Adventurer, Thrill-Seeker, and Adrenaline Junky

Adventurer, thrill-seeker, and adrenaline junky. Typically, I would not associate myself with any of these words. By definition, adventure is “an unusual and exciting, typically hazardous, experience or activity.” To me, this means exploring the science experiment growing in the back of my refrigerator.

However, adventures are important because they allow us to grow personally and learn more about ourselves. As part of my professional development and training as Chief Naturalist with Dunes Learning Center, I went on an unforgettable adventure last fall.

I’ve been to remote places a handful of times, but this was my first time to the Boundary Waters in Minnesota. As we loaded our canoes and pushed off for the first time, my ears began ringing. Not a subtle ringing but an almost paralyzing ring. Being a Region Rat born and raised in NWI, I’ve become accustomed to the sounds of urbanization and industry my whole life. As I stopped to reorient myself, I came to a realization. For the first time in my life, I was in complete silence, and it was deafening.

I quickly learned an adventure in the boundary waters would be a lot of work. It is filled with paddling, portaging, more paddling, and more portaging. However, “the best view comes after the hardest climb.” Each portage brought an even more breathtaking vista. Each paddle awoke something that has been dormant inside me. I felt connected to the land and envisioned the many people who would have used the same portages before me. As we sat around the fire under the stars, I felt alive. My soul was rejuvenated. I had the best night’s sleep in quite a while.

When the trip ended and we headed back to Dunes Learning Center, I reflected on my experience. The Boundary Waters taught me how important it is for everyone, even me, to step out of our routine lives and have adventures. Doing so gave me a sense of accomplishment, I experienced something new, and rejuvenated my soul. Most importantly, it reassured me how crucial natural areas like these are to have adventures.

After getting my feet wet in the Boundary Waters, I am looking forward to leading a group of 5 teen campers on the very same experience this summer. Thanks to support from the US Forest Service Urban Connections program, they too will experience the Boundary Waters for the first time.

In hindsight, I may be more closely associated with those words than I thought.

Anthony Escobedo

Chief Naturalist