Spirit of Adventure

 

Article first published as Spirit of Adventure on Technorati.

Last Sunday, I woke up and wanted an adventure. When I am in another country, “Adventure” with a capital A is always right around the corner. I knew if I tried I could find an adventure in the big city of Los Angeles. In the movie, Up, Charles Muntz, the explorer, is always saying, “Adventure is out there.” I knew there could be adventure here in Los Angeles.

After brunch with the renown Los Angeles artist and creator of fictional realities, Jeremy Kidd,  he took us on a journey to the Mosaic Tile House. I realized I had found my adventure around the corner.

The Panzalo Art Studio is the working space of Gonzalo Duran and Cheri Pann and you can see by the photo it is incredible! On Palms Blvd in Venice, California, there is art and inspiration in every corner, turn and piece of stone.

I loved that we just turned up there. It reminded me of how in the movie, Up, Mr. Fredricksen and the 8 year old stowaway, Wilderness Explorer Russell, have more adventure than they bargain for when he ties balloons to his house to reach his long term goal of Paradise Falls, South America. I had no idea what the day would bring but we allowed an adventure to find us.

George and I talked to Gonzalo about The Crazy House in Viet Nam, a place George took me to see where he had stayed. This is another home where no one is waiting for life to begin. Artists often fight for more space to color outside the lines, but this is something we all need to do.

We need to find the adventure and excitement in our everyday lives. Otherwise we may turn out as Carl’s lifelong hero, Charles Muntz, who was disgraced when stripped of his explorer title for supposedly dreaming up the flightless bird, Kevin. During Muntz return to South America; we discover he has transmogrified in his quest to redeem his name and title.

Trying to convince others of our truths can turn us into someone else. We need to follow Ellie’s advice in her last message to Carl, “Thanks for the adventure. Now go have one of your own.” Don’t wait for life to begin, as they say this is not a dress rehearsal. We all need someone to fill our photo album of our daily lives and gently send us on our way.

In the movie, Up, Carl and Ellie had always planned to go to Paradise Falls together. During my seven years at sea as Assistant Cruise Director, I saw so many people on their dream trip without their partner as they waited too long and one died before their journey was realized and the jar full of saved pennies was emptied. It is important not to wait but to find your own “small mailman” to save and look for the mommy bird named Kevin.

 As Rabbi Naomi Levy says in Hope will Find You, “By far the most human condition I learned to guide people through is this: an overwhelming feeling that life hasn’t begun yet. They would say to me, “My life will begin when…when I lose weight, when I fall in love, when I get a job, when I get married, when I have a baby, when I buy a home, when I get divorced, when I quit my job.”

I hope that you will not wait one minute more but find an adventure around the corner or plan your trip to Paradise Falls today. Climb about your own “Spirit of Adventure” or float your house with balloons, but live your dreams. You can have the adventure of travel without leaving home if you only look.

Lisa Ellen Niver

Lisa Niver is an award-winning travel expert who has explored 102 countries on six continents. This University of Pennsylvania graduate sailed across the seas for seven years with Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean, and Renaissance Cruises and spent three years backpacking across Asia. Discover her articles in publications from AARP: The Magazine and AAA Explorer to WIRED and Wharton Magazine, as well as her site WeSaidGoTravel. On her award nominated global podcast, Make Your Own Map, Niver has interviewed Deepak Chopra, Olympic medalists, and numerous bestselling authors, and as a journalist has been invited to both the Oscars and the United Nations. For her print and digital stories as well as her television segments, she has been awarded three Southern California Journalism Awards and two National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards and been a finalist twenty-two times. Named a #3 travel influencer for 2023, Niver talks travel on broadcast television at KTLA TV Los Angeles, her YouTube channel with over 2 million views, and in her memoir, Brave-ish, One Breakup, Six Continents and Feeling Fearless After Fifty.

8 responses to “Spirit of Adventure

  1. From JJP "I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD LIKE A TRAVEL BLOG TO PLACES I AM NOT LIKELY TO GO, BUT I HAVE CHANGED MY MIND. ON BOTH COUNTS!:

    From AB "I agree. love, catalina,lake powell,venice,marina del rey and branson and New Orleans. Yeah little trips.
    xoxoxoxox"

    I am glad that so many people read our blog and have so many comments to share. Thank you for reading and writing!
    Lisa

  2. Also, I was wondering whether you do any private consulting? I'd be interested in hiring someone like yourself.
    I say we just remove warning labels off everything, like someone suggested. This is a good idea.
    There once was a time when I blogged about this stuff like crazy. Not many people came to my blogs.
    I'm a little bit eccentric, and sometimes my comments get removed. I just want to add some spark.

    Nobody notices when things go right.

  3. We received this comment on Thanksgiving:
    "
    Also, I was wondering whether you do any private consulting? I'd be interested in hiring someone like yourself.
    I say we just remove warning labels off everything, like someone suggested. This is a good idea.
    There once was a time when I blogged about this stuff like crazy. Not many people came to my blogs.
    I'm a little bit eccentric, and sometimes my comments get removed. I just want to add some spark.

    Nobody notices when things go right. "

    SO YES, we are available for consulting! and we definitely notice when things go RIGHT!

    We love to plan and help with travel! Please use the contact us link on the side of the blog to contact us directly or sign in to post comments so we can find you and respond! Happy TURKEY day! Lisa and George

  4. This is very inspiring work you have created for us. Some people need to know that these things can ensue to anyone. You have shown me a better view now.

  5. SC
    "I LOVE your Blog Lisa!! Its fun and engaging well written and the pictures are fabulous-Congratulations!! I left you a FB message too.

    We are going to Shanghai before Australia! I am so excited and know where to go for travel tips! Have you been there?"

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