Yes, you can totally have an adventurous experience in the lower 48, there are plenty of cultures to experience, people to meet, food to eat, and traditions to witness. In fact, our country is so large it would probably be nearly impossible for someone to do it all in the US alone, let alone experience most of the worlds traditions.
Adventure.
Which in the Latin is adventūrus the future participle of advenīre to arrive. Dictionary.com
It also means: exciting, unusual experience, bold, risky, uncertain outcome…to travel is to have an adventure to have an experience. And for me to travel abroad is the best adventure, to have the unusual experience of listening to traditional Irish music at a bar in Belfast, over an Irish Whiskey…it’s also an adventure to visit NYC and enjoy traditional New York style pizza after a jaunt through Central park…(I actually haven’t done this but Travis did last year!)
So, why travel in a world with the threat of terrorism? For the adventure of seeing and experiencing cultures you might not ever know otherwise.
My first real trip out of the US was to Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands with my In-Laws, let’s talk about adventure. I have no skills in speaking Spanish and neither does most of my husband’s family. Which was fun when walking Guayaquil before we departed for the islands. Another adventure from that trip was my first real experience snorkeling in the Pacific with sea turtles and sea lions.
One of my favorite adventures from the Galapagos, was the last day, our captain took us to a secluded portion of the island Espanola and there we could do whatever we wanted that afternoon. Travis took the opportunity to do one last snorkel, while some of the girls closer to my age stayed at the beach to relax and enjoy the view. It’s not very often you get practically a whole island to a small sampling of people.
While wading in the water, a few sea lions swam by, then they came back… We were under strict orders NOT to touch the wildlife. But these baby sea lions wanted to play! And began darting and bobbing in front of us, we would swim back and forth with them, until they lost interest. As I sat on the beach watching older sea lions sunbathe and listen to the quiet water crashing on the shore I realized:
Where else in the world, can I have that adventure? Where wildlife is unafraid of me, the water is crystal clear and the weather absolute perfection?
No matter the potential for disaster, for pain, for hurt. The trip will always be worth it, the opportunity to go there, to be present and in those moments be a better example of humanity and America for people and cultures everywhere.
Where did you go for your last adventure? Was it across the world or down the street?
Stylishly Shelby 
I love this so much. Your pictures. Your words. Your insight. It is for exactly the same reason that I love to travel, and to show my little ones the beauty that is everywhere. Reading your words about those adorable sea lions made me wish you had some video just so I could see them in action! Them sunbathing on the beach will have to do! Thanks for sharing your adventures!
What a fun blog and life that you have created for yourself! Nice job.
Great post, Shelby. I’d definitely agree with you that in the end, the experience is worth the risk.
Emma | http://www.creativexplorations.com