Viva la Vida Travel with Carmen Schaffer

Dear Men, I know that you work hard to provide for your families. I understand that you carry an enormous amount of responsibility on your shoulders when it comes to creating a financially comfortable life for yourself and your family.Maybe you're in a dead-end job or perhaps it's an unfulfilling job that you have settled for simply because it pays the bills. Maybe you've lost all contact with your guy friends because you've been busy working and changing diapers and buying mini-vans. Maybe you've lost your mojo, maybe you feel like a machine, a slave to the career. Maybe your marriage feels empty. Maybe you lost the connection with your wife because she can't seem to connect to the machine you've become. Maybe you're snapping at your children out of frustration of all that you've given up and feel sad about but don't seem to really know why. Maybe you feel like you simply "sold out"and maybe you have lost yourself. Maybe, just mayb...

I used to think of myself as a fairly adventurous traveler until I came across some travelers who took adventure to a whole new level. Let's take Alison Levine who is the team captain of the First American Women's Everest Hiking Expedition. I was lucky enough to hear her speak ever so passionately about the expeditions she took to the summit of Mt. Everest not once but TWICE. She shared photographs of the treacherous journey through snow and wind storms in subzero temperatures while traversing over glacial canyons on what looked like an extended ladder. While I was merely sitting in my chair listening to her, I felt as though I could easily have a panic attack just looking at some of the challenges she faced. As I listened to Alison and her inspiring story of perseverance, endurance and sheer passion to succeed, I got to thinking about what adventure means to me, because I can guarantee you it is NOT climbing to the summit of Mt. Everest.  I often post about taking adventures...