Adventure

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Some prove to be bolder than the others when going on an adventure, from kayaking through South Florida's expansive river network to cage diving with sharks in South Africa. Going out of your comfort zone on a life-altering trip may be the best form of education.

Traveling has an unmistakable appeal in your 20s and when you hit the 30-year mark, suddenly your tastes, time constraints, and career demands can get in the way. Most of us never lose that child's desire for excitement and new experiences, but as we grow older, we grow accustomed to comfort and safety. Fortunately, opportunities to see new places, learn new skills and gain confidence in our abilities are more plentiful than ever.

You can pursue active travel through "soft adventures" such as bird watching, hiking, snorkeling, and kayaking, or more extreme activities such as multi-day trekking, climbing, or bungee jumping; any adventure that gets you close with nature and gets your adrenaline pumping.

1. Hiking in Antarctica

Antarctica is the destination is the adventure in and of itself from the minute you begin crossing the world's most treacherous sea to your last iceberg sighting. You will definitely want to bring your winter jackets for this trip!

You'll sail past spectacular glacial lagoons, kayak around dramatic icebergs, and observe incredible wildlife that includes breaching whales, penguin colonies, and deep-diving seals in Antarctica's ecosystem. You can trek across glaciers and visit scientific research bases, but for the truly adventurous, the polar plunge into sub-freezing waters is a rite of passage for travelers.

Because Antarctic cruises generally offer a variety of hikes of different difficulties, you should still be in reasonably decent health to take on the easiest of the hikes.

2. Bird watching in Latvia

Check out the dense forests of Kemeri National Park are famous for bird watching from observation towers, above marshes crisscrossed by wooden walkways.

Latvia is among the world's three most important bird migration paths, and a multitude of birds can be seen in one place. Its location by the sea, its lakes, rivers, forests, and flood lands make it a good dwelling place for many species of migratory birds.

3. Butterfly watching in Mexico

The Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve is adorned with millions (if not billions) of butterflies. You will see tree branches bend under the weight of the butterfly colonies.

A multitude of these orange and black butterflies begin a remarkable migration that sees them fluttering south 2000km to central Mexico where they migrate in winter in the dense oyamel forests that cover the high mountain slopes.

4. Road trip in the Pacific Coast Highway

Have a road trip in the iconic cliff-hugging route along California's Highway 1.

You will marvel at the cinematic coastlines, crashing waves and twisting turns in their natural grandeur on the drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

You can also take a detour at the Avenue of the Giants - home to towering redwoods - and cruise along Big Sur's rugged 90-mile coastline. Visit the Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, which boasts marked trails, redwood grove forests and the photogenic McWay Falls for memories (and pictures) to last a lifetime.

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