Inspire Adventure

I'm afraid to admit this because then it's true, but the summer season is coming to an end. While the season doesn't officially end until September, children will be returning to school soon, which means summer is over.

One of my least favorite times of the year is the transition between summer and autumn. I love the fall season with the changing leaves and sweatshirts. However, I hate the transition between my favorite season--summer--and one that brings cooler weather and cold and flu season.

For the first time since I was five years old, I don't have to return to school (that's a pretty weird feeling, to be honest). I can keep the adventure going for a few more weeks. I can still swim on my days off from work, stay up late and read for pleasure, travel and seek out new adventures. I don't have to cram everything into a limited number of weeks.

My sister and me at the Grand Ole Opry (photo/Kasy Long).

I have done a lot of adventures this summer. I traveled to Nashville, Tennessee for the first time to visit the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Grand Ole Opry. My family is planning a trip for late August to go back to the Grand Ole Opry (which I will write about in a blog post, I'm sure). I was surrounded by my favorite music genre and people who enjoy it as much as I do. If I ever want to move to a big city, Nashville is the place for me.

(photo/Eye Swoon)

Not every adventure has to occur on the road. I learned new recipes this summer (which I shared in this blog post from July). I was never very confident in my cooking skills in college. I knew how to make the basics (pasta, chicken, mac and cheese, shrimp, repeat). But, I always thought I would be a mediocre cook. I hear stories all the time about how wonderful of a cook my grandmother was and I always thought, "I'll never be a cook like she was. I'll never come even close to that." But, I have found a few recipes this summer that I'm very confident in and want to show others.

I tried something new and it worked for me. It can work for you, too.

(photo/The Balance)

My biggest adventure this summer was starting my career as a freelance writer. I slowly have been gaining new leads and working on projects for clients. I'm a recent college graduate and I'm working in my field. Not everyone is this lucky. Each story I work on is an adventure. I learn so much about the client's work. So, even though I'm educating readers through the written content, I'm learning, as well. It's a very cool exchange. I look forward to my next project!

Don't be afraid to try something new and go on adventures. With each adventure, you learn and grow as an individual. You never know if you're going to like something unless you try it. The next adventure is right around the corner. Go for it!

Inspire adventure.

-KJL-