WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - The Healing Hour: Adventure in the Everyday

Episode Date: April 10, 2024

In this episode of The Healing Hour, Adriana and Erika reflect on how we can find adventure in every day of our lives.

Hello and welcome to The Healing Hour on Radio Free Hillsdale, where we bring you your weekly dose of healing. I'm your host, Adriana Azarian. And I'm your co-host, Erica Kaiba. And here at The Healing Hour, our mission is to help you become your happiest, healthiest, fullest self. So this week, Adriana and I are going to be unpacking an article from Verily magazine. It's called Finding Adventure in the Seemingly Ordinary by Melissa Asmamma Ma. That's right, Erica. I'm really excited to talk about this.

Me too. And we are going to put maybe our own spin on it because the article is discussing finding adventure in the ordinary from the perspective of a mom. But like I think a lot of what she says can also be applicable to the young adult life that we're living now. So we're going to like expand the horizon and show how everybody can do this. Well, before we do that though, we should discuss our healing adventure of the week, Erica. Yes. Okay. Our weekly healing adventure of the week. Adriana and I took a little emotional wellness moment last week. Yes, we did. Every week we tried to do something together that brings us emotional healing and happiness. And so this week, Erica and I got coffee together to discuss some plans for the future because that's what we do, because we're boogey that way. And then Erica said, do you want to go for a walk?

Because we looked outside and the sun was shining and it was so beautiful. And for those of you who know, it's not been sunny in Michigan. at all in the past six months. And so we decided we would go for a walk together. And it was so healing. So healing. So we walked around by the Academy, the Hillsdale Academy. And there is a nice playground there.

Quality playground. We went on the swing sets. It was like a releasing your inner child moment for both of us. There's something to that, I really think. We just had a good conversation. We did. Something about just being suspended in the air. You know, it gets the blood flowing to your brain.

Yeah. And there's something very safe and comforting about doing an activity that you really enjoyed as a child and rediscovering that. Yeah. So that was our weekly healing moment. We encourage you to reflect on yours because everyone has one. Yes. Shall we dive in? Let's dive in.

Let's dive in. Okay. And once again, this is Finding Adventure in the Seemingly Ordinary by Melissa Asked Mama. So the article begins. The adventure only ends once we stop looking for it. And she goes on. I was 18 when I made my first trip overseas. Two years later, I made a bigger solo trip.

Then, just after my 22nd birthday, I found myself moving half a world away to the middle of Europe. Several years later, East Africa became my home. Others often told me how adventurous my life was, though for me, it didn't feel that way. I went to work, bought groceries, and did other everyday things like everyone else. It's not that I can say my life wasn't adventurous.

Figuring out how to get on a bus through the mountains in Bosnia with no timetable, negotiating the price of a Bajajad ride in Ethiopia, or wandering through a night market in Bangkok in search of food, I'm always in it for the food. These were the kinds of things that seemed to advertise a life of adventure. Assuredly, they contained the elements we associate with adventure, the unknown, excitement, risk. Living in a foreign country is likely to bring more unknown events

than if we live in the town we grew up in, which I can say with some confidence, as that's precisely where I've ended up. So do we want to unpack that for a minute? No, it's really interesting because when you read the article, she talks about how, you know, adventure isn't inherent to what you're doing. It comes from your mindset. Right.

And so I thought that was really fascinating because, you know, when you look at mundane things you do every day, like folding the laundry, she's like, you know, you could call that Inventure Time, you know, Right. And that's later on in the article. Right. Yeah. But then on the flip side, you could also have the perspective of like, yes, I'm like in Bosnia right now, but I'm also, you know, I'm still doing everyday things. Like that hasn't changed. Right. I'm not like the Hobbit that like, you know, is suddenly going on an adventure through the mountains. Like I'm just doing my thing. The Hobbit is very Hillsdale reference of you, Erica. Congratulations on that. No, but because, okay, here's the thing is that I'm the kind of person.

where like mundane tasks kill me like folding the laundry cleaning my room things like that i always grew up struggling with because it just like was not stimulating um but as i've gotten older and i've realized maybe it's not fun to be in a room with like messy things all around um i try to like put on a playlist and make cleaning my room like a fun time i drenna that's what i do really yeah no literally that's what i do and i'm folding clothes especially do you have a playlist for that or do you just put together whatever? I listen to a different playlist. It depends on the genre I'm in the mood for.

But yeah. Okay. Do you have a special playlist for it? Well, lately I've been into Duolipa a lot. So, like, my workout playlist has a lot of Duolipa. My room cleaning playlist has a lot of Duolipa. My just, like, vibing, nothing to do playlist, dualipa. Road trip playlist, dualiepa. Okay, so you get the point.

I do. So just like something that's very upbeat and will get me into the mood of, like, I'm doing something exciting. I can't even dance to this while I'm folding my laundry. Yeah, and there's something about music that just puts the adventure in things. Yes. Like, especially, like, if you're listening to, like, an epic orchestral score while you're folding your laundry, you're like, yes, this is really important, actually. I'm saving the world.

I'm literally the main character. I'm literally the main character. It's like folding your shirt in half. Like, do, and da. I love that. So that's just, like, a very simple, I think, example of making your shirt. life and adventure. That is one way that you can do it. Listening to music, adding something else that you enjoy in the background. Yeah. Even like grocery shopping I have come to find is one of my

favorite things to do. And therefore Walmart is the place to be. But that being said, like even when I'm back home in Minnesota, Erica and I are both from Minnesota, fun fact, even when I'm in Minnesota, I'm like, this could be fun. This could be a very servile thing that I could be doing for my family. But no, like, I get to pick out, I get to live in a country where I have all this food available to me. And I can pick out, like, what looks good, you know, what I prefer, what my parents prefer, and, like, try to just tailor. I mean, like, it goes back to what she was saying. Like, the elements of adventure are the unknown, excitement, and risk. Right. And when you think about it, like, there is a lot of unknown in our everyday lives. We just don't treat it like

an adventure. That's so profound, Erica. Thank you. And like, there's something about excitement. Like, is it like an Anne of Green Gables quote where she's like, I found that I enjoy things much more by like making up my mind firmly that I will? And there's something about the psychology of that. Yeah. It's like, because when I was like 12, I didn't really like working out. I was like, well, I should because like physical activity is healthy, but like I don't want to. But then like I realized I could listen to music that I really liked while I do it. And then I was like, okay, I'm going to enjoy this. I'm going to listen to my music and I'm going to like sweat it out and be a gym rat.

Yes. And lo and behold, now I'm a gym rat. And it doesn't even occur to me that like it's something I wouldn't enjoy. Just because like you get into the habit of enjoying something. I really do think that your mind has a lot of power over your life. Like control your thoughts and you can control your whole life. That's so true. What do we think about the traveling aspect?

that she mentioned, though. Like, I want to talk about that for a second. Like, there's finding adventure in the ordinary. But do you think there's a point where, like, we actually should be seeking adventure outside of our everyday lives, you know, and breaking the routine and traveling, you know? Well, I think the fun of traveling is you get to see the world, get to see how other people live their lives.

Just, it's an educational experience. Right. In a lot of ways. And sometimes that's the only way to learn different things is by immersing yourself in them. that being said, I do think that something that I always enjoy about travel is that when I see how other people live their lives, I can kind of incorporate like elements of their culture into my life. So like, for example, okay, disclaimer, I've never actually been to Europe or like Italy, but I love to learn about the lifestyle there or like in Paris too where it's like, you know,

very healthy eating, emphasis on the Mediterranean diet and walking a lot. Because for me, like I am also a gym rat, but I also, my favorite form of exercise is walking. And this is a lifestyle I can incorporate into my own lifestyle to make myself happier and healthier and fuller. And I think traveling can be, um, very conducive to healing. No, yeah, that makes sense. Yeah. Yeah. I just think like, there's just something so great about that, you know, just like discovering a wider world. Yes. Then, then what you're familiar with. Like, I just think that's really cool. And I think that like, if you have the chance to do that ever, like, absolutely take it, you know. Absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely. That's great. If you're just tuning in, you are listening to The Healing Hour on Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM with Adriana Azarian, your host, and Erica, your co-host. And we were just talking about the importance of stepping outside of your comfort zone and seeing the unknown, maybe traveling. But something I was kind of thinking about as we were talking about it is that it's still possible to get a sense of the world, even if it's not within your means or ability.

to travel, like, at this very moment. Because I went to a school where a lot of the students kind of, like, accused the school of being a bubble. And they're like, it's just too much of a bubble. And, like, the school should make it so that we're not in a bubble so we can know what the real world is like. But I was kind of thinking, like, if I was, when I would just, like, go out, you know, into the world, even if it was just a coffee shop and I would sit and people watch and, like,

listen to the conversations people were having or, like, interact with people, you know, that you see on a day-to-day basis in, like, grocery stores of it. like nail salons and stuff like that and like talk to people and like get a sense for their lives like you discover what the world is about outside of like your tiny school and it's your job to do that it's not your school's job i'm sorry i'm looking at the um recording right now and i can just see the volume just go up i was like okay if i could just like take a second talk about entitlement like it's like oh my gosh like i don't want to be entitled and like i really feel like i deserve to be told what the real world is like, is the hallmarker entitlement.

It is not your school's job. I'm sorry. Like, go out and, like, do something in the world and, like, learn something from people, you know? Most people listening are probably not having this very specific experience that I had. But I think there's something to be said for, like, you know, like, getting a sense for the unknown just by, like, interacting, like, with the ecosystem that you're in because it can surprise you. It really can. just like even like going like what I like to do is like to go to checker records in town and just like sit

and just like see people come in and out like hear bits of their conversations just in passing you know what if you're having a conversation in public then your conversation is in the public domain and I can listen to it if it's out of volume I'm just sorry facts but like I just think it's people are so fascinating they are and just taking time to like get out of your yourself and get out of your own mind and just say people. So true. So true. That is an adventure in of itself. Yeah. Because yeah, it's just like the adventure. Can we talk about the adventure that like you can encounter and just anybody that's different from you? Because people have different

experiences. They interpret the world differently. They have different belief systems. And that's not necessarily something to get mad about. It's something to celebrate because like you can learn something from them. I once read this, I forget where I read it, but it was like seek truth where it might be found and how, I mean, at the end of the day, like, okay, I'm not a modernist. I don't, I'm not a, what's the word? Postmodernist. Pomo. I'm not a postmodernist.

But, like, we're all humans, and I think that we all access the truth to varying degrees. Some of us possess the truth more fully than others. But we should appreciate where truth is found in other people's beliefs. Yeah. And, like, use that to kind of be like, you know, I want to show you what the truth is. and I want to use that to pull you in. Yeah. You know, like, it's also an opportunity for us to educate other people.

Yeah, like, I think definitely, like, where the postmodernists go wrong is by saying, oh, there's no absolute truth. It's just, you know, everybody has a different truth. Like, I do think that there is one absolute truth, but I think that, like, there's not one human, except for Jesus Christ, who is also God, who, like, has possession of, like, all the sides of that absolute truth. So, like, part of it is, like, okay, we have to have the humility to say like, okay, I have this vision of the universe, but parts of it might be wrong. So like by talking to other people, we can discover what parts of it might be wrong and like talk about it. Or even if it's just like, even if it's not about different belief systems and it's just like, I want to know how you live and how you experience the world. And that helps me understand humanity more. Like that's cool. That is cool. Yes. I think what's really fun for me is road trips. Yeah. Even if it's just an hour and a half road trip to Lansing.

Mm-hmm. That is a lot of fun because it takes you out of the immediate Hillsdale bubble and all love and respect for Hillsdale. But there's not, there's not that much happening around here on the day-to-day basis. So just being able to like, even if you can't travel abroad or to a different state, like just spending a day in the city. Yeah, like every community like from city to city or town to town is a very specific ecosystem. Yeah. Or vibe. You could put it that way too.

Yeah. Where it's like, you know, there's a, there's a culture. You might think, like, oh, there's just like one culture across America. But really, it's really diverse. Like, even at, like, the town level. So, like, just going and seeing, like, how people live and exist in different towns, like, around your area. Like, you were saying, like, going to Lansing from Hillsdale. Yeah.

You know, maybe that's your adventure. Yeah. And that's a great adventure. Yeah. So, I mean, I think what we can say after all this is, like, an adventure can be anything from folding your clothes to go and to the coffee shop downtown, going to another city in your state, or it can be going to Bosnia. If you have it within your budget to go to Bosnia, like, go off. Go off. I personally don't.

That would be amazing. And it's just, it's cool because people, the cool thing about people is that they're cool everywhere. Yeah. And life is so beautiful everywhere. Because at the end of the of the day, we all share the same human experience. And we're all trying to figure out what it means to be human. And that's why liberal arts education is great, because you kind of get, that it's not spoon-fed to you, but you kind of just figure it out that way. But you could also learn it by traveling and going out adventures. Yeah. And you know, yeah, there's like the adventure of education, which is like what we're encountering

while we're here at Hillsdale. But then it's also like we're supposed to do something with it. Yeah. Like we're given a map for how to understand the world. But then we're supposed to go out into the world and navigate it. Erica, why are you not a spokesperson for Hillsdale College? That's amazing. Yeah, well, I'm doing my little part here on our show.

Apply to Hillsdale Kids. You won't regret it. The deadline is December 1st for priority scholarships. Apply now. Apply now. Okay. So, if you're just tuning in, you are listening to the Healing Hour on Radio Free Hillsdale, 101.7 FM with your host, Adriana Azarian. And your co-host, Erica Kuy,

and we were just talking about adventure, finding it by traveling, by not traveling in the people of your everyday life. And like right before we were talking about kind of like the adventure of like mundane things, like folding laundry. And in the article, she kind of, this is where she gets into it.

She talked about like her busy traveling experiences to like Bosnia and, where was it, Bangkok. That's cool. But then she says, I love Thai food. Awesome. If anyone out there knows where I can get good Thai food in Michigan, please email us at your dose of healing at gmail.com.

Yes, please do. We were both in need of Thai food. Amen. Anyway. So she says, People had always told me to travel before I had a family because then, well, the adventure stops. So when I moved to the U.S. with my husband and was ready to have our first child,

the question loomed. Is this the end of adventure? I think many moms would say that changing dirty diapers in the middle of the night probably doesn't constitute adventure. And I am rather inclined to agree. Though there is a certain amount of risk involved in changing a baby's diaper, I'm not sure that it's something I would call exciting. And if all goes well, not not, not leading to the unknown. But mom or not, and diapers aside, day-to-day life might contain far more adventure than we think. So why do we think about that?

First of all, I just want to address this whole thing. Like, travel while you're not married. I mean, yes, it's true. You're not tied down when you're not married and you can do a lot more stuff. But I really think that kind of makes marriage seem like it's not, like it's a burden. Yeah, people are like, oh my gosh, like marriage is like a chore. Like having kids is like a chore. Like that's like the most wonderful thing you can do with your life pretty much.

Facts. So I think that's a really distorted way to view traveling and adventure. I do think there is something to like, you know, enjoying the period of singleness and like making the most. of it. Yeah. Because like, you know, there are certain limits that like you, you have imposed on you, like, you know, when you're building a life with someone and you have people that are dependent on you, like, in the midst of that. So, like, I totally get where that's coming from, you know, where it's like, you know, travel, you know, while you, you know, because you might not always have the means to. But at the same time, like, I totally agree with you. Like, I don't like

it when it becomes a permanent thing where it's like, well, I want to travel forever and ever and never get tied down. Well, like, no. Right. And I think also it's the fact that, like, people say it with the attitude of this is better. Like being single and adventuring is better than being tied down to a spouse and children. Yeah. And it's not. It's just like it's different facets of your life. It's going to make a beautiful whole.

But like you can't like just focus on one facet and say, okay, I want to be young forever. Because like no. Because like laying down your life for like a spouse and children and raising them and getting to have those joys at the end of the day is going to be so much more fulfilling because that's what's lasting. Like travel, that's great. But like once you get on the plane, you're gone. Like, you can't save that forever. Right. It's like a more permanent adventure.

Having a relationship with someone is a more permanent adventure. That's true. Because, like, yes, it's, like, great to travel. And, like, your mind is expanded. You see a different part of the world. And it's really cool and it's really great. But when you come back to the people that you love, like, you never stop getting to know them. Isn't that crazy?

So an adventure could be within your own family in that sense. No, family, for me, it's like the biggest adventure. It's like, I was like born into this family. I was like, I've known these people like from the moment I entered the world. And I'm still learning things about them. That's crazy. It's so crazy. I love when you talk and the microphone just like,

explodes. Have I been blasting your eardrums? Oh no, I'm loving it. I'm vibing. You can keep screaming into my eardrum. Sorry, I've got like so excited about this. up so. Well, anyhow, this is, this recording itself has been a trip, Erica. It has. This has been an adventure. I would agree. One might say. So, please tune in next week. Yes. This has been the Healing Hour

on Radio Free Hillsdale 101.1.1.7 FM. I'm your host, Adriana Azarian. And I'm your co-host, Erica Kaiba. And if you have any questions, please feel free to email us at Your Doseofhealing at gmail.com. That's your dose of healing at gmail.com. All lowercase. And send us your questions, your comments, your concerns, your personal problems. We are here to help and address all those things. Till next week.