The World's Most Boring Adventurer

A client told me the other day that I'm an adventurer. It made me think about what constitutes an adventurer. Most of what I do each day is study and meet with clients. That's hardly adventurous. Even my time in Europe last year was quite similar to this year so far. I wake up, eat breakfast, exercise, study, have lunch, study, go for a walk, meet clients, have dinner read then sleep. Most days were and are like that. However, last year certainly did have its exciting occasions. And trips in previous years have always proven to have some unexpected twists and surprises. Like when I accidentally discovered my 8th grade geography teacher in a random hotel in Iceland. Or when I had to survive one of the coldest and darkest nights of my life in Brussels.Once, during my first stay in Taiwan, I had to make a motorcycle get away from a car that was later identified as Taiwanese mafia.

Those examples are interesting but I wouldn't call them adventurous. I suppose that if I were to reflect on my life and narrow in on some of my most adventurous trips then these would be my top 5:

1. Fossil digging with my uncle Danny. I learned a lot from him and I really cherish my memories like this one that I have with him. We went to the nearby mountains in Taichung and dug in a river bed. My little cousin (aunt), Esther, was with us too. In fact, she did much of the digging and finding. Due to my skin being too white, I had limited time in the sun. We had two sites that we dug at and we found numerous fossils. I can't remember most of the details but I do remember that it was fun and exciting. There was a nearby school house that was very old. We went into the center court and cleaned our feet and hands. I guess the reason that it stands out so much is that I was only 20 years old and I had never done anything like that before. My uncle was a very intelligent man and he took me to his museum and lab a few times too where he taught me about biology mostly. He also taught me the importance of being critical of everything, which I'd have to say, is the most prominent lesson he taught me (except for an indirect lesson on patience). He died last year and I'm very sad that I couldn't see him one last time before his departure.

2. Sailing in Denmark. Last year I was treated to an amazing weekend trip to Denmark by one of my research clients. I became a German sailor on the East Sea as we sailed, drank, BBQed and told outrageous stories on a quaint little sail boat. This trip really made me feel connected with my ancestors haha. Especially when we docked at the small Danish island of Kalvo. It took less than 30 minutes to walk around it but in the center was a decent sized pond with water that was absolutely still. Hills surrounded it and there was one, solitary boat floating in the middle of the pond. An old viking ship. It seemed like an echo from the past, like a ghost ship. I was lost in the moment then I heard some light laughter. Further on down the trail were some native inhabitants enjoying some wine on the deck after dinner. So that was my reminder to get back to the steaks and links. We also met up with a gigantic German firefighting ship. We toured it and chatted with the crew. We met in the middle of the sea and our ship docked with theirs. I'll never forget that trip, Thanks Axel!!!!

3. Victoria with Bree. As if Victoria, BC weren't already enough, I was lucky enough to go on this trip with one of the most beautiful people I know inside and out. Bree and I went by car up to the ferry port in Vancouver where we crossed the straight and entered the island. I must say, one of the best and most relaxing ferry rides ever is that which you will take from Vancouver to Victoria. The scenery is indescribable and just screams "the great north west!" We took a shuttle from the port into town and we ate at a nice little fish & chips restaurant where we could sign the wall. We got lost because I was navigating haha, I was nervous because Bree is better at navigating than me but I refused to admit it. But getting lost was fun because we found ourselves in a rather rich neighborhood. We had fun pointing out the nice houses and equally nice cars. Then we toured the castle which was no less than fascinating. To end the day we ate right on the water in downtown where we saw small biplanes landing in the water with the setting sun as a backdrop. I also remember singing and getting really into Led Zeppelin's greatest hits: the early years. Thanks Bree, that was a great trip.

4. Mexico with my family. My best friend had just died, our valley was flooded and I was in no mood for having fun. But what really made this trip stand out was being with my parents and grandparents. Puerto Vallarta and Puerto Nuevo are amazing cities. Touristy, I know but still stunning nonetheless. The area is called Los Arcos and there is definitely a theme of arches throughout the city. Also, dolphins for whatever reason. We had fun and my grandma kept telling everyone that I speak Spanish. She also had me negotiate for her in Spanish. My dad and I raced kayaks and I won!!! We went para-sailing and explored the jungle that the movie "Predator" was shot in. There's a tequila plant in that jungle, which if Arnold and the alien would've found it there probably wouldn't have been such hurt feelings. I can't really count this as an adventure, I guess, because its obviously just a Mexican vacation. But still, it was great and exciting and I'll never forget it.

5. My week in Angers. In an effort to further my research, I looked to a good friend who was and still is residing in Angers, France. Just the overnight trip by bus was iffy enough. I was soaked from the beginning because Hanover decided not to invest in a rain shelter for it's international bus stop. So my friend Loren greeted me and my moldy leather shoes early in the morning in Angers. His roommates were incredible. Trying hard to ignore my obviously stinky shoes. I had to throw them out. I made it up to them with a nice dinner and a bottle of champagne. Angers has got to be one of the most beautiful cities that I have ever hoped to see in my life. Gorgeous doesn't begin to describe it. Amazing food and culture. Nantes was also nice but not nearly as quaint as Angers. The castle, cathedral and museum were outstanding. The people were so nice and friendly. Angers is most of the reason why I love France so much. The only dark spot is how damn expensive everything is there. C'est la France.

Maybe not what many of you had in mind for adventures, huh? But to me, those were adventure because they really meant something to me and those trips are close to my heart. Adventure doesn't have to involve danger and drama. Adventure is an experience that will never leave you because it was personally exciting. But I usually say that I'm boring because the majority of my time is spent studying, reading and researching. I'm extremely lucky to have the opportunity to live out these once in a lifetime adventures and I'll always seize them as they present themselves. I expect that I will have many more adventures this year in Asia, so I will be sure to write about what I see and do if it is at all interesting.