Postcard from America 🇺🇸
Sometimes, we need an adventure.
So, I’m writing this email to you from Monument Lane in the Outer Banks in North Carolina. In front of me, is a meandering lane, shimmering in the morning heat. The air is warm and feels like velvet.
American flags hang lazily from the picturesque houses. Ancient, lush trees sway in the breeze. A couple of streets away, the Atlantic Ocean glistens in the sun.
This is the real America: far from the urban influence of New York and Los Angeles.
And I needed to escape to here.
It was a big adventure to get to the Outer Banks. Josie and I packed up our four children, flew to Atlanta, then to Durham. We rented a monster truck (seriously, it’s one of the biggest things I’ve ever seen) and we headed east to the ocean.
We passed through bible-bashing countryside, swamps, massive bridges that stretched over miles of ocean. We met incredibly friendly people. We met people from Deliverance. We played basketball in the parks. We jumped into the sea. We walked on the beach at night under a purple and pink sky (picture below).
Why am I telling you this?
Because something struck me as we travelled around: adventure is essential.
What do I mean by that?
Sometimes, we can get stuck doing the same things without realising it.
Sometimes, we get caught in familiar patterns of thinking and feeling.
Sometimes, we just get stuck.
How do we get out of this?
A little step into the unknown.
When we are faced with something new, we’re forced to think differently. When we’re trying to figure out where we’re going, we have to find a way. When we experience something new, we also learn something new.
A step into the unknown is an adventure.
I’m not saying everyone has to fly to the Outer Banks. Not at all. An adventure can be something small:
Trying something new
Ordering something different
Walking a different route home
Making that phone call
Stepping out barefoot
Doing that thing you’re scared of
Getting into the cold
Going by yourself
Doing it no matter what
What I’m trying to say is that we all need an adventure now and then: big or small.
What small adventure could you do today?
It can be really small or really big.
Whatever it is, I’m here on Monument Lane, cheering you on!