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I guess I realized a while back that anything we consider an 鈥渁dventure鈥 was, at the beginning, literally just an idea somebody had: [Drawing of person looking at a mountain, saying, 鈥淚 wonder what it鈥檚 like on top?鈥 [Drawing of people looking at a map, one saying to the other one, 鈥淭hink you can get to *here* from *here*?] [Drawing of people looking at a map, one saying to the other one, 鈥淪ee, this one, this one, and this one form a BIG LOOP!鈥漖
(Illustration: Brendan Leonard)
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How to Come Up with a Good 黑料吃瓜网

An adventure is an idea. It doesn't even have to be a good one. Here's a helpful guide to dreaming them up.

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(Illustration: Brendan Leonard)

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You鈥檝e been there, or someplace like it: Standing under the hot sun, black flies buzzing around you and occasionally landing on and biting your exposed flesh, and the view isn鈥檛 really that spectacular, or at least not worthy of 45 minutes of uphill bushwhacking and hopping over deadfall to get to it, and you wonder: Why, again, did I decide to do this? A better question: Do you really need a good reason?
(All illustrations: Brendan Leonard)
During the Q&A session at one of my recent book events, someone鈥擜dam, actually鈥攁sked me how I come up with ideas for my own DIY adventures. [SCREENSHOTS OF : 7 summits of my neighborhood, New York Pizza Marathon, NYC food marathon, Strava page for Mt. Sentinel Five Fingers of Death? ] I fumbled my way through a semi-coherent answer, which, if better thought through, might go something like this:
I guess I realized a while back that anything we consider an 鈥渁dventure鈥 was, at the beginning, literally just an idea somebody had: [Drawing of person looking at a mountain, saying, 鈥淚 wonder what it鈥檚 like on top?鈥 [Drawing of people looking at a map, one saying to the other one, 鈥淭hink you can get to *here* from *here*?] [Drawing of people looking at a map, one saying to the other one, 鈥淪ee, this one, this one, and this one form a BIG LOOP!鈥漖
And I was told, even longer ago, that I am somebody. Therefore: [drawing of index card reading IF 黑料吃瓜网 = somebody鈥檚 idea And I = Someone Then My Idea for an adventure =adventure]
So: What makes something a good idea? Answer: Who said it has to be a good idea? [drawing of piece of paper with title: List of People I have to convince that my idea is worthwhile: me friend (optional)]
I mean, sure, there are classic adventures that have been repeated time and time again, and will continue to be repeated by more and more people because they鈥檝e been proven to be fun and/or aesthetic and/or transformational by dozens or hundreds or thousands of people: [Word balloons: 鈥淚t鈥檚 a trail that goes all the way around Mt. Rainier鈥 鈥淭here鈥檚 this place called Macchu Pichu鈥 鈥淵ou ski from Chamonix to Zermatt, staying at mountain huts along the way鈥 鈥淪o you run and hike all the way across the Grand Canyon, and then back, in a day!鈥 鈥淭here鈥檚 this place called Mailbox Peak鈥 鈥淚 believe it鈥檚 Spanish for 鈥楾he Captain鈥欌
But if you鈥檙e just trying to figure out something fun or challenging or interesting to do, you don鈥檛 have to dream up some sort of 鈥渃lassic鈥 adventure. Or even something that anyone else would want to repeat. It doesn鈥檛 have to be particularly bold, or fun, or even make sense. It just has to be yours. [BOX: Some templates for DIY adventures: _______ summits in one day/week/life; circumnavigating the [insert name of geographic or man-made feature]; [well-known outdoor objective] but bicycle to the start; all the mountains higher than _______; big day of human-powered travel between donut shops/pizza places/taco trucks/etc.; seemingly random numerical goal
Some people are really good at designing things that other people will go on to enjoy. All of these things started as someone鈥檚 (or multiple someones鈥) idea, or list鈥攁nd then other people tried them and also liked them: The John Muir Trail; The Western States Endurance Run; The Haute Route; RAGBRAI; The Adirondack 46ers; The Seven Summits; Burning Man; Camino de Santiago; Great Divide Mountain Bike Route
Look, if you were explaining any of these things to an alien鈥攐r even someone was alive in, say, 1850鈥攖hey鈥檇 probably think that all of them sound equally contrived and/or as ridiculous as the International Taco Bell 50K Ultramarathon. There鈥檚 no test, or certification process鈥攊f an adventure sounds good to you (and maybe to your friends, that鈥檚 an adventure). George Mallory鈥檚 famous quote about climbing Mt. Everest can apply just as well to the peak (or hill, or trail) in your backyard. [Drawing of George Mallory saying 鈥渂ecause it鈥檚 there鈥漖
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Lead Illustration: Brendan Leonard

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