The Heart of the Adventurer A Record of Impressions England Study Abroad, 2014 By Donna J. Metzler In May 2014, I took a British Literature Study Abroad Course in England. The following is record of the impressions that I wrote in a journal as I traveled around the cities and towns of England. This is not a highly edited piece. This is because it comes from the heart—from the heart of the adventurer
On Adventure I have begun an adventure. The adventure is a stepping out, a look to the horizon, seeking the horizon. What is out there and how am I a part of that? A new town, a new class, breaking from the old, starting fresh, getting back to the familiar, finding what there is in the world that just might make some sense. It is the place to find meaning. But not an objective meaning, a subjective one. We create meaning, although that can sometimes feel like we are finding it. What is an adventure? I find myself continually embarking on one. An advent is a significant arrival, coming or emergence. But an adventure is not a final destination, although it involves a decision to embark. People everywhere are on their adventures. It is almost as if we were destined to be adventurers, to seek a new thing, to find a new perspective, to emerge. But an adventure does not have to be to the mountain top or upon the great blue sea. Adventures can happen at home. They can happen anywhere. And they can mean different things to different people. All it takes is an open spirit and a willingness to embark—to a new job, a new idea, a new friendship, and yes, to new places. Even to just a new day. Because adventure is like beauty, the eye notwithstanding. Because adventure is in the heart of the beholder.