Why Adventure is Important for Moms

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I want to talk today why adventure is important for moms. We could talk about self care, if you want, but I got to tell you, the self care items that I do – from taking a bath to having a warm cup of Americano – they don’t as much for me emotionally, physically and spiritually as adventures do.

I’ve just come back in the last few weeks from a 4 week vacation (maybe longer – I lost track). I realized that everytime I go on an adventure, by myself, I actually find out more about myself then I ever thought possible. It helps clarify things in a way that I don’t know a better way to do it. Long story short, I want to talk about why adventure is so important for moms.

When I say adventure I don’t mean you have to fly to Paris here. I’m talking about taking some time by yourself and going to a place you haven’t been before. It could be a place you’ve been before and your curious to explore more too. The really important part is the innate curiousity. It’s something that just tells you that this is the right place to go.

I do this and have been doing this for year. Ask any of my BFFs and they will tell you that I’m always up for an adventure – anytime, any place, any where in Canada, I will go. They know this well. So they frequently call up and say “hey — we’re planning this trip, do you want to come?” My answer is almost always yes.

I find myself on a giant adventure this summer. I went from Ontario with my 2 kids, back home. I was in Edmonton for less than 2 hours and then I hopped a plane to Vancouver. One of my BFFs and I went out to Tofino. Took a ferry and all that jazz. In the meantime, my sister in law and her family showed up and we went on a double family epic camping trip for another week. This was the vacation to end all vacations, needless to say. I had a tonne of fun!

Sometimes I go on shorter adventures, I’ll take what I call a “Holly-day”, or “holiday”. I’ll take a couple hours or a day to myself. I’ll head into Edmonton and just kinda of go places I’m curious about. Check out new stores, try new trails, new Provincial parks — whatever!

This is so important to my well-being as a mom. I’ve come to realize this.

It gives me back a sense of myself. Sometimes we get caught up in the business of being a mom, and all the other things we’re doing. Being packing lunches, changing dirty diapers, all of that caretaking that comes along with it. Having a time where you go out just by yourself feels like a fresh breath of air. It really is nice to just grab your bag and go, not worry about the diaper stack, the wipes for the car, the water bottles for other people. It’s nice to grab your sweater, grab your keys, your wallet and head out.

There’s nobody to take care of you – the only person you have to worry about is you.

I think sometimes when we get into that caregiver mode, we don’t listen to ourselves as well.

I really listen to myself when I go on to a Trail. Sometimes I wear my earphones but usually I don’t. I just kind of listen to nature, winds through the trees, the outdoor noises. In the summer, around my farm it can be the birds chirping, the plane overhead, the swish of the cars going by on the highway, sometimes it’s the chickens clucking around. Listening to those noises and not listening to someone calling “mom!!!” or someone saying “where is X??” it’s a bit of a mental vacation.

When I go on this longer trips, when I fly out to hang with one of my BFFs or go for the day by myself, I have time to process things that I haven’t been able to. On my trip to Ontario, on the last 8 years I really struggled where do I belong. Do I belong here in Alberta or do I belong in Ontario with many of my friends and family? This trip to me clarified that for me. As much as I love Ontario and all the people that live there, when I step back home on the farm and put my foot back on the driveway, that peace and the sense of being home lives here. So instead of tearing myself up about should I be here or be there, I finally got that piece saying,  “No. You’re where you need to be.” I wouldn’t have gotten that without this trip. When I told my friend about it while were waiting for the ferry, she was like, “Thank God! I was waiting 8 years for you to come to this realization.” She had come to it a few years ago.

Sometimes we need a little bit of space. To have the conversations, to try a new skill.

When we went to Tofino, we were learning how to surf. Listen, surfing is not for 30 year olds. I tried it the one day and the ocean pounded me. I learned a lot about the tides, the waves and how much physical strength it takes to get from your belly to up on your feet. I think I’m going to look at surfers with all different eyes now.

We go and learn things about ourselves. Maybe we aren’t as physically able as we thought.

We try new activities. Do we like that? Do we not? Maybe I’m not a surfer and that’s okay.

I think it’s important to go and have these adventures and really see the perspective of your life. When you stay at home, you know, we don’t get that perspective because we’re so busy living it. But you can sit on the beach in Tofino and really think about that. Think about the things you’re creating and appreciate and bask in them in a way I couldn’t do at home.

It’s important to go on this adventures for personal development in a way. I wish I could convince my husband that’s why it should be in the family budget, but we’re not there yet.

Long story short, having these adventures, incredible mental space comes available, can process things that you normally can’t, and also it’s personal development with new experiences.
I’ve had spiritual moments definitely being in other places. As much as the ocean pounded me, I really needed those waves to remind me to go with the flow, and stop fighting against the current.
There’s a lot of big lessons there, and lots of fun times with my girlfriend to have deep conversations.

Sometimes those have to be in person for that to happen. There’s just something about a road trip, sometimes about hanging out in a room with your friends with a little wine that the truths come out and you talk about the deep things in your life. I think they are worth investing it. I think we need to be heard, and I think that we need to hear them too. There’s a support thing that happens there that is really really important.

These adventures are worth it all. To have the flexibility to do them, to be an entrepreneur so I can flex my schedule like that to make them fit, it’s everything.
It’s a privilege to be able to do that, and it’s one of the reasons I work so hard the rest of the year.

Long story short, I’m challenging you to go on an adventure this week, even to your local park. It doesn’t have to be huge. Go on an adventure by yourself, take the quiet time, don’t expect anything from it. Take some time with yourself and go. Follow your curiousity. Follow your intuition. Where’s it going to take you and what is it going to do?

I’d love to hear where you went if you want to tag me in your adventure story or share it below in the comments.