Vacation vs. Adventure

I was having a conversation with Jackie about adventures and that got me thinking about what is an adventure versus what it merely a trip or a vacation.

I think the real key, to me at least, is that a vacation has a lower relative risk than an adventure. Now, I'll happily admit that everything in the world carries with it risk. But at the same time, in this modern world of ours, we tend to control for most of the obvious bits of risk.

On a vacation you tend to see a carefully curated list of sights and experiences. Even if you're not on a tour, you wind up tending to go to the friendly places.

An adventure, on the other hand, seems to play a bit more fast and loose. You can wander further from the well-beaten path of the world. As you leave the normal behind, you enter a place that is slightly less hospitable. You may find yourself out of touch with the rest of the world. You might need to be self-sufficient more. You can't always count on a credit card to bail you out.

But at the same time... it's the adventures that really build character.