Do You Seek Security? Or Adventure?

Do you seek security or adventure?

This was today’s writing prompt in my DayOne journal (whether you’re commonplacing or keeping a regular digital journal, I highly recommend you check out DayOne).

This was an easy one for me to answer: both.

I need the security of a safe home, close relationships with my family, and a semi-predictable routine, but I need to pepper that with outings both near and far, to visit with people outside my home, to explore new places and spaces, to learn new things, to be among nature, and sometimes just to look at anything other than my four walls.

But, with the pandemic, “adventure” has been a rare thing around here. We’ve had the occasional outing to a doctor appointment or the grocery store. We have seen a couple of friends once or twice, outside, for short visits. I’ve seen my mom a few times. We’ve driven to Tucson a few times to help my daughter with college logistics. But we’ve otherwise almost entirely cut ourselves off from”normal” life because that’s what is safe. Since we don’t know whether any of us would be one of the unlucky few under 50 to get really sick or die from COVID (and I’m barely under 50), we’ve played it safe, rarely venturing out even though we’re all fully vaccinated.

This has taken a toll on my mental health. I’m a strong introvert by nature, in addition to being on the shy side, but even I get sick of being at home all the time. This pandemic has shown me where my limits are in more ways than one. So, I enjoy my security here at home, where I’m safe and loved and can predict most of what happens. But my adventure side has been starved over the past 20 months.

I’m very much looking forward to adding adventure back in my life, though safe with the knowledge of the security I have at home, that I can always go back to.