My wife and I recently were in the Transkei, working our way along the amazing wild coast, visiting the numerous beautiful beaches. If you have ever visited the wild coast, you will know that, due to the rugged terrain, you may have to backtrack along main roads just to reach a destination a few kilometers along the coast.
We, however, had our faithful 4X4 (which has been affectionately dubbed "Butch"), and decided that instead of staying on many kilometers of main roads just to move a few kilometers up the coast, we would put Butch to the test and try make our way along pot hole filled dirt roads, cattle and foot paths to cut down the distance we needed to travel. Having never travelled the Transkei before, I was very tempted to opt for the safer bet of following the main roads, but adventure was calling so we started our mission along the unknown roads.
What followed was a journey through colourful and rural countryside with animal dodging and the locals waving madly. We had to mission down mountain passes, navigate new paths after coming across unexpected river crossings and watch the petrol gauge to ensure we did not run out of fuel in the middle of no where! I must admit at times we were pretty stressed and wished we had stayed on the main road, but overall we had an incredible adventure!
The whole experience made me aware that we often do the same in life.
We often will choose to be safe, stick to what we know (which is often discontentment), rather than move into the unknown.
Most people choose unhappiness over uncertainty.
And it is easy to understand why. Our place of discontentment is safe, secure and familiar. We know what to expect, we know what is expected of us. We know we will get the pay check, we know we will survive. But who wants to live in a place of discontentment their whole lives? We want our stories to be meaningful.
What are some of the unnamed roads that you long to explore? Where are some of the destinations you desire to discover? How would you like your life story to read?
The choice is ours. Do we choose to succumb to the fear of the unknown, or are we going to embrace the adventure of the unknown?
The choice is yours... The choice is mine... Let's live an adventure!