Why Bother With Fun?

To say the least, I had fun this summer. Pleasure, enjoyment and delight were the results from the activities I chose to do. Backpacking in the Selkirk and hiking in the Sawtooth Mountains, are just two of the places where I invested some of my energy and found the return from my ventures, lasting. Recreating is one of  summertime’s presents to all of us and when we choose to recreate within our physical and monetary restraints, the results will have positive residual effects on our mental and physical wellness.  

Practical Fun

Recreating does not have to be expensive, or impractical. Rather it can be affordable and attainable if we stay within our monetary and physical means. Keeping our choice of sports and entertainment within our comfort zone makes whatever amount of playtime we have, much more enjoyable. Also, if it is kept within our financial and physical capabilities, we’ll likely return to it more often. Though I’ve imagined myself taking a hike on the famous El Camino de Santiago in Spain, so far, it is not a realistic adventure. Instead, I’ve found the trails closer to home more reachable and attainable. Some day I may take the same pilgrimage trekked by famous and holy saints, but in the meantime, I return to the waterfalls and vista views of high peaks in the Sawtooth Mountains on a regular basis. 

We live near more than one large body of water and enjoy these different lakes, mostly from the shoreline. At times, I catch myself coveting the luxury liners I spot streaming their way through the water and wonder what it would be like to own one. So far, I am still wondering. One summer though, my husband and I got out on the water when we borrowed a tandem kayak from some friends. We found out rather quickly that a tandem kayak would not be a good investment for us. It does not work for our personalities. One of us likes to keep the sport at a leisure pace, while the other half wants to cover great distances in a short amount of time. In a tandem kayak, you cannot paddle ahead. So, if you want to have fun while recreating with a partner, discovering sooner than later what works for the both of you, makes the venture all that much more relaxing. We are now on the lookout for a pair of kayaks. 

Part of keeping the fun in whatever choices you make to recreate, is discovering what fun means to you as a single or to you as a pair. Before investing in your next fun adventure, ask a few questions beforehand: Is it affordable? Is my body equipped with whatever it takes? Do I really want to do this? Then, looking back on the venture, do you sense the delight it brought? If not, don’t bother repeating it.

Why bother with fun? Finding what is fun for you is worth it because playing is for pleasure. Don’t make it anything else.