One of the things I tell my clients is we need adventures in our lives. Just what do I mean by that? Do I mean we need to get out and do crazy, risky things? Well, maybe but not necessarily.

Remember, crazy and risky are relative terms. 

If you’re agoraphobic, stepping out the front door and standing in the middle of your lawn can feel incredibly risky. If you’re an adrenalin junky it might take base jumping from the top of Victoria Falls to get that “OH SHIIIITTTT!!! What am I doing?!” feeling

There are all kinds of safe (another relative term) things to do that can elicit the jolt of adrenalin that most people associate with crazy risky adventures. Zip lining, sky diving, hot air ballooning, Malibu Grand Prix (I’m sad they’re no longer around here), Ferris wheels, roller coasters, scuba diving, the list goes on.

Yet, adventures don’t need to elicit sweaty palms, racing hearts, and cancelled life insurance policies.

We are inclined to think adventures need to be big escapades, new undertakings, journeys into the unfamiliar. Those are adventures to be sure. However, pretty much anything can be an adventure if approached with the right frame of mind.

Test driving a luxury automobile, or a sports car. Driving isn’t new or novel, yet experiencing it in a unfamiliar style of vehicle has a whole different feel. The scent of new leather upholstery, the padded steering wheel under your hands, the sound of the engine as a roar or a purr. These can elevate you out of your day to day experience of driving.

Taking a drive.  The drive from San Francisco, past Half Moon Bay through Bonny Doon, to Santa Cruz along the coast through unfamiliar territory makes a Sunday drive into an adventure.  Getting off the familiar streets and freeways, changing the scenery, discovering new towns, stopping at little cafes are the things that turn a drive from one place to another into an exploration.

Exploring your own city as if you’re a stranger. How many tourist attractions, parks, museums, amusement parks, world famous restaurants, destination hotels, vista points, zoos, etc are in your town that you have never visited, or only go to when out-of-towners are staying with you. Be an explorer in your own back yard. Look at your environment with the eyes of a stranger.  Stop at the Tourist Information bureau or check Trip Advisor and ask for the most fun things to do, and then do the top 5, or 10, or 20.

How about combining all three of the above ideas. Rent a convertible Maserati, a Range Rover, or a Tesla and take the coast road to Santa Cruz, or San Simeon. Spend the night in a hotel or a bed and breakfast. Hit the tourist traps, take the tour bus and the Bay tour. Wander through Golden Gate Park. Explore China Town.  Send yourself postcards from everyplace you stop

Spend two or 3 days like this and you’ll feel like you’ve been on vacation for a week. Bonus –  no jet lag. You’ll have had adventures and seen new sights, been renewed.