It is so easy to set up a website, call yourself an adventurer and then proceed to tell everyone that they are wasting their lives sat in offices when they could be out on expeditions all the time instead.
Such a crude point is patronising in the extreme and an over simplified idealism at best.
Now, many of you may think that’s exactly what I do on this blog and maybe I have been guilty of it on occasion but the broad point that I would like to make is that expeditions, in whatever form they take, can be great. So great, in fact, that I would highly recommend that the majority of people spent a lot less time at their desks or in front of their TV screens, and instead got outside and did something adventurous.
That is not, however, the same thing as saying that office jobs suck and that a life spent on expedition is a better choice. It is wonderfully easy to idealise the idea of quitting your job and travelling the world, and for many people this could be a fantastic move to make. But for many more, most I imagine, it would not be.
Conversely, “office jobs” and “nine-’til-fives” have instant connotations of monotony, boredom and futility. Well, aside from the obvious fact that many such jobs are necessary both for the world to function in its present state and for people to pay their bills, lots of people actually like their jobs. And not because they like the safety and security of a predictable world without the fear and excitement of an expedition, but because they actually like what they do. Because it interests them, fires them up, makes use of their expertise and provides an opportunity to do something meaningful with their lives. And, no doubt, a whole host of other reasons that differ from one person to the next.
I believe that too many people spend too long stuck in offices instead of being out in the wonderful world (myself included) but to extrapolate from that that everyone working in an office is a sad, depressed drone who could be liberated if only they climbed mountains instead, is as absurd as it is offensive.
I will keep shouting from the expedition corner because I think there’s a message that still needs hearing. That message is not, however, that expeditions are better than offices. They’re not. I just think that people should be aware of both.
9 Comments
Margaret
Good points Tim. Its also worth mentioning that setting up an expedition often requires an aweful lot of office and admin time. Sometimes the prep actually takes longer than the exped itself and you find yourself being a 9 to 5 desk bound organiser. But you always learn something new when you set up a trip and that’s what matters. Whether I’m in an office or on an ocean the key to a happy life is new experiences and expanding your knowledge and skill base, be it intelectually, physically or spiritually.
Jaime
Couldn’t agree more. Dabbling with both is best, if not a necessity. And obviously lets not forget that more often than not, offices fund adventures.
I think it’s almost a right of passage people go through once they’ve got the adventuring bug to think ‘give me some of this full time and permanently’, then life settles down again and reality hits home. Ultimately I think the rather blunt opinion that offices are bad is something people tend to grow out of. Obviously, some people succeed at introducing adventure more often into their lives but with anything the ‘serious bits’ and admin still need to be done. The message that your life can be enhanced by introduicng a bit of adventure, even if only rarely, does need to be said. However, perhaps it should come with the caveat that it might be harder to fit in than you think, and won’t necessarily permenently replace any routine you may feel stuck in but it will definitely be worth the effort.
Good read Tim. Thanks
Tim Moss
Thanks guys. Although, Jaime, I wouldn’t want to confuse the ideological point (that offices and expeditions are no better or worse than one another, just different) with a practical one (that it’s hard to lead a life of full-time adventure but easy to live one in an office).
Tom Allen
It’s an easy soapbox to shout from. I guess the main point is that satisfaction comes from doing something for its intrinsic value – whether office or mountain-based – rather than simply to chase a paycheque / conform / satisfy the perceptions of others…
John Pasmore
Balancing desk & outdoor is a reality that most of us have to exist with — thanks for the balanced perspective….and inspriation to get outside…
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lunaeeed
Put simply, we have to manage our expectations. Dreaming, skimping and saving for a year to fund a two month excursion doesn’t necessarily mean that you won’t still be susceptible to feeling a little blue on said adventure. The grass is always greener; despite trying to be rational about it, you can be in the midst of a fantastic adventure and find yourself planning how you will improve you ‘real’ life back home.
Few single, immediate moments in life are entirely free from niggling doubts. Maybe I should be doing something else, because I do not feel as happy as I thought I would, right now. We expect too much, or I certainly do; it is not until after I return to the rhythms and routine of normality that I come to cherish adventures past.
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