Adventure vs Certainty

Photo by Mark Neal – Retrieved from Pexels

When the first mountaineers climbed the first high mountains, most people thought they were crazy (chances are, even today most people think that is insane), but they did it anyway. For outsiders, it was a great adventure: something daring and full of danger. For them, it was just something they had to do, a certainty in life: the mountain had to be climbed. They prepared as much as they could and went on their journey to reach the summit. Once there, they paused and came back down. Mission accomplished.

The word “adventure” comes from the French word aventure, which originally comes from the Latin word adevenire, meaning “to arrive”, as in arriving here from somewhere else. That was exactly what mountaineers did: they simply arrived at the top of the mountain coming from below. How the word’s meaning transformed itself to become “an undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks” (Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary)? Well, maybe because back to those days, “arriving” somewhere was, in truth, overcoming many perils. The risk of being robbed or even killed was very high. Travelling was, indeed, a great adventure, every time. Not today, especially in developed countries. Security and certainty are something we take for granted so much that we get upset (or have the right to make complaints) when the trip does not go how it was advertised.

We often say that “life is an adventure”. The truth is we never know what may arrive. It is just like climbing a mountain, really. You can prepare and imagine everything that is going to happen and exactly how it is going to happen, and then suddenly there is a storm and everything changes. Arriving at your destination may seem harder, certainty less secure. No matter how well prepared you are, it may not be enough. We get used to life being sure and predictable, but it really is not. Not even Earth is that stable – hence climate change. Volcanos, earthquakes, floodings, avalanches, droughts, tornados, wildfires, can arrive at any moment and change the course of our lives. However, life can change with “ordinary events” like being fired from your job, having a baby, going on a business trip, meeting new people. Life is made of events that can have unexpected results and lead you to arrive at a different destination from the one you initially intended.

So, nowadays, “adventure” refers to something that is out of the norm. The norm is supposed to be certain and well-defined, whether in life, business, or leisure time. It is what society tells you it is and it is what you are supposed to do. This may change from country to country and, for sure, in different periods of time. For example, building and trying airplane prototypes was a great adventure until they found the right design. Now, airplanes have a norm and they are a certainty. Catching a train in some countries is a certainty: you just need to look at the timetable and the train will leave at the designated platform and time (with more or less delay). Yet, in some countries, catching a train is a true adventure: you never know when there will be one and, if you manage to catch one, you will never know when the train will arrive at its destination… or even if it changes destination mid-way!

If we do a search through the Internet for adventure, the results usually revolve around travelling to exotic places or extreme experiences. In reality, it is a commercial package: the idea is for you to pay for an endeavour only available for very few people, usually people with a lot of money. Sometimes, strangely, “adventure” is connected to “luxury”, which makes total sense in light of the business concept, but makes no sense to the pure concept of adventure. After all, “luxury” is something that is certain and adventure is something that is unpredictable. So, you pay for an adventure holiday and expect to have the full experience as advertised. What if you do not? For example, outdoor adventures may be dependent on the weather. You have one week to do your activity, but it might be cancelled for security reasons… Ironic. On the other hand, there are experiences that are supposed to be very predictable, but turn into an adventure when something goes wrong. A beach holiday can be transformed into a jungle expedition if it is raining all the time. Or you can stay inside the resort, playing board games… which may be a discovery by itself.

In a nutshell, certainty is an illusion and everything is an adventure because it always involves a risk. You may or may not arrive at the place you wanted to go. If you get there, your journey may or may not be as you thought it would be. What is certain is that you will get somewhere. So, live the adventure!

Sources:

Age is just a number. Confirm it with Odilon Martins, a rower who still trains daily and competes after 78 years. He is 96 and says his health comes from his sportive life. Check the report from Reuters.

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Miss Honeypraise and Mr Williams in Egypt

The pyramids! Miss Honeypraise was looking forward to seeing them. However, when searching about the country, she realized there was much more to see and visit. She was going on a tour with a travel agency for logistics and safety reasons. Considering that there was a “Tourism Police” in the country to make sure tourists were safe at all times, Miss Honeypraise thought it would be better not to risk going by themselves. Mr Theodore Williams, who was going with her, was her best-friend-turned-boyfriend and this was going to be their first trip together.

Miss Honeypraise had been prepared to be marvelled and to enjoy her new relationship. She wasn’t disappointed, quite the contrary. It was a wonderful vacation. Sitting back home on her balcony, drinking a cup of tea and watching the sunset, she recalled her grand adventure…

The peaceful Switzerland

Cows gaze lazily at the high mountains surrounding them while taking full advantage of the sunshine. Soon it will be time to go indoors, when the snow starts falling from the sky. For the moment, there is snow only at the mountain summits. Down below, in the valleys, clusters of houses outline several villages and cities along the rivers and by the lakes. One couldn’t imagine that for centuries this region was the stage of fierce battles.

The Helvetians were a Celtic tribe that had settled here when Romans expanded their Empire throughout Europe. They couldn’t escape it, but they were granted enough autonomy to govern the different provinces of this land and manage the most important commercial routes that crossed the territory. This was a great experience for them, from which the Helvetians learned much. After the fall of the Roman Empire, they were invaded by the Germans, from the north, and by the French, from the west. In the meantime, the Helvetians, now converted to Christianity, agreed to fight in the German army in exchange for money and land. Yes, they had really learned how to make business.

Yet, their leanings would continue. Now part of the Holy Roman Empire, the former Helvetians were in charge of different pieces of land and, like in the Roman Empire, they enjoyed a certain degree of autonomy. However, this time, they came to the conclusion that they should work together to keep peace and economically prosper. A confederation began to take shape and Schwyz inspired them to become “die Schweizer” (the Swiss). To the first three “orte” (pieces of land), five more joined them in the 14th century. Ah, but men are greedy and selfish and internal battles for power were waged…

The next centuries were full of wars, inside the “Land of the Swiss” and outside. Fighting each other, fighting the invaders, and also serving as mercenaries in foreign armies were daily business. Finally, in the 17th century, Switzerland became an independent country de facto, kept out from other people’s wars, and dedicated themselves to agriculture, trade, bank activities, and watchmaking… until a French person named Napoleon and his troops invaded the Swiss Land and everything collapsed. The Old Confederation was dead…

… long live the New Confederation (after Napoleon had been expelled, of course). All the learnings were applied then. The “orte” became “canton”, each Canton became almost fully independent, and later the Confederation turned into a Federation. The Swiss people decided to focus on making money and not war, living in peace and harmony. In the meantime, they adopted the direct democracy political system, which means individuals decide by vote (via referendum or initiatives) the rules of the country. Oh, Switzerland looks like a very advanced country… except in what women are concerned.

It took 103 years of fighting, and a fear of “looking bad” internationally, for women to be granted the right to vote. It all started in 1868, when women in Zurich proposed to be granted the right to vote. They failed, of course, but they didn’t give up. An organisation was created and the fight turned national. Due to the direct democracy system, many petitions were presented to the Parliament. They were first ignored and then rejected over and over again by men (those who could actually vote), as men viewed women as not able to understand politics and whose place was at home taking care of the children.

At some point, Swiss men were on the verge of being humiliated internationally as almost all European countries had already allowed women to vote. In the meantime, Swiss women kept pushing and presenting initiatives while peacefully protesting on the streets. After much internal and external pressure, men finally approved the right for women to vote in 1971, even though in some Cantons this would only become official 20 years later…

Ah, the peaceful Switzerland, with the placid lakes and the serene Alpine mountains, perfect for sanatoriums specialised in healing the body and the mind. A land where nothing much happens and people are focused on their farms and their business affairs…

Read more about Switzerland:

The History of Switzerland

Political system

Women’s suffrage in Switzerland: 100 years of struggle

The long road to women’s suffrage in Switzerland

Tourism

Since the beginning of human settlements people have travelled from settlement to settlement for trade purposes. While doing business, these people would share new cultures, new languages, new views of the world. These merchants lived for travel and would always be on the move. Then, during Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire, people started to travel for pleasure. They would go on a “circle”, meaning they would go somewhere and back again. However, these “tours” were only for a selected few.

Somewhere during the Middle Ages, the Grand Tour began to take shape. Members of the upper class got into the habit of travelling through Europe to educate themselves about painting, sculpture and ancient architecture. Each group of people would decide the length of time and the itinerary, often hiring a guide to accompany them. Paris and Italian cities like Venice, Florence, and Rome, were usually part of the trip. Switzerland, especially Geneva, was included in some of the most daring and intrepid journeys.

In the 19th century, due to the development of railways, the price of travel decreased and accessibility increased. This meant that people from the middle class were also able to afford to travel, making the business around tourism to flourish. The tourism industry was born and mass tourism followed. In fact, the travel agencies’ tours are a modern version of the Grand Tour, adapted to a large number of people and very limited in time. Nowadays, you would probably have to do several of these tours to make one old Grand Tour.

Today, many people are keen to distinguish between “tourists” and “travellers”. “Travellers” are those you want to meet people from different countries, who want to immerse themselves in the culture and learn about it. “Tourists” are those who just go and see what is presented to them. In reality, people who did the Grand Tour wanted to learn about art and ancient culture, but they did not wish to immerse themselves in the culture. They were known for criticising the “natives” and would only get along with their countrymen. Pretty much like tourists nowadays.

So, tourism has been around for a long time. It has evolved and now the possibilities are endless. People go touring for all kinds of purposes all over the world. There are pre-defined tours, but you can also plan your own voyage. Different budgets will provide you different trips to different destinations. For the same destination, you can choose different means of transportation, hotels, services. And, if you can afford it (in terms of money and time), you can replay a Grand Tour of your own making.

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