Your definition of adventure

When talking about the definition of adventure, it becomes clear that its meaning is different for everyone. For us, for example, adventure means to travel off-the-beaten tracks, usually remote and off-grid in an attempt to reach beautiful and undiscovered places in nature, where we can enjoy solitude and release our creativity again. It is a result of years of travel, that has brought us to this definition. Did you know that I, Manon, first joined a group of other travelers to go abroad instead of going by myself? My definition of adventure was very much different from what it is now. For Tobias, his adventures started years ago, taking a guy he had met online on an 8-month trip across Europe in his Land Rover. Yet when you go back even further, his adventurous mindset did not start with overlanding, but with building huts in his grandpa’s forest only miles away from home. It was small and ‘simple’ in a away, but ultimately special and adventurous to him as a little boy.

Text continues below photo

Backyard adventurer

You too, can be a backyard adventurer. It is up to you to choose what adventure looks like, and how big the steps will be that you are going to take. If you have never slept underneath the stars before, tonight can be your first shot at doing so. Take a warm blanket, some tea, a hat if necessary, and a nice book or movie on your laptop, and settle yourself underneath the starry sky. You will sleep with a breeze of wind through your hair and the best dreams you’ve ever had. It definitely sounds like an adventure to me.  

In terms of overlanding and travel, you can also easily take an adventurous step in your journey. For example, you can change your way of travel by choosing to camp in the wild instead of at an established campsite. I know it can sound scary at first, but nature isn’t so scary at all. There are plenty of places you would roam around during the day, where it is safe and calm to sleep at night. In this instance, it can also be as simple as parking your car in your backyard, but if you want to experience your first, real wild camping experience, we would recommend using apps like iOverlander or Park4Night to find great spots to safely sleep at night.

Text continues below photo

Capture Adventure

For us, taking these small steps out of our comfort zones, are the start of capturing adventure. You grab your fears by the horns, you face what is in front of you and you take the smallest step possible to overcome those fears. It stretches your comfort zone, and it broadens your horizon. Adventure – and subsequently freedom – are thus easily achievable. Now the doubt might arise, that adventure is not available in your backyard. You might live in the city, or have no financial means to try out something new. We can understand that everyone’s current situation is different, and we are not here to tell you how to do something or what to do. We are only here to inspire and to give you a some ideas of where to get started.

So, in case you think adventure is not available for you, think of the following: Is adventure, broadening your horizon and stretching your comfort zone limited to travel or doing physical things? According to us, not at all. Getting to know more about other people’s stories is often just as big of a deal in our adventures. We have talked to people who herd their cows over the hills of Nigeria, we have talked to salesmen working in Fez, Morocco, who live their days in the smallest shops and streets you might ever see, and we’ve talked to families who live their lives on farms, trying to grow their crops and create palm oil to sustain themselves. Getting to know their stories has been just as big of an adventure as the journey to get to them.

Collect stories

Just as you can experience adventure by doing something new, you can be on an adventure by talking to people and getting to know their stories, their way of thinking and their lives. So go out there, start the conversation, and start your adventure!

Now for us, ‘Capture Adventure’ is just as much going out there doing new things, as it is about capturing those stories and telling those stories. We use photography as our way of doing so – as well as writing books about those stories –, but you could use videography, any form of art, or just the art of ‘word of mouth’ to collect and spread these stories. And you know, it doesn’t matter if it is your story or someone else’s story that you discovered by going out there. ‘Capture Adventure’ is not to limit you, it is here to inspire you to take that first, small step. To inspire you to go into the outdoors and create a life worth living. Discover something new.

We can’t wait to hear about your endeavors, adventures and stories. So please let us know once you’ve taken that first step.