Henry David Thoreau once said, “as you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler.” I identify with this as a primary reason to seek adventure in remote places. Society has built institutions and policy upon a factual soil. The simple existence that marks most life has been altered in our case into a myriad of contradictory relationships, incomprehensible cultural expectations, and trivial pastimes. To thrive in less than civil conditions, one naturally transforms his personal ideals to follow suit. This results in simplification, not only in thought, but also in action. A vegetarian will be hard pressed to ponder the morality of eating meat when hunger persists and fresh game is available. No longer will things like food, water, and warm shelter be taken for granted. There will be no time nor logic in contemplating politics when after a hard day's effort, you can finally rest. All sensory stimulation will be appreciated for what its worth, a step towards logical prosperity. The nature of the modern man's schedule does not facilitate such appreciation of life's simple aspects. Simple needs continually met since birth has left the only outlet to be in the form of excess. This is the legacy of modern man, and Americans especially. There is nothing logical about personal aircraft and thousand dollar bottles of liquor. They are symptoms of a pandemic illness called consumerism, a condition that has swept much of the globe, seemingly, because it could.

Adventure, by necessity, has defined the lives of many more humans than this newfound phenomenon of consumerism. Simply sustaining themselves, cultures around the world have perpetually taken the risk and reward cycle far beyond what we normally do today. Waring states, plagues, seasonal migrations; toils for food, resources, and other means of survival have all meant for hazardous conditions surely effective in putting life in perspective. This major trend in human history is in sharp contrast to current middle and upper class America. Beneficiaries of the country's behemoth financial market, they are indoctrinated with ideals of the business cycle and obese retirement accounts. The 1990's saw, by far, the largest economic expansion in our history. These unsustainable growth rates defined by easy money simultaneously set people up for the let down of the current recession. As market bubbles begin to pop, crime rates rapidly increase in a surprisingly predictable fashion. This is evidence of the risk and reward cycle taking weight again. Out of a seeming necessity, people go to great lengths to hold on to what they consider reasonable or normal levels of consumption.
The reality of today is that, even when the economy is at its worst, prosperity for many is still extravagantly high. In America at least, you can still roam the streets and see homeless people with rather large, satisfied bellies. Even though the financial markets are suffering possibly the worst case since the 30's, people still manage to spend heaps of money on unnecessary things like dog groomers and down comforters. This means there is still a need for adventure. As modern living conditions eliminate the absolute need for meaningful risk and reward, one must take it upon themselves to seek out activities or places that make them fully appreciate even the simplest things in life. I know of more than a few homeless people who choose to be so simply because of these reasons. It provides for them a life context with just enough uncertainty that they can wake every day with renewed enthusiasm. Personally, I prefer the mountains. Roaming high ridge lines for days on end and sleeping in the open under a cloak of stars is how I manage sense in the world. Here I can connect completely with the wisdom best put forth by Thoreau, “a man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone.”