Thank You for Being Late by New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman is the most powerful book I have read this year, and it does an outstanding job of explaining the current state of the world and the “accelerators” driving the insane pace of change. Friedman’s accelerators include Moore’s Law, Big Data, the markets, population growth, and global warming—all whose effects are expanding exponentially. At this point, the pace of change has exceeded most humans’ ability to adapt.

Throughout the book, Friedman points out suggestions to help one thrive in the years ahead. Without knowing it, he makes a compelling case for the Adventure Treks experience by emphasizing the importance of three of our most defining outcomes:

1. Time to reflect

By temporarily removing kids from their busy, tech-filled lives, Adventure Treks provides a natural environment where students have the opportunity to be alone with their thoughts and reflect on their place in the world. “To whiz through our obligations without time for a single mindful breath has been a model for a successful life,” Friedman writes. But a pause is important; wisdom comes through reflection, and we are building a world that isn’t giving anyone the time to turn information into wisdom. “Not everything is better faster or meant to go faster.”

An extended break, surrounded by wilderness, is a unique opportunity to realize what is most important and help choose, how in our terms, we want to fit in with 21st-century life.

2. The 4 C’s

Intelligence used to be defined by the breadth of what we knew. Now, with the advent of artificial intelligence, information is becoming a commodity—and intelligence is instead knowing what questions to ask. “Not only are we required to think both inside and outside of the box, but now we need to be prepared when there is no box at all,” writes Friedman. While technological skills are important to thrive in this accelerating and changing world, Friedman emphasizes the importance of “stempathy skills,” which include the ability to communicate, collaborate, empathize, flourish with uncertainty, and think creatively and critically. Friedman notes that the only occupations that have shown consistent wage growth since 2000 require not only cognitive skills, but, more important, strong social skills.

Friedman implores educators to focus on the 4 C’s (communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking—and to this he adds coding); these line up with what the research and advocacy by the Partnership for 21st-century skills. He emphasizes that these 4 C’s are not innate skills, but ones that can be taught. He warns that any skill without a strong human component will be replaced by computers or robots. We feel, and research from University of New Hampshire on Adventure Treks supports, that there are few better ways to improve one’s communication, collaboration, creativity, and pro social skills than an Adventure Treks outdoor experience.

4. The importance of community

In a technological world, we spend a lot of time in cyberspace where there are essentially no rules. There is a general feeling that the world is becoming less stable and that fewer people know the “rules” of living in society. If we want society to remain stable, Friedman emphasizes the importance of community, character, and values, and knowing how to live as a contributing member to one’s community. Anthropologically speaking, humans are meant to live in a community, and studies show that we are happier when we are connected to others. Relationships are the hallmark of the human experience, and they can only be nurtured with time. Our ability to forge human relationship is a unique human capacity and is what separates us from nature or machines.

Friedman affirms that character is rarely an individual accomplishment; rather, it emerges through “joined hearts and souls and in a group.” Our focus at Adventure Treks is “cultivating the intense, thick community” that Friedman and David Brooks emphasize. Once students have experienced the power and joy of a close community experience, they seek it out elsewhere and facilitate community in the groups they work and live in. A strong community experience provides important grounding in a constantly changing world.

As the world becomes more technological, we feel a great way to build skills to thrive in this world is to actually take a break and spend time outside with friends. While our students are having fun in the outdoors, they come home with a skill set that better prepares them to thrive in this new age of accelerators.

Becoming “experts” together on our first mountain summit!

Getting acquainted with outdoor activities can be both challenging and intimidating. There are a lot of factors to consider, especially if you are new to the outdoors. But it doesn’t have to be scary! Our first recommendation: Do not make being a beginner one of those factors.

We’re all beginners at some point. But when we first try a new activity, sometimes thoughts of inadequacy creep up within us. During my first extended outdoor experience on a seven-day backpack trip in Pisgah National Forest, I fell in love with the sense of self-awareness and calmness I achieved—even though it was my first time ever wearing a heavy pack! But I also thought, “I will conquer this new skill to be a master, and only then I will truly receive the benefits of the outdoors.” It has taken me a long time to realize that being the best at something, or at the very least surpassing “beginner status,” is not the reason to go out into nature—and is not the only way to receive benefits from nature.

In fact, the whole reason I was flocking to the wilderness was to find some peace from the constant competition in my daily life. We are immersed in a culture that values performance. In education, career advancement, even the local rock climbing gym, there is a looming presence of competitiveness. It is hard not to engage in this culture, and instead simply enjoy being outside. I felt torn and confused: I began engaging in that competitive culture outside, though I was going there in the first place to specifically avoid it. It’s hard to break free of something so ingrained in us, though, even in the wilderness. I started to make an intentional effort to focus more on enjoying the experience of being surrounded by nature, and working toward getting to know myself and my fellow companions. I tried to think less of how far or fast I went, and think more about what it felt like to climb over a mountain ridge or walk silently in the forest. I had enough outdoor  skills to keep myself safe, of course, and loved learning new tricks from fellow backpackers, but I stopped comparing myself to other people (the “masters”). Think about what Theodore Roosevelt said: “Comparison is the thief of joy.”

Rock climbing for the first time.

If I could give one piece of advice to Adventure Treks students, it would be to not let fear of being new at something prevent you from having a wonderful experience in the outdoors. Many of our students come to Adventure Treks having never backpacked or rock climbed or whitewater rafted. It is not until the second day or so that they realize that most of the other people on the trip are in the same boat! Instructors teach students everything they need to know throughout the entire adventure, and by trip’s end, students usually aren’t beginners anymore—without any help, they can set up a tent, clean up camp, tie a figure-eight knot, pack their backpack, and much, much more. 

As my love for the outdoors continues to grow, so does my desire and capability to learn and improve on new outdoor skills. For teenagers and adults alike, this is a great way to build confidence and increase your comfort level in both the wilderness and at home or school. I make more of an effort now to focus on my mindset and intention when I’m learning new outdoor skills. My goal is to not let my fear of “looking weird” or not being good at something prevent me from having an awesome outdoor experience. Living by this sentiment has greatly increased the quality of my outdoor experiences and my happiness.

Whether you’re an outdoorsperson or not, hopefully by now you’ve seen the positive impacts outdoor adventure can have on your teenager. More and more research has shown us how important it is for all of us to have that exposure to the natural world. While the summer offers an easy way for teenagers to get their fill of the outdoors, the typical hustle and bustle of family life leaves little room for outdoor recreation for most of us.

While organizing outdoor activities for the family can often seem like an unreachable goal, it’s easier than it seems. Many fun outdoor adventures can be accomplished with just a single day, or even several hours—you don’t need a full two weeks to get outside and reap the benefits of nature.

Hiking is an incredibly fun and informative activity, and you don’t need a five-day backpack in a remote area to appreciate all of the benefits. Taking an hour or two out of your week to take your kids for a walk in the woods is a great way to get some outdoor adventure time. It requires minimal skills, equipment, and resources. Most major cities have nearby nature preserves with surprisingly beautiful hikes.

However, while hiking is great, it can sometimes be a challenge to get teenagers to commit to going on a hike. Fun games, like geocaching, can be a great way to combine hiking with a different kind of adventure. Geocaching is a treasure-hunting game using GPS-enabled devices. Participants navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache (usually a container) hidden at that location. It’s really fun, and you can pitch it to your kids as the original Pokemon Go! If you’re interested in finding more about geocaching in your area, you can check out this helpful resource.

If you’re in search of a water-based adventure, there are several activities you can do with minimal help. Day trips on beginner-friendly rivers make for great outdoor fun, and most require minimal prior knowledge or experience. Many lakes and rivers have outfitters that offer self-guided canoe, kayak, or stand-up paddleboarding adventures. It’s a great way to spend time with the whole family in an active outdoor setting. If you’re interested in finding paddling opportunities near you, check out this great website.

Want to to take it up a notch? Don’t shy away from utilizing an outfitter or guide service. There are usually options for whitewater rafting, mountain biking, and outdoor rock climbing within driving distance of many areas. If you’re interested in taking your teenager or whole family on one of these kind of adventures, it’s wise to seek out the help of a qualified professional.

If you’re able to free up a whole weekend to take the family on a fun outdoor outing, car camping provides a positive outdoor experience without pushing your less outdoorsy family members (which may be you!) outside of their comfort zones. Many car camping sites offer amenities like flushing toilets, while still offering you the chance to be immersed in nature. You can go as rugged, or as stylish and comfortable, as you like. Stores like REI or EMS can help outfit you with as much or as little gear as you want to purchase.

If weekend trips are simply out of the question for you as a parent, there are still options for you to help your teenager further his or her outdoor dreams. If your child has an interest in rock climbing, local indoor rock climbing gyms can be just what you’re looking for. Most climbing gyms offer excellent “bouldering,” which means climbing at low heights without a rope, often not leaving the ground higher than eight feet and staying over soft foam pads. Bouldering offers the opportunity to work on the physical and athletic parts of climbing, and anyone can participate. Climbing gyms offer routes for all ability levels, and professional instruction is usually available as well.

While you may not have the time or experience to take your family on an Adventure Treks–style trip, it’s surprisingly easy to incorporate some outdoor time into your lives. You don’t need to be an outdoor educator to reap the rewards of integrating the outdoors in your life.

– By Josh Goldbach

2016 was one of our favorite summers because we shared it with incredible students and instructors who made the commitment to make it GREAT! We would like to give a special thank you to parents for your trust and for sharing your amazing kids. We hope this video captures some of the fun, adventure, scenery, growth, and friendships from the very special Adventure Treks summer of 2016.

We miss our students from our early trips who have already returned home, but we are thrilled and excited to meet the new students who are arriving this week. We wanted to share the fun we have been having at Adventure Treks so we made a short video with footage from some of our already completed adventures. We hope this video gives you a window into the fun, adventure, community, activities and great scenery that make an Adventure Treks summer unique!