I’ve said it before, I know. Still, it’s worth repeating. The miniature adventure is the escape clause in life’s contract of obligations. It’s adventure on your terms, close to home and on the cheap. But it’s real-life adventure nonetheless. Every miniature adventure is a leap into the unknown, with all that this involves. Guidebooks only rarely offer guidance, and there’s no outfitter to turn to for timely reassurance or good advice. In short, you get no guarantees. To go adventuring is to place your stake on the table and risk…well…what, exactly? Disappointment, at the very least. And possibly more.

But that’s no reason to give it up before you’ve tried it. After all, this is one gamble where it’s easy to beat the house. Last time, in “How To Get Away From It All and Still Be Back at Work on Monday,” I outlined two principles in the creed of the weekend adventurer. The first? Think Small. The second? Slow Down. There’s just one more: Be Prepared. Not very original, I admit. In fact, it’s something of a cliché. No matter. This hackneyed phrase still embodies an important truth. When you travel off the tourist track, you’re on your own. The success of your adventure—sometimes even your survival—rests on your shoulders. If you fail, or fall, there’s no one else to take up the load. That’s a big responsibility, and it’s not to everyone’s taste. But it can also be liberating. Nowhere is this more obvious than when you’re at the water’s edge.… Read more…

 

 
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