Adventuring Together
Adventuring Together, by Greta Eskridge
If you haven’t read Adventuring Together, the new release by Greta Eskridge, GO ORDER IT RIGHT NOW!! An easy read that will make you laugh, drop a tear, and introspect.
Adventuring Together is broken up into three parts:
How Adventures Make Connections
Start the Adventures
Step Into Adventure
Throughout the book, Greta wants to drive through the point that - adventuring together makes lasting connections. Sharing from personal experiences with her own family and childhood, she invites you into her personal adventures. From hiking trails, to campouts, to ballets; Greta’s stories will make you want to climb Mount Everest (or at least aspire to).
All are welcomed into Adventuring Together. She quickly makes you feel at ease by letting you know that you don’t have to be a CrossFit mama or outdoors woman. And if you’re already one of those rock climbing or deep diving mamas - then just read; and see how your adventurous spirit can create lasting connections with your kiddos! Starting the adventure doesn’t need a travel agent or vacation time. Greta says to “start small”.
“Small adventures also build such strong connections. I like to think of these small adventures as small but mighty.”
This really resonated with me, as my husband’s work schedule is very unpredictable. Being in the medical field and always on call, for us intentionality is key and more often than not - we have to be spontaneous.
One of her childhood stories that really stuck out for me, which was a must share with my guy, was her story about Sunday afternoons on the beach with her family. It reminded me a lot of us. Like her dad, my husband is the one with the adventurous spirit! For us too, the beach is a quick 10 minute drive getaway for us! And even if it’s only a couple of hours on South Florida’s shores, it grounds us.
Here was one of my favorite parts from Adventuring Together:
“Dad always came in to swim with us after he napped. He’d take us out deep, where the big waves were tougher and scarier. He showed us how to dive under big waves and body surf the calmer ones. We were braver when he was with us. We lived out the spirit of adventure on those sandy summer days.”
This is my husband. Mr. adventure! I see my children’s bravery come to fruition whenever he leads. Even if sometimes “Mr. Adventure's adventure'' becomes a misadventure. Like the time when it was the annual mullet run season and we decided to go to the beach. We had no idea what a mullet run was! But it soon became a homeschool lesson.
At the time we had about 5 kids. I stayed on the shore with the three younger ones while my husband went into the water with the two older ones (at the time, ages 12 &10). Something told him to strap on the dive knife. About 5 minutes into their swim, I notice a bit of commotion from the other beach goers. With our infant suckling at the breast, I quickly skim my perimeter and look back at the high rise buildings on the beach. Beach residents standing on their balconies looking out. Some taking pictures. Some pointing. And then I look out towards the water, and my husband and kids are the only ones in the water.
Before them were thousands of mullets. Behind those mullets were other fish I would rather not think about. It was a feeding frenzy. And there was my better half and offspring in the middle of it all. All I could do was pray because I really wanted to cry. I stood up, baby still nursing and all I could do was watch and pray some more. I saw them go under for what seemed like forever! And then there they were. Closer to shore. All three holding hands, but in one hand my husband held on tight to his diving knife.
Once on shore they were laughing. Sharing how they had to swim through it. Fish slapping up against their bodies. A floating fish head of something bigger made them realize there were bigger fish then mullets! This misadventure is what Greta calls an “opportunity to practice grace”, because I could have screamed at my husband for taking the kids into that frenzy, but instead it became what she calls: “It will make a great story later”. And it has. This story has been told countless times and it’s always a great story! That day a connection was made that will never be forgotten.
While I prefer to soak in the sun and dig my toes in the sand, my husband gets out there with the kids! I admit that stepping into adventure has not always been something I am intentional about. Most of the time, my husband pulls me into adventure. And that’s ok. I’ve had my mishaps and usually they are not ones we want to share with others, but rather “keep it in the family”! I really resonated with Greta’s “peeing in the trash story”. But mine was “pooping in the baby's diaper on the boat story”! I’ve had more pooping mishap adventures than I care to share, but I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one!
For you hermit crabs, don’t be dismayed. There are plenty of ideas in Adventuring Together to get you to come out of your shell with your kiddos. Greta also shares plenty of indoor adventures to consider; and encouragement to do hard things like ballets, art museums, or watercolor painting. Believe me, a ballet is doing a hard thing with kids! Star gazing moments can be made on the couch - reading an adventure story. A trail of mishaps can be had in the kitchen.
Adventuring Together, by Greta Eskridge will bring out the Robinson Crusoe in all of us.
You can follow Greta Eskridge on Instagram at: maandpamodern