-down little motel, and we could see the storm right outside the door. We all crammed into the lobby bathroom with a group of complete strangers, and I prayed out loud with them. Afterward, they asked me how I had so much peace. That opened the door for me to share my faith and my hope with them, and it made a lasting impression on my kids.
Then there was the gas station dash on the way to the Rocky Mountains. It was pouring, and by the time we made it back to the car we were soaked to the bone and laughing hysterically. That same trip, we sang John Denver songs on repeat at the top of our lungs.
And the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee, my personal favorite place in the whole country, where the kids splashed in the creeks, jumped into little pools, spotted wildlife, and hiked to waterfalls with us.
One of our simplest traditions? We pack a picnic and stop at a roadside rest area for lunch on the first day of every road trip. It costs almost nothing, and my kids have grown to love it.
Kids Remember Trips, Not Gifts
Here’s something I’ve noticed, both in my own life and in my kids’: I honestly can’t name a single gift my parents bought me growing up. But I remember every family trip we took. My kids say the same thing. They couldn’t list five Christmas or birthday gifts we’ve given them, but they could rattle off five family adventures without even thinking.
So let me encourage you: these moments matter. They don’t have to be big, and they don’t have to be expensive. What counts is intentional time together. That’s what builds your family relationships and your core family memories. And someday, when you look back on your life, you’ll be so grateful for every intentional moment you spent adventuring with your people.
Adventure Helps You Feel Alive
Adventure isn’t only a family thing. Having passions and hobbies helps you feel ALIVE, and a solo adventure counts too.
So, what brings you joy? What do you actually love to do for fun?
When I ask women that question, especially women in their mid-20s to mid-40s who are deep in the motherhood years, I’d guess about 80% of them give me a dazed look and say, “I don’t know. I don’t even know what I like to do for fun.” That’s a problem. And it’s one worth fixing.
Take a moment to really reflect on it. This isn’t selfish. It benefits your family, too.
Maybe it’s taking walks or bird watching. Maybe it’s reading historical fiction, working out, painting, or playing the piano. Maybe it’s creating new recipes or coffee drinks from scratch. Maybe it’s something a little wild, like basket weaving, photography, or hunting. (I used to love hunting with my husband!) I don’t care what it is. Find it, then carve out real, intentional time to do it.
God Made You for This
I truly believe God put an adventurous spirit in you. He gave you passion and the ability to create, to enjoy, and to feel excited about life. Just look at the world He made: big, vast, and beautiful, full of color and music, plants and animals, people, tastes, smells, sights, and sounds. It would be a travesty not to take some of it in.
That’s why I’m so drawn to the national parks. I feel so full of joy, and so close to the Creator, in those huge, beautiful places He made. My favorite part is how small they make me feel, soaking in the goodness of the creation our big Father made for us to enjoy.
Easy Ways to Add Adventure
You don’t have to wait for a big trip. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Take a local hike. Our state park here in rural Iowa has a fun surprise: a retired doctor who does glassblowing makes beautiful glass orbs and hides them along the trails. Hunting for them is one of my family’s favorite outings.
- Get active. We love playing pickleball at our local court.
- Share a hobby with a friend. Love to paint? Pull up a YouTube tutorial and paint together.
- Keep it simple. Grab some ice cream or go on a coffee date.
- Go all out and plan a trip. For me, the anticipation of what’s coming brings as much joy as the trip itself.
Solo, with friends, or with your family, it really doesn’t matter. What matters is that you carve out intentional time for the thing that brings you joy.
Embrace Adventure
However it looks in your life right now, I want to encourage you to embrace adventure. Find the thing you love, the thing that brings you joy, and actually DO it.
A Prayer for You
Heavenly Father, thank You for creating this great big world for us to explore and enjoy. Thank You for putting an adventurous spirit inside each of us. Help us tap into it and enjoy it the way You intended. You are so good to us. You are the good Father and the great Creator. Thank You for adventure, for beauty, and for Your hand in our lives. Stir our hearts to find the thing that means adventure for us, and help us actually do it and experience the joy that comes with it. We love You, Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Let’s Stay Connected
Head over to KatieHedrick.com to send me an email, download my free five-day devotional, Joyful Moments with Jesus, and connect with me in all the places. You can listen to this week’s podcast episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or watch it on YouTube.