Author Topic: A Casual Sense of Adventure  (Read 3659 times)

Thaurismunths

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on: December 31, 2007, 01:01:44 AM
Jared Axelrod of the Voice of Free Planet X posted an essay as Episode 13 titled "A Casual Sense of Adventure" in which he talks about the difficulty of justifying casual adventures after the fact. A casual adventure is a "Sounded like a good idea at the time" kind of experiences that ends up taking you someplace different, interesting, or unexpected, but with out the decisive intent of a real adventure.
Hearing his I've been inspired to post one of mine here in hopes others will follow.

Downtown Detroit is home to some of the most spectacular abandoned buildings in the nation, one of which I've had a long-standing fascination with. The Train Station is more than a little out of place being several block from anything important, and more than three times as tall as its neighboring buildings. The property is surrounded by chain-link fence, and the building is surrounded by stories of rat-men, gay pagan clans, gang fights, FBI operations, and angry hobo housing. My curiosity got the better of me one afternoon and I convinced a friend who lived in the area to go urban spelunking with me.
We didn't see another living soul while we were in there, but the architecture is stunning. Floor to ceiling marble walls that have crumbled to the floor looking like ice flows. Ballroom floors with have scorch marks from bonfires. Elevator shafts with "lofts" where bums sleep. Frescos covered in "Catfish Is Still Here '08".  All the best examples of fine design for the era, falling into ruin.
It was awe inspiring, and depressing at the same time.

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Tango Alpha Delta

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Reply #1 on: December 31, 2007, 05:23:06 AM
In college, we used to go on the craziest excursions we could think up around the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan area, but nothing ever really happened when we were starved for entertainment.  No, it was only when we weren't looking for trouble that it would creep up on us:



My recruiter told me to stay out of trouble.  I was shipping out to basic training in two weeks, and all of the paperwork was done; if I got so much as a speeding ticket, it would screw everything up.  I figured I was a pretty easygoing fellow, so staying out of trouble should be easy, right?

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Thaurismunths

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Reply #2 on: December 31, 2007, 05:54:05 PM
In college, we used to go on the craziest excursions we could think up around the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan area, but nothing ever really happened when we were starved for entertainment.  No, it was only when we weren't looking for trouble that it would creep up on us:



My recruiter told me to stay out of trouble.  I was shipping out to basic training in two weeks, and all of the paperwork was done; if I got so much as a speeding ticket, it would screw everything up.  I figured I was a pretty easygoing fellow, so staying out of trouble should be easy, right?

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Wow. Not bad for trying to catch a play!

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Chodon

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Reply #3 on: January 02, 2008, 08:24:25 PM
I had a similar experience to Thaurismunths in West Michigan.  My brother-in-law is big into urban exploration, and has been to the Detroit train station and also a couple of abandoned psych wards in Ypsilanti.  He also found it awe inspiring, and has some supernatural tales. 

We went into what we thought was an abandoned warehouse.  I don't really want to name the place because, well, it turned out to be more breaking and entering than urban exploration.  There was some cool stuff in there: Marketing pamphlets from the 70's, old blueprints, 8mm film reels.  It's amazing how abandoned warehouses can be attached to fully-functional and staffed manufacturing floors.  Manufacturing floors with alarm systems.  And security guards.  Guards that call the police...

Anywho, we ended up evading the fuzz by hiding on the roof and getting back to the bar where we got the brilliant idea via a fire escape.  It happened to be St. Patty's day, so liquid courage (aka Guinness) had something to do with it I think.  Overall it was fun, but I would NEVER do it again.  It's not really worth the risk.  I'm a little too old to use the "I'm just a stupid kid" excuse.

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Planish

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Reply #4 on: January 03, 2008, 05:31:27 AM
If you have pre-school-aged kids, one kind of adventure is to take them downtown in some metropolitan area, hold their hand, and let them lead you around for an hour or two. Veto only directions that will lead to harm or arrest. You could end up in tattoo parlors, toy stores, unusual delis, hotel lobbies, municipal services offices, all kinds of places.

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Thaurismunths

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Reply #5 on: January 03, 2008, 05:18:12 PM
If you have pre-school-aged kids, one kind of adventure is to take them downtown in some metropolitan area, hold their hand, and let them lead you around for an hour or two. Veto only directions that will lead to harm or arrest. You could end up in tattoo parlors, toy stores, unusual delis, hotel lobbies, municipal services offices, all kinds of places.

That's an amazing idea!
Where did you come up with it?

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Listener

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Reply #6 on: January 03, 2008, 05:20:59 PM
I guess I missed out on doing that in my carefree years.  The closest I ever got was a 2am trip to Wal-mart to buy bubbles so me and my friend Tim could blow bubbles at people and make them wonder WTF was happening.

We made music videos, mostly.

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Tango Alpha Delta

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Reply #7 on: January 04, 2008, 04:17:54 AM
If you have pre-school-aged kids, one kind of adventure is to take them downtown in some metropolitan area, hold their hand, and let them lead you around for an hour or two. Veto only directions that will lead to harm or arrest. You could end up in tattoo parlors, toy stores, unusual delis, hotel lobbies, municipal services offices, all kinds of places.


Heh... not in Baltimore I won't ....   :P

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