A few months ago we changed our tagline. Maybe you noticed. Or maybe you didn’t, because it’s really just a few words on our header. Either way, now you’ll find:
A Cruising Couple – adventure travel with a dash of class
We decided to change our tagline when we realized that our last one –stories from two lovebirds traveling the world—didn’t really say anything about our blog. Yes, we’re in love. And yes, we travel. But what kind of stories are we telling, and who is our blog for? It wasn’t until our friends at Green Global Travel posed these questions to us that we realized it was time for a bit of rebranding.
So we chose adventure travel with a dash of class. The ‘class’ part was easy. We don’t claim to be budget backpackers and we don’t really want to be. The last time we stayed in a hostel in Costa Rica, we actually left after the first night, opting to pay a bit more for a cozy inn a block away. We didn’t regret the extra dollars spent one bit. We’ll always prefer a boutique bed and breakfast that has been painstakingly adorned with unique, one-of-a-kind décor. We appreciate the details and we relish a bit of comfort.
But the core of our tagline isn’t ‘class’—it’s adventure. And that’s where things get a little bit blurry.
We Googled ‘What is adventure travel?’ and this was the first answer that popped up in the search results:
Adventure travel is a type of tourism, involving exploration or travel with perceived (and possibly actual) risk, and potentially requiring specialized skills and physical exertion.
Interesting. While we definitely consider ourselves ‘adventure travelers’, that’s certainly not how we describe most of our journeys.
So what does adventure travel mean to us?
Adventure travel is about embracing life. It’s making the most of each and everyday, whether that’s in our own backyard or halfway across the world.
Adventure travel is more than an adrenaline rush. It’s more than collecting a stock of ‘extreme’ stories to brag about. It’s more than proving ourselves to be braver or stronger than someone else. Adventure travel is about challenging ourselves, pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones and conquering our fears. Often this is physical, but even more so it is emotional and mental.
Adventure travel means learning new things about ourselves—discovering that we are capable of so much more than we could have ever imagined. But it’s also means learning about the world, interacting with and embracing new cultures and ideas.
Adventure travel is relative. Each person has his or her own comforts, fears, hopes and challenges. While jumping out of a plane is extreme for some, for others the adventure might be in getting on the plane in the first place. Adventure is what we make of it.
Adventure travel is dynamic. It’s a constant flux, continually evolving with our comfort levels. And that’s okay. I used to have no problem with canyoning or rappelling or jumping out of planes, but when we recently went zip lining in Costa Rica I almost had a panic attack. Perhaps I’m not as intrepid as I used to be. That doesn’t necessarily make me less adventuress.
Currently I’m reading ‘Lonely Planet’s Guide to Travel Writing‘. With all the time we spend blogging and sharing our travel tales, I figured it was time to start learning how to do it well. One day while I was skimming through it, I came to a halt. In a larger quote about writing with clear, compelling prose, Don George states, “…discover the world with a fearless curiosity…” It was just a few simple worlds, but they resonated deeply. I re-read it. I underlined it. I shared it with Dan and then we put the quote on a pretty picture of a sailboat. The words really got us thinking—what would our lives look like if we lived with such a fearless curiosity? And it was then that we realized if we have to define adventure travel in just a few words, it’s this. Having a fearless curiosity about ourselves and the world.
We try to live adventurously everyday, breathing in all the life we can before we find it’s too late. Sometimes that might mean cycling 1,000 miles through Vietnam, climbing active volcanoes in Indonesia, or flipping our boat while white water rafting. Other times it might equate to sampling unusual food or learning something new. And that’s why we love adventure travel so much—because it’s for anyone willing to push themselves out of their comfort zones.
That’s what adventure travel means to us, but we want to know—what does it mean to you? Please be sure to share your own opinions in the comments below!
Casey I love your new tagline and the awesome way you define it. I agree with everything you’ve said and that quote is pretty damn amazing, too!
Corinne recently posted…Elephant Orphanage in Sri Lanka
Thank you Corinne! Glad you like it and agree :) Here’s to more curiosity!
Travel to me is something beyond a break away from the snow- though that just helped on our recent trip to Mexico! It is a chance to explore history, culture, try new foods or activities in a different environment. Travel lasts way beyond the one or two weeks away – it broadens your horizon and the memories bring a smile to my face at random times! You also get to meet interesting people like my husband and I did when we took the wrong turn at Tulum ;) It was nice to meet you two and remember British Columbia and the great outdoors awaits you! I will have to send you some pictures.
Thanks for the comment, Laurie! It was so nice to meet you too :) Definitely one of the advantages of getting lost sometimes! Hope you had a great end to your vacation, and hopefully we’ll make our way to British Columbia sooner than later! Everything we’ve heard sounds fantastic!
You know actually, your tag-line is the only travel blog tag-line that I can remember. I guess that I think it sums you up well, and matches the kind of fun, conversational style of your blog too. It definitely says a lot about you and the blog. I also agree with your definition of adventure – adventure isn’t only a physical or risky thing, it’s about pushing your own boundaries on lots of different levels, and in fact, just doing something new. I always like reading your various kinds of adventures :)
Charlie recently posted…How to Eat Vegetarian in Poland
Thank you so much Charlie! That means a lot, both that you know our tagline and think that it defines us well! No one had really said anything when we changed it, so we thought that it had gone unnoticed, but as it turns out more people know it than we thought! Thanks again, and cheers to many more adventures of all kinds! :)
:) I think it’s just that there’s not really an opportune moment to mention something about it (well, now there is!) and probably a lot of people think the same!
Charlie recently posted…Picture This: Light Fades at the Brighton Pavilion
I can totally relate to your definition of adventurous traveler. It’s all about challenging ourselves and pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones and conquering our fears!!
Agness recently posted…Beer Experiences From Around The World , Part 3
Definitely! Glad you agree!
I can tell you put a lot of thought into the change.
Joshua Dent recently posted…Why I Write & Do Comedy
Thanks Joshua, we definitely did!
Nothing wrong with a few creature comforts and the tagline is brilliant by the way! Some very pinnable quotes there too. Here’s to some more classy adventuring!
Naomi recently posted…Barcelona is worth all the hype
Thanks Naomi! Feel free to pin away ;-p And yes- cheers to classy adventuring! :)
Great post. I agree with you guys and like your new tagline. Keep on adventuring! I enjoy the adventure travel as well and agree that paying a little more sometimes is worth it!
Angela Travels recently posted…Mountaineering – Is it for me?
Thanks Angela! Glad you like it and agree :)
I really agree. Adventure is what you make of it, and it means something different to everyone. Being defined by someone else’s definition is lame, so good on you for making the adventure part of your site your own!
Sam recently posted…Hammam Al Ãndalus, Madrid
Yes, so lame!! We have to remind ourselves of that often, and not just for adventure travel :)
Funny how the world works. Just last night my father in law was chatting with my partner and I about your life choice of continuos travel. He was saying that there are not many people who choose to live like we do, and how adventurous it is. When I hear the term “adventure” I often think of XXX-treme sports and mountain dew, which is not exactly us. It’s a good reminder that when you choose a life of exploration almost everything is an adventure. Even if you are just trying to explain “baking powder” to someone in a grocery store in Prague where everybody speaks Czech.
Jenny @ Till The Money Runs Out recently posted…Parades and Circuses, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Haha yes, we have had so many of those ridiculous encounters in grocery stores! Especially when we were living in Taiwan :) It’s true- often other people think we are more adventurous than we picture ourselves to be, but I love your statement than a life of exploration means almost everything is an adventure. It’s so true!
Love the new tagline and your new adventure philosophy! Like Sam said above, adventure means different things to different people. My friends who don’t travel think I’m adventurous for living in China. But really, I’m just curious about the world. And I’d say cycling Vietnam counts as adventure travel in anyone’s book :-)
Heather recently posted…The Best Meals We Ate in Shanghai
Thanks Heather! And you’re right- cycling Vietnam was definitely the most adventurous thing we’ve done! Haha now whenever we talk about it, I think- how did we do that?! Anyway, glad to hear you like the new tagline :D
Gah, branding is SO hard. I think your new tagline is pretty clear and succinct though – good job cracking it!
NZ Muse recently posted…Carnival of Personal Finance #455: Books, tax refunds, growing up and more
Thanks NZ Muse!
Love your blog, and your definition of ‘adventure travel’. My husband and I never stay in hostels or hitchhike our way through new countries but we do step outside of our comfort zones and try new things–food, snorkeling, hiking, etc. I think the fact that someone is willing to experience a new culture shows they are adventurous, even if it’s their own definition of adventure. Cheers!
Thanks so much Kristina! Glad that we have the same idea about adventure travel :) Cheers to lots more adventuring around the world!!
Great Great! i agree with your post. :-) Thank you for your comment!
Mingma @ everest base camp trek recently posted…Trekking in Nepal