Recently I've had the yearning for adventure. I wake up from dreams where I am on some form of quest or adventure; I sometimes relive past adventures in my mind; I read books and watch movies that take place in other lands; even as I research, I often catch myself daydreaming about living in that time period and what it must have been like to not know the rest of the world. In our current day and age, the world is accessible to us through our fingertips. The frontier has been discovered and humans, in many areas, have destroyed the natural wonders that would have been an adventurer's playground. It has often been said that humans are "natural explorers"; the adventuring spirit seems connected to our curiosity and the desire to learn. Whether we all feel the call, in the same way, seems possible, but, for me, it feels stronger than many of my contemporaries. Maybe for many, their sense of adventure is quelled by living vicariously through fictional characters in movies, shows, or books. For others, gaming has offered an excellent solution to the adventure world. For the bravest and, perhaps the most devoted story adventures, there are the live-action role-playing games (LARP). Those who are wealthy enough (or who land the right job) have the option to travel to any part of the world and enjoy adventuring. Even still, how much of adventuring is adventuring when you've looked up and planned out where you plan to go via Google? So maybe it is time for us to rethink adventuring in some capacity.
Let's imagine that we live in the time prior to iPhones, Google maps, GPS, heck, let's go back before maps were even readily available. Prior to the printing press, maps were expensive, so, there were road signs that directed a traveler, much like the interstate signs that you have to use only when your Maps App is stuck re-routing. In cities, some form of a map might be available to look at but it probably lacked business names. Prior to the printing press, which was invented in the 15th century, European city maps may have included a marker for the castle, the market, and the churches. Even if one never left the city, there were loads of places to explore. One might stumble through alleyways and side streets looking for the most lively drinking hole or inn with an available bed. Along the way, you may use a looming clocktower or church steeple to orient yourself. You ask a person, sitting on a stoop smoking a pipe, where the closest inn is. They tell you with vigor about the one closest but how it has a bad reputation and that you'd be better off at an inn that's further from the river because there are fewer rats. Along the way, you smell something delicious and decide to pop into a local bakery to buy a fresh roll. Nevermind that the dough may be partially made of sawdust. You make it to the inn and while you are at the bar eating a hot meal of porridge, who happens to be drinking at the bar? None other than the man who you'd asked directions from earlier. Now you have a drinking buddy. I would argue that this is exploration in a city.
There was a sense of blind adventure associated with traveling. This practice has continued into the modern era, but more so by choice. Though in the 20th century there was a lack of internet connection, people could be informed through sources like radio shows, (later) tv shows, and, probably most influential, the guidebooks. Guidebooks, or a form of them, have been produced since the first century. The first guidebook was the Periplus, an ancient Greek manuscript that reported on landmarks in relation to ports. However, guidebooks were not readily available to common folk, and with a lack of literacy, the most common way to travel was through discovery. The guidebooks for many in the 20th century were essential as it became more commonplace to travel. Prior to the middle-class's creation, only the rich were able to travel and explore. With the stratifying economic class system, many in the middle class could afford to travel beyond there own town. The guidebook became an essential travel tool because of a lack of time and a desire to see the best a location had to offer. The guidebook may have taken tourists to the most notable sights in cities, but what began to be missed was the lostness that lead those to interact with the locals and explore the city for what they were looking for. As someone who has been lost in an unknown city before, it can be frightening and disorienting, however, it can also be exciting and lead to discovery.
The 21st-century guidebook has become the smartphone. Yelp, Google Maps, and all the other essential travel apps direct us in the directions that we want to go. While these apps make it easier to decide where to get dinner or how long it will take to walk there, we lose out on the experience of discovery. We can even look as far to see what is being served for dinner, destroying even the mystery of the menu. When we can predetermine every aspect of our travel --yes, we may save time, yes, we may avoid pitfalls, yes, we may be centered in a nice part of the city-- we give up the key part of any adventure, the aspect that drives us to explore, to reach further out. When we predetermine every aspect of our travel, we give up the mystery of the unknown.
Think about it this way. Have you ever played a video game with an open world map? For me, the game loses its luster when I have explored the whole map and there are no longer any places I have yet to go. How about this: have you ever watched a show or read a book and someone tells you how the plot concludes? The mystery of not knowing disappears and the unknown is lost. The same goes for traveling. When we plan out everything ahead of time the unknown becomes lost. Similarly, if we only visit the main sights, the unknown is again lost to some degree. For example, it is common for those who visit London to go see Big Ben and the Tower of London. And sure, the Tower of London, if you go for the tour, may show you some things that are surprising. That's the hint of mystery you're tasting. However, if you make friends with some locals and ask them to show you around, they may take you to an amazing club, or a local restaurant known for the best sandwiches amongst the locals. And if you stay in London for two or three weeks, you really get to experience all different parts of the city, while simultaneously realizing that the city is so much larger and has even more secrets to reveal. The places you might have stumbled upon may or may not have been reviewed on Yelp and most likely you weren't the first to discover the place either, but you discovered the place, maybe with the help of a local, but nonetheless the effort was yours and in the process the "unknown" breached was the interpersonal connection created.
Nowadays urban exploration is the most readily available option for exploring we can do. While hiking is amazing and wonderful, it's not always the most practical option. Further, long and more adventurous hiking can be dangerous for those who have little experience in the wild or are physically unprepared for the tolls on the body. For the majority of the world's population, the urban environment is the most accessible, considering the majority of the world's population live in cities. As well, when people do travel beyond their home city, other major cities are popular destinations. So when traveling and looking for adventure, don't settle for just the common tourist sights. Look for ways to travel that allow you to stop and look around. Talk to the locals. Don't get too caught up on hitting up as many locations as possible. Some of the best and most fulfilling adventures I've had in the urban setting were in stopping off in towns or parts of the city I didn't plan on going to. Be willing to avert plans and go where your gut moves you. If you're open to the idea and the city or town isn't too big, use landmarks to navigate. Welcome the new experiences that come and the new people you meet. If you live in a town you know backwards and forwards, try visiting your closest city and wandering around. If you live in a city and don't have time to travel, take a Saturday and, with a friend, travel to a totally different part of the city and walk around. Try to avoid using the phone if possible. Don't post about your discovery for your followers, but rather, encourage those, who may live vicariously through their Instagram feeds, to get out there and explore for themselves.
I'm not going to pretend I am an expert adventurer or traveler, but in the places I have traveled, the most thrilling and exciting experiences I have had while traveling is arriving at a place I was unaware I was going and seeing what it beholds. Some would say I should've always planned where to go so I knew what to look for, rather, I found I only knew what I was looking for when I had no expectations of what I wanted to see. Even if you do have certain things in mind you'd like to visit in a city, maybe they are even tourist destinations, that fine. But instead of using the GPS to direct you, try navigating on your own by asking locals or simply wandering the streets till it is found. That is real discovery. So as I daydream about a mythic adventure, the reality is the urban jungle offers many opportunities for discovery and exploration. Get to know your own town or city. Break out of your normal places. Try that sketchy looking restaurant. Go to that part of town that you've never been to. Drive on some back streets. Hell, take a different way home and stop at the first local restaurant for dinner. These are little ways to try and add some adventure to life and break free from the molds. And when that big adventure finally comes, you'll be ready for the adventure of a lifetime.
Let's imagine that we live in the time prior to iPhones, Google maps, GPS, heck, let's go back before maps were even readily available. Prior to the printing press, maps were expensive, so, there were road signs that directed a traveler, much like the interstate signs that you have to use only when your Maps App is stuck re-routing. In cities, some form of a map might be available to look at but it probably lacked business names. Prior to the printing press, which was invented in the 15th century, European city maps may have included a marker for the castle, the market, and the churches. Even if one never left the city, there were loads of places to explore. One might stumble through alleyways and side streets looking for the most lively drinking hole or inn with an available bed. Along the way, you may use a looming clocktower or church steeple to orient yourself. You ask a person, sitting on a stoop smoking a pipe, where the closest inn is. They tell you with vigor about the one closest but how it has a bad reputation and that you'd be better off at an inn that's further from the river because there are fewer rats. Along the way, you smell something delicious and decide to pop into a local bakery to buy a fresh roll. Nevermind that the dough may be partially made of sawdust. You make it to the inn and while you are at the bar eating a hot meal of porridge, who happens to be drinking at the bar? None other than the man who you'd asked directions from earlier. Now you have a drinking buddy. I would argue that this is exploration in a city.
There was a sense of blind adventure associated with traveling. This practice has continued into the modern era, but more so by choice. Though in the 20th century there was a lack of internet connection, people could be informed through sources like radio shows, (later) tv shows, and, probably most influential, the guidebooks. Guidebooks, or a form of them, have been produced since the first century. The first guidebook was the Periplus, an ancient Greek manuscript that reported on landmarks in relation to ports. However, guidebooks were not readily available to common folk, and with a lack of literacy, the most common way to travel was through discovery. The guidebooks for many in the 20th century were essential as it became more commonplace to travel. Prior to the middle-class's creation, only the rich were able to travel and explore. With the stratifying economic class system, many in the middle class could afford to travel beyond there own town. The guidebook became an essential travel tool because of a lack of time and a desire to see the best a location had to offer. The guidebook may have taken tourists to the most notable sights in cities, but what began to be missed was the lostness that lead those to interact with the locals and explore the city for what they were looking for. As someone who has been lost in an unknown city before, it can be frightening and disorienting, however, it can also be exciting and lead to discovery.
The 21st-century guidebook has become the smartphone. Yelp, Google Maps, and all the other essential travel apps direct us in the directions that we want to go. While these apps make it easier to decide where to get dinner or how long it will take to walk there, we lose out on the experience of discovery. We can even look as far to see what is being served for dinner, destroying even the mystery of the menu. When we can predetermine every aspect of our travel --yes, we may save time, yes, we may avoid pitfalls, yes, we may be centered in a nice part of the city-- we give up the key part of any adventure, the aspect that drives us to explore, to reach further out. When we predetermine every aspect of our travel, we give up the mystery of the unknown.
Think about it this way. Have you ever played a video game with an open world map? For me, the game loses its luster when I have explored the whole map and there are no longer any places I have yet to go. How about this: have you ever watched a show or read a book and someone tells you how the plot concludes? The mystery of not knowing disappears and the unknown is lost. The same goes for traveling. When we plan out everything ahead of time the unknown becomes lost. Similarly, if we only visit the main sights, the unknown is again lost to some degree. For example, it is common for those who visit London to go see Big Ben and the Tower of London. And sure, the Tower of London, if you go for the tour, may show you some things that are surprising. That's the hint of mystery you're tasting. However, if you make friends with some locals and ask them to show you around, they may take you to an amazing club, or a local restaurant known for the best sandwiches amongst the locals. And if you stay in London for two or three weeks, you really get to experience all different parts of the city, while simultaneously realizing that the city is so much larger and has even more secrets to reveal. The places you might have stumbled upon may or may not have been reviewed on Yelp and most likely you weren't the first to discover the place either, but you discovered the place, maybe with the help of a local, but nonetheless the effort was yours and in the process the "unknown" breached was the interpersonal connection created.
Nowadays urban exploration is the most readily available option for exploring we can do. While hiking is amazing and wonderful, it's not always the most practical option. Further, long and more adventurous hiking can be dangerous for those who have little experience in the wild or are physically unprepared for the tolls on the body. For the majority of the world's population, the urban environment is the most accessible, considering the majority of the world's population live in cities. As well, when people do travel beyond their home city, other major cities are popular destinations. So when traveling and looking for adventure, don't settle for just the common tourist sights. Look for ways to travel that allow you to stop and look around. Talk to the locals. Don't get too caught up on hitting up as many locations as possible. Some of the best and most fulfilling adventures I've had in the urban setting were in stopping off in towns or parts of the city I didn't plan on going to. Be willing to avert plans and go where your gut moves you. If you're open to the idea and the city or town isn't too big, use landmarks to navigate. Welcome the new experiences that come and the new people you meet. If you live in a town you know backwards and forwards, try visiting your closest city and wandering around. If you live in a city and don't have time to travel, take a Saturday and, with a friend, travel to a totally different part of the city and walk around. Try to avoid using the phone if possible. Don't post about your discovery for your followers, but rather, encourage those, who may live vicariously through their Instagram feeds, to get out there and explore for themselves.
I'm not going to pretend I am an expert adventurer or traveler, but in the places I have traveled, the most thrilling and exciting experiences I have had while traveling is arriving at a place I was unaware I was going and seeing what it beholds. Some would say I should've always planned where to go so I knew what to look for, rather, I found I only knew what I was looking for when I had no expectations of what I wanted to see. Even if you do have certain things in mind you'd like to visit in a city, maybe they are even tourist destinations, that fine. But instead of using the GPS to direct you, try navigating on your own by asking locals or simply wandering the streets till it is found. That is real discovery. So as I daydream about a mythic adventure, the reality is the urban jungle offers many opportunities for discovery and exploration. Get to know your own town or city. Break out of your normal places. Try that sketchy looking restaurant. Go to that part of town that you've never been to. Drive on some back streets. Hell, take a different way home and stop at the first local restaurant for dinner. These are little ways to try and add some adventure to life and break free from the molds. And when that big adventure finally comes, you'll be ready for the adventure of a lifetime.
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