Social media is both freeing and haunting. It’s freeing in the sense that it is fun, playful, and of course … social. You get to share what’s going on in your life with friends, family, and strangers alike. We also get to keep tabs on people from afar. That family member you haven’t seen in a while or that friend who moved overseas whom you now see in person once every few years. Social media opens the door to share our lives with others.

But it haunts us.

Particularly those with a flare for adventure it is more than haunting … it can terrorize us as we scroll through our feed. Friends, coworkers, and family members share photos and updates on their amazing trip to some far-off Instagram-worthy locale. Yet it is early January … it’s dark, cold, and depressing out. You’re not on a sun-drenched beach soaking in the warm. You’re not ripping down a dry trail unencumbered with snow in some exotic location you dream about riding. Instead … you’re in the office today. Your weekend plans consist of grocery shopping, home projects, and if you’re really lucky you might get caught up on that new series on Netflix you’ve been wanting to jump into.

Sigh.

Are you ready for some good news? There’s adventure all around you. You just need to get a little creative.

Will it stave off that longing to ride high up in the Peruvian Andes? Probably not. But it will get you through this weekend. And that’s all we can ask for. So what is the secret?

Diversify your adventure options.

Sometimes we need to let the bike sit inside for a day. Instead, grab your camera and take off to explore some new nook or cranny in your city or surrounding areas. My sons and I have a new tradition that has become just as intoxicating as ripping down a new trail. We’ll hop in our SUV with our cameras in tow and set off. Sometimes we’ll explore a new part of Portland … industrial sites, port areas, forests and parks, commercial districts, and more. We’ll park, walk, talk, and take photos as we go. On foot cities become a whole new world. There are vistas and wrinkles in the urban landscape that change block by block. There’s that amazing shot down the alley that you capture. Once we get home we’ll crank up Lightroom and begin sharing our photos with one another and editing.

Other times we’ll pick a small town within a short drive of Portland. Same process. Load up in our SUV, cameras in hand, drive, park, walk, and take photos. More than the thrill of adventure we are carving out memories together. Our times are incredible. We love discovering new coffee shops, restaurants, vintage stores, and other oddities.

Does this diminish our thirst for international travel to far-off exotic locations? No. But what it does is instill a sense of adventure at home whether I’m on or off the bike. I also realize how much I miss when I do ride. On the bike I have tunnel vision where I am obsessed with the trail before me. We have to be, right? If we take our eyes off the trail for a split second our pedal hits that rock or stump we didn’t see and all of a sudden we become a human projectile. Sure, like you I do stop on occasion to soak in the views … well, unless I’m in a typical dense forest in the PNW where the “view” is 30 yards ahead of you.

Most of us are not globe-trotting adventurers. Sure, we may squeeze in a trip or two a year, but what about the rest of the year and the rest of our lives? As I said before, adventure is around you … all around me. Do we have eyes to see? Get out. Explore. Become a tourist in your own town, city, community, and region. It will refresh your soul.

Words and Photo by Sean Benesh

Founder of Loam Coffee