Words by Sam Eldredge
Images by Blaine Eldredge

Halfway up the verdant mountainside of the Sentinel by the Sea (a hill by comparison to the Rockies, but glorious by Irish standards as it rises from the North Atlantic), my wife Susie looked back at me, and I saw a familiar gleam in her eyes. Though she was raised in a flat place, Susie has the soul of a peak-bagger—a term we use in Colorado in reference to those people who aim to reach the summit of as many mountains as their legs will carry them up.

That look, part breathless joy and part thirsty adventurer, told me there would be no going back down until we had gotten as close to the summit as time would allow.

I’ve followed my wife up several mountains, including Mount Whitney (tallest in the lower 48), Mount Yale in Colorado, and Mount Kinabalu in Borneo. I say “follow” because it is always, always her desire that puts us on the top. I love adventure, love hiking and climbing, but the love that Susie finds in the ascent and summit of high places is powerful.

The truth is, she loves adventure. Maybe even more than I do in some ways.

I don’t think this has anything to do with being a man or being a woman. As human beings, we inherently need beauty and life; our souls dry up without them. I’ve found that so many things point to our need for God, but the need for adventure is unique.

As kids, we knew the world was a fairytale land full of exotic fruit and bizarre animals, meant to be explored. The God who created the Himalayas and the Great Barrier Reef imbued us with an adventurer’s spirit.

But it doesn’t have to be physical adventure. Some may want to learn a new language, try different food spots around town, or move to a new country. Whatever form your adventure takes, the key is to pursue it together. Invite her into the adventure, and let her invite you into hers.

When I owned a motorcycle, I loved taking rides along the ocean or up into the hills of central California. No matter how much I enjoyed those times, it was when Susie was with me, laughing and shouting into the wind, that I truly enjoyed myself. Like just about everything else in life, adventure is better when it’s shared.

The truth is that she needs adventure as much as I do, and the more we pursue it together, the more life and the more of God we experience.