Thank you for spending a few moments with this ever-curious Placid-Adventurer as I share my thoughts and explorations…. remember follow The Placid Adventurer page on Facebook.

  • A Work in Progress….

    I love responding to these writing prompts, but I don’t always finish what I start. That said; I am continually a “work in progress,” and that will suffice as the title for this submission…

    When I first conceived of The Placid-Adventurer, my intent was to encourage my fellow Baby Boomers to break the “couch potato” trend, and possibly transcend the diseases that are exacerbated by that pastime. Actually, that is a poor word choice, since a pastime is a hobby or activity that one does regularly when they are not working. Pretty sure no one I know is going to expound on the exhilaration they experience watching Story Television (although, admittedly, there is some good stuff on there).

    I still believe in the tenets behind The Placid-Adventurer, but my workplaces have demanded sixty-plus hours per week; that has translated into minimal “adventuring,” placid or otherwise. I have decided that it is time for a change. I had considered myself to be a pretty good manager, but at this point I am nothing more than exhausted and developing an acute case of anxiety. Nope. That is unacceptable. It is time to regroup and to reevaluate my path.

    As a quick recap, I had spent years with partners who made wonderful, but empty promises. When I put all that behind me, I promised myself that when when I yearn to travel, I will do so on my own if necessary. The litmus test for those adventures was based on the likelihood that the experience would cost me my life. Obviously, I have made good choices thus far. Now I stand at a fork in the road. On the one hand, I am not ready to retire, on the other; I do not want to continue doing what I have been doing.

    Lo and behold, no more had I come to that conclusion than a message from a friend presented a new and wonderful opportunity. She had become burned out in the banking industry and after some introspection, decided to get into travel. She really wants her children to have the chance to experience other countries and cultures, not to mention the opportunity to travel and enjoy the United States. She thought, since I had spent some time working for AAA, that I might be interested. Initially, I was not, but when she shared pictures of her family on a recent trip to Yellowstone, I knew that it was actually perfect for fueling The Placid-Adventurer. As a travel agent, I can not only help others book travel; I can also save on my own adventures! Its serendipity!

    That, my friends, is what I have been working on! I am very excited about the prospect of broadening my horizons, and writing about the new adventures that lie ahead. Do you enjoy travel as well? imtamsyn@placid-adventurer.com. Shoot me an email and I will share the details with you! The company I am working with is just expanding into Latin-America, and will soon be operating in the United Kingdom as well. I don’t like putting all my eggs in one basket, but I AM interested in generating additional income streams. Recently, I made a couple promises to myself: Firstly, I will never work sixty hours per week again; secondly, I intend to visit four places I have never been, in 2025. How about you? What are YOU working on?

    Daily writing prompt
    What have you been working on?
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  • I Got this!

    As we seek out new activities and adventures, it is important that we do not bite off more than we can chew. Unless we are honest about our capabilities, we can diminish a beautiful trek, by overestimating our skill level, failing to research adequately in advance, or simply not equipping ourselves properly. The concept of being a “Placid Adventurer,” truly requires some introspection, as well as some preparation.

    Yesterday, I decided to visit the Smoke & Davey’s Trail at Smithville Lake, in Missouri. I have been there before and done some short hikes. There is an extensive paved walkway, as well as a large network of bike trails. I prefer walking through the woods rather than on the pavement; especially on an unseasonably warm day. There is ample room to get out of the way of cyclists when sharing the single-tracks through the woods, and a greater opportunity to view wildlife and to get closer to the water’s edge.

    I wanted to explore a bit further, so I followed the paved walkway to an intersection, that informed me that another 2+ miles would get me to “Sailboat Cove.” How could I resist? What could possibly go wrong? I asked Spot (the dog) if he wanted to visit Sailboat Cove, and he seemed agreeable, so on we went. In the meantime, the temperature was climbing, and I had really dressed for a hike in the woods (you know… long pants, a shirt with sleeves, and my minimalist shoes). We had only walked .90 miles, at that point and felt pretty good. I had not considered the heat of that blacktop and its impact on our feet and bodies. As we wound our way to Sailboat Cove, I was grateful that I had brought my CamelBak®. We needed water, for sure! I also began to question the wisdom of my minimalist shoes.

    Do not get me wrong. I really like those shoes. They have been fine for me in virtually every situation. I even wear them at work on that unforgiving concrete floor, where my average steps range between 11,000-13,000 per day. I did not look at my step count until we were back in the car, so I am not entirely sure at what point (step-wise) my feet became uncomfortable. On the way back to the trailhead, we spent a lot more time on the trails through the woods but that last mile back to the car was onerous. The total step count? 18,372.

    I am sometimes overly spontaneous when it comes to local outings. Yesterday’s foray was very instructive! There is a ton of information available about Smithville Lake and the surrounding trails. I will certainly familiarize myself with the terrain before I visit again. Planning to utilize only the bike trails will yield a more enjoyable hike for me and for Spot, but I need to be able to visualize how they intersect with one another to avoid doubling back. As you can imagine, the bike trails really meander through the woods and make it tough on those who may be directionally challenged. This is a well-used trail system, so the risk of really getting lost is small, but incorporating those bike trails into the trek added about a mile to the trip. In a different setting, being a mile off track could have more serious consequences; even today where we have GPS at our fingertips.

    Every day is an adventure… plan to make it a safe one!

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