Why Not You?

First, an apology to you all. I'm sorry, I wish I could be more on top of this blog, but this past week had this adventurer more occupied than he prefers. But I shall try my best to keep up with it. After all, I only have a short time until I embark for my next grand adventure, one that'll last 2 years and keep me away from bloggin'! More on that later.


Today's post is a small one, but hopefully it'll dig into your head and plant an idea, which I hope you'll nurture with further thought.


Why not you?


I'm a big-fan of NBC's Biggest Loser, and a bigger fan of one of its staples: Jillian Michaels. She's a powerhouse to say the least. Anyways, I'm a "fan" of her on Facebook (do we still use that term? Fan? I should say I "like" her on Facebook... This explorer can't keep with these changin' times!) and she updates her profile fairly often. Usually its about nutrition, exercise, facts about food, jazz like that. But about a month ago she posted something a bit out of the norm... Here's the exact post:


Today I want you to ask yourself this one question - "Why not you?" Why not you to do something for work that you love? Why not you to have a healthy body? Why not you to have healthy love? Why not you to be, have, or do anything you have ever dreamed?! We are so quick to think others are deserving over ourselves. The truth is that we are all deserving so WHY NOT YOU?!


Is it poetic? Certainly not. But that's OK. It's message rings clear to me. I have always been one of great ambition and drive, with large hopes and dreams, but every now and then I find myself in a lull, and those dreams just don't seem attainable. They seem beyond me. Despite everything I believe in, despite any inner-strength I may have, I cave in to these sorrowful thoughts, and I'm sure many of you do too. I'll leave that dream to someone more talented, to someone who isn't me. 


Should these thoughts come into your head, smack 'em right out. These are moments of weakness, not of truth or realization. Why should you not be as deserving? Though I may lack in talent compared to the "prodigies" of this world, I feel an ambition within me that not one of those talent-hogs can ever take away from me.


So look at yourself, look at your goals. Really give thought to those dreams. Other people have succeeded. Other people have earned their dream job. Other people have found their love. Other people have lost the weight. Other people have achieved the impossible. Why not you?


Keep your goggles clean and your compass steady... make today an adventure!

A Time To Make Believe

"In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun" -Mary Poppins

It was a beautiful morning in the Salahm Valley, but famed-explorer Dr. Hayden Evans could not see. The ruthless cannibals of Mount Kill-‘em-and-Jar-’em had imprisoned Evans and his other faithful explorers when his crew had attempted to recover stolen provisions that rightfully belonged to the helpless people of Mang Tao. For years the people of Mang Tao have been at the mercy of the barbaric and thieving cannibals, and Evans (having befriended Mang Tao several years prior on a goodwill expedition) felt it was his duty to reclaim these precious provisions and medicines so that Mang Tao will not fall prey to a great oncoming disease. However, things had not gone as planned, and Evans’ crew found themselves locked away in a dark hut within the village of these cannibals, which was perched high on Mount Kill-‘em-and-Jar-‘em. However, to Evans’ great fortune, the cannibals had not seized his trusty switchblade he kept concealed in his boot. In a few moments, Evans and his men were freed! The provisions were quickly located and reclaimed, and the crew of adventurers began their descent down the mountainside.

The cannibals quickly came to realize that their prisoners were rushing down the mountain, so they pursued the escapees. Before they could catch them, however, Evans’ and his men had boarded “The Excursion” (Evans’s trusty aircraft) and were well on their way to the village of Mang Tao.

Halfway across the great Salahm Savannah, it was clear that The Excursion did not have enough fuel to last them the rest of the trip, and an emergency landing was eminent. Evans (a master aviator) gently glided his plane to a halt, and informed his men that they needed to head to base camp, (a one-day journey) gather fuel, refuel, and pick up Evans at Mang Tao for the flight home.

Evans, now equipped with only the clothes on his back, the Mang Tao provisions, and a few meager supplies, began journeying across the vast savannah. The ground began to rumble, and Evans soon found himself in the middle of a ravaging stampede of elephants! How he managed to escape without even a scratch or scrape remains a mystery today.

Though the savannah was now miles behind, Evans knew his perils were far from over. Before he could reach the Irdani River where he would then board his riverboat, he had to trudge through miles of bogs and mud-pits. Evans, always a genius, avoided being dragged into the muddy depths by “staying light on his feet,” as he would later claim.

The river was now in sight, and to Evans’ great relief, his steamer was waiting for him at the dock. Down the treacherous Irdani River he rode, water-vipers sneaking out from unseen tributaries, attacking at random, and hippos charging left and right. The perilous river excursion lasted 2 days, so dry-land was a welcome sight for Dr. Evans. However, having gone by river, Evans was inconveniently positioned below Mang Tao, which resides on clifftops many feet above the Irdani River. He knew the people of Mang Tao were nearly moments away from widespread-illness, so Evans began the arduous ascent up the sheer cliff. The climb was intense, but Evans had hiked the highest peaks in the world; no doubt he could conquer the task before him.

The medicines were successfully delivered, and the people of Mang Tao were overjoyed. To celebrate, they overwhelmed Evans with their precious cocoa; a cocoa far greater than the American “chocolate” Evans was so accustomed to.

To add to his jubilation, Evans was thrilled to discover that his crew was just flying in to pick him up! Evans thanked the people of Mang Tao for their generous spirits, blessed them that they may prosper in good health for many years, boarded the plane, and was soon miles above in the sky. The view of the Sallahm Valley was spectacular, and Evans remarked that he enjoyed the Sallahm Valley much more from 15,000 ft. in the air, as opposed to being in the thick of it.

Only a few miles from the landing strip in Pasadena, California, Evans was shocked to discover that the Excursion was (once again) running low on fuel. His fellow adventurers grew frightful, but Evans knew that his Excursion would see them through. He accelerated, the landing strip rapidly approaching, the fuel gauge rapidly dropping. The plane lost all fuel, but Evans, being the master aviator that he was, successfully utilized the air currents to carry him safely to the landing strip. The people of Pasadena and the world over celebrated the arrival of Dr. Hayden Evans, as he had, once again, successfully completed yet another adventure!

...When in reality, I (Hayden Evans) woke up, headed to the top of a hill, ran down the hill, ran alongside busy streets, ran on muddy ground, had some dogs attack me, followed a canal for a mile or so, ran up a few hills, had some power-gel (chocolate flavored, mind you) at my turn-around point, and the remainder of my run was a difficult (but manageable) uphill. But that isn't nearly as exciting. I like my version better.

So the gist of this article? Make today an adventure, even if you have to dust off the old imagination (though I hope yours is a well-oiled machine!) Adventure is constantly around you, perhaps all you need to do is alter your perspective. I can't wait to see what adventures Explorer Evans will go on next.

Keep your goggles clean and your compass steady... make today (and every moment) an adventure!

Spreading Your Wings

(c) 2006 Amelia Earhart by CMG Worldwide

Amelia Earhart: America's Woman of the Sky. The Queen of the Air. Lady Lindy. A figurehead of women's rights, an inspiration to countless aviators, a testament to the American ideals of courage, passion, and vision, and a personal hero of mine. Sadly, the world has hinged their admiration and knowledge of Earhart on the enigma of her disappearance. I'm sure that once her mystery is solved, slowly her name will fade away, and only those committed to the arts of aviation and its history will remember her. However, the life she lived before her infamous circumnavigational flight was and is far greater than any grand "riddle" that shrouds her final moments. She flew further, faster, and higher than any woman had ever done before. In 1928, she was the first woman to fly across the United States. In 1930, she broke the women's speed record. 1932, not only was she the first woman to fly across the Atlantic solo, but she set America's new transcontinental speed record. (1933 would see that record broken by Earhart. She would break it yet again in 1937.)

I encourage all of you to dedicate a few minutes of your time learning about Amelia Earhart. Her words and deeds are too inspiring to overlook. There is much more to this lady than a plane-crash.

This brief "history lesson" on Ms. Earhart is not to inform, but to inspire. Amelia Earhart was not born into a time where any woman could hop into their Lockheed Electra and skim the stratosphere, nor was it typical to even have a woman desire to fly. But Earhart had a spark, no, a flame of passion inside here. She was not content with sitting idly by. She didn't just want to run through life, she wanted to soar.

So the question is: How about you? Are you content with where you stand now, with where your heading? Is your sight set low, or are you looking at the clouds? What a shame it would be to feel moderately content or comfortable with life, to be somewhat satisfied with your life's course. (Now please, savor life, be happy and content with the blessings you are so liberally given. Don't get me wrong here.) Though the ascent is difficult, and you'll be pushed and pulled in every way, you will obtain what you want, what you were destined to achieve, what your God had always planned for you.

Speaking only from my point-of-view, I must say that I am excited, that I am ready. I feel as if I'm in the cockpit, my propellor is whirling, my gauges are all checked out, my belt securely fastened... All I need is the go-ahead from control. Then all of you better look to the sky: this pilot is breaking barriers.

Keep your goggles clean and your compass steady... Make today an adventure.

The Illustrating Man

Hello fellow explorers! I come to you today with exciting news: I have began illustrating a children's book! A dear friend of mine, Craig Barton (remember that name, it'll be on bookshelves EVERYWHERE when this bad-boy is done!) wrote a small book some time ago, and asked me last year if I was interested in illustrating for him. After reading it, I had to be a part of this project. And now my life is free enough that I can start working on these illustrations!

The story is a simple one, but man-oh-man, does it tug at your heart strings. I just finished reading it again (for the upteenth-time) and it still makes me misty-eyed; no doubt it will do the same for you. It has a great heart to it, and I'm honored Craig chose me to illustrate it. I won't say too much about the book, I wouldn't want to spoil it for you all! But stay tuned, explorers! I'll be sure to keep you posted on this project's progress. (Whoa, lot of P's there.) If all goes according to plan, I should have the illustrations done by the end of March, or within the first week of April.

ADVENTURE #3: Illustrate a Book


Don't think I'm ending this post just yet! NO SIR! I figured I'd take this time to update you on my half-marathon training progress. It is going great. Splendid, even! I may go so far as to say it is simply supercalifragilisticexpealidocious. Today I ran for 5 miles, though I felt like... like...

♪ ♫ I could have ran all day, and still have begged for more! ♪ ♫


...Well, maybe not that long. But the training is going well, and it's incredible to see how it affects every other facet in my life.: I sleep better, I'm more awake, my emotions are more controlled, I find that I am happier more than usual, I feel great in my own skin... Bah-bah-bah-bah-bah, I'm lovin' it! Next week's runs range anywhere from 2 miles to 4 miles, and I'll end the week with a 6-miler. Progress is happening, folks!

Keep your goggles clean and your compass steady... Make today an adventure.

A Shaky Wing

Mount Everest.  Photo property of Mountain7.com

Ah, Mt. Everest. You know the facts: It's 29,000+ ft. above sea-level, making it the tallest mountain in the world, which I guess also makes it the fattest mountain...? But that's not important. Summiting this mountain is a feat that few people can claim, and only a sum of that group can actually claim to have survived the entire journey. Each step closer to the peak is one step closer to death. Climbing Everest is a dark, treacherous, and hardly enjoyable expedition. No, my next adventure is not to summit Mt. Everest. But this monster mountain is the setting for today's post's inspiration...

Erik Weihenmayer. Perhaps you've heard of him? No? Well, I can't say I'm ashamed of you. It was only a few days ago that I actually learned his name. His accomplishment is definitely easier to remember than his name, I promise. Erik Weihenmayer summited Mt. Everest in 2001. Erik Weihenmayer is blind. 

Erik Weihenmayer on Everest. Photo courtesy of primetime.unrealitytv.co.uk

Have you digested that yet? What a remarkable feat. Too survive such a grueling excursion, without the aid of sight, a basic sense; How could you not be inspired? I'm afraid I'm a little speechless myself at the moment, I guess I'll just let Mr. Weihenmayer's accomplishment speak for itself.

Erik Weihenmayer is an adventurer, to say the very least. (Now brace yourself for one heck-of-a-stretch-transition) You are too. Have I not established that yet in every blogpost? The opportunities for adventure surround you every day. You may be on a fair amount of expeditions now. Are you an adventurer? You bet. Do we, like Erik Weihenmayer, have our handicaps? Certainly. I know I do...

It was in 6th Grade, and I stood in the front of the class to read them my well-researched paper. After the opening sentence, the classroom started laughing. Which would have been alright, had my paper been humorous. I was so confused. I put down my paper, and asked why everyone was laughing, hoping that I had simply missed out on something funny (someone made a funny face, their fly was down, or maybe some kid broke wind).  But no, they were laughing at me. Turns out my hands were shaking, and shaking bad enough to draw attention. I shrugged it off, told them it was nothing, and kept reading. But to my surprise, my hands WERE shaking, and not so subtly. I went home, told my mom what had happened, and it was clear that she knew all to well what I was experiencing.

My hands shake, almost constantly, and they shake pretty bad. I've grown up with it, as has my mother, and her mother as well. It definitely has not been easy having "unsteady" hands... People constantly asking if I'm OK, spilling water on myself at restaurants, the list goes on and on. But when you're a kid who just loves to draw, and your hands can barely manage a straight line? It's hard. I have always loved to draw, ever since I was a kid. Around 5th-7th Grade I realized that I had a talent for it, but my hands held me back, somewhat. I told myself that someone with hands like mine, hands that don't function properly, could never make art. But with the great help from family and friends, I kept pushing. I kept drawing. I fought past my grandpa hands, (ha!) and I established my talent. A day has not gone by that I have not drawn.

And today? I still draw everyday. I do several art-commissions, for people all across the USA. I have completed thousands of personal art-projects. I feel like I have a promising future as an animator. And yes, my hands still shake. I may not have summited the highest-peak, but I worked past what was my greatest enemy. I would not let my hands defeat me. Now, my hands are working for me. And in that fact, I am an adventurer.

Keep your goggles clean and your compass steady... Make today an adventure.

Go Ahead, Make Someone's Day

Each year comes with countless celebrations: birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays receive a great amount of attention, which they deserve. Halloween and Christmas always find me more excited than the year previous. Speckled throughout the year are many other life-milestones, like welcoming a new baby into the world, graduating, accomplishing various challenges, etc. Most every week, we find a small reason to celebrate: we aced a test, we did really well at work, we made a delicious dinner... And most definitely every day gives us dozens, if not hundreds of small opportunities to rejoice and celebrate. They are omnipresent, which sadly plays to their disadvantage. These minute blessings are too often overlooked and unnoticed, but it is a sure-fact that they are greater and far more significant than any New Years bash, Christmas feast, or Halloween candy. (Well, maybe not better than Halloween candy. But just maybe.)

Your house. your friends. Your neighbors. Your health. Your (fill in the blank). 

Your family. They are worth a daily brass-band parade. I feel this everyday with my family, through their unique humor, their great hearts, their power, their knowledge. Their small and subtle nuances make them the fantastic people that they are. I only wish I could shower them constantly with gifts and manifestations of my love... Oh wait! I do believe I can! Through respect, love, compassion, laughter, I can show them that I love them entirely, that I love them unconditionally. But sometimes you just want to do that something "extra" for those in your life, you know? So do it! What on earth are you waiting for?? 

Photo Property of Disney/Pixar

In case you haven't deduced this already, I'm a big fan of Disney-Pixar's Up. You could say it's the greatest inspiration behind this thread, even behind my every-action...Ha! And I'm sure you're all plenty sick of me screaming "ADVENTURE!" by now. But I'd like to reference one of my favorite lines in the movie for this blog-post; it's relevance is too poignant to not quote. Russell, the small (and ridiculously adorable) wilderness-explorer is telling his older friend Carl about the special tradition he shared with his father. They would sit out on a curb, eat ice-cream, and count the number of red or blue cars that passed by. "That might sound boring," Russell says, "but I think the boring stuff is the stuff I remember the most." 

You don't need to give a gift wrapped up in paper. Celebrating someone special doesn't require a cake-with-candles. Sometimes the greatest gift you can give is your undivided attention. Maybe you could play games, color, cook, play, laugh, or draw together. Perhaps you could watch (and even enjoy) their favorite movie. Send them a simple card saying I Love You. Make/Buy them a special treat. Sing and dance together. You know best what your friends' and family's interests are... Cater your "gift" around that! You don't need to surprise them with a 2-week vacation to the Bahamas. Remember, sometimes (if not every time) the "boring" stuff is the stuff you'll remember and cherish most.

Keep your goggles clean and your compass steady... Make today an adventure, for you AND someone you love!

Find Something New For You

Here's some interesting advice: Try a new food.


When this was given to me, I casually blew it off. I have a varied palette, I'm not afraid to try new foods... But upon further examination, I realized that it had been quite some time since I had tried something new! It had been weeks, maybe a month! Bad form, Mr. Evans. Bad form indeed.


So I've taken the initiative: I'm going to try something new! So I tried grapefruit for the first time, I sautéed the onions on my sandwich in a new blend of herbs, panini-pressed a peanut-butter & banana sandwich. You don't have to sample the rare Jangowäen-Fruit of Zombawäin (mostly because neither of those things don't exist...) to accomplish this task. Try a new recipe, put a little cinnamon on your fruit, be creative with how you assemble your turkey sandwich. Then take this principle and thrust it into every other facet of your life. Variety is the spice of life, and you want a rich bouillabaisse of experiences, not a simple Kraft Mac-n-Cheese. In doing this, I guarantee you will find an excitement in doing the day's small tasks. That "spirit of adventure" that I mention so much? Here's step one in discovering your inner adventurer! In finding a thrill with these small adjustments, your mind will be constantly on the lookout for ways to find excitement in every aspect of your day. A few days back, I saw my family passively enjoying their Monday, I believe we were all watching TV. A shame, really, to be so close to each other but not connecting with each other... So I seized the free-time we all had, and I asked my family if they wanted to play a round of Hide-N-Seek. They all leapt up, and we played for at least a half-hour. When we could have been lazily gazing at the television, watching a show I'm sure we had all seen before, we instead decided to spend our time as a family doing something engaging and entertaining. If that isn't living life as an adventure, I don't know what is!


Do you accept my offer? I would love to hear from you what you plan on doing new this week. Feel free to post! Keep it simple, keep it fun, and if you can get some other folks involved... even greater.


Keep your goggles clean and your compass steady... Make today an adventure!