It鈥檚 hard to say exactly what adventure looks like these days. And that鈥檚 a good thing. Instagram, #Vanlife, the rise of glamping, and adventure-minded brands like , which is聽sponsoring a new crop of explorers (like Charles Post and Rodrigo Trevino, below), have all helped transform聽the landscape.聽Plus you’ve got the聽explosion of diverse adventure- and outdoor-focused communities, nonprofits, and groups. The result is that it鈥檚 never been easier to find your people, find inspiration, and find your own flavor of adventure. Don鈥檛 believe us? Here are four explorers who are navigating the world in their own way, on their own terms.
Charles Post:聽The Ecology Evangelist
has a hard time describing what he does for a living. He鈥檚 an ecologist by training, but also a filmmaker, writer, photographer, and founder of a nonprofit. The common theme that unites all his work: connecting people with the natural world around them.
It鈥檚 why he co-founded , which partners with professional athletes to teach underserved kids about the joys of getting outside. It鈥檚 also why he鈥檚 made award-winning films about raptors and bighorn sheep that people actually want to watch. Even his Instagram is designed to get people excited about nature. 鈥淚 like showing hunters or surfers that the migration patterns of butterflies are super rad,鈥 Post says, 鈥渁nd distilling complicated themes in a way that can be shared over a drink.鈥
Whatever project Post is working on, it all boils down to developing a deeper relationship with nature. And for that, he says, all you have to do is take a closer look around. 鈥淕et to know the names of the animals around you. Learn five birds that frequent your yard. You鈥檒l be amazed at the joy this knowledge will spark.鈥
Kalen Thorien: The Perpetual Beginner
For , it began with skiing. Although she didn鈥檛 start until she was 16, by her twenties she had established herself as one of the hardest-charging pro skiers in the game. Soon after, she realized that she鈥檇 like doing other things鈥攆ly-fishing, backpacking, riding badass motorcycles鈥攋ust as much as skiing.
So a few years ago she reinvented herself as a multisport adventurer. 鈥淥ne summer, my goal was to wake up in a tent as often as possible,鈥 Thorien says. 鈥淚 pack-rafted, backpacked, explored the Grand Canyon鈥 call it my 鈥榮ummer of love.鈥欌 This year, Thorien is changing trajectories again, giving up a static home for life in a 4×4 rig and switching from riding street-centric Harley Davidsons to trail-ready dual-sport motorcycles. 鈥淩einventing yourself is important for every explorer, whether you get paid to do this or not,鈥 Thorien says. 鈥淵ou think you have one idea of what you want to do. Then you have a night out with your friends, and you come up with a better idea, and you go for it.鈥
Noami Grevemberg: The聽#vanlife Inclusivity Advocate
Freedom and constantly changing scenery are great. But for , who鈥檚 been living in her van full-time since 2016, it always comes back to the people. 鈥淲e live in a 35-year-old Volkswagen, so we break down a lot. Strangers have fixed our van, offered us food, been so kind and generous when we were at the lowest of lows. I鈥檝e learned to put trust in human beings鈥t changes you.鈥
So much so, in fact, that in 2019 Grevemberg founded , a platform designed to amplify little-heard voices in the nomadic world. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a big part of our community that doesn鈥檛 fit the narrative that you see in mainstream media,鈥 Grevemberg says, adding that it鈥檚 not just minority races, genders, and sexual orientations that are getting overlooked, but people in a lower tax bracket too. 鈥淭he way vanlife is represented right now feels like gentrification in a way. How do we create space for someone who can鈥檛 afford the $60,000 rig? There are so many ways to pursue nomadicism, and all those stories deserve to be told.鈥
Rodrigo Trevino: The Horizon Chaser
has a plan. As soon as the pro photographer finishes converting his Chevy Silverado 2500 into an off-road camper, he鈥檚 heading south to surf Baja for a couple of months. 鈥淢aybe swim with the whale sharks,鈥 he says. Or he鈥檒l head north to surf and hike through the Pacific Northwest. The direction isn鈥檛 important. What鈥檚 important is that he鈥檚 on the road, with no strict itinerary. 鈥淚 want to let the weather guide me. My photography is more organic when I let the flow take me places.鈥
The key for Trevino was figuring out how to get in that flow. He had a more traditional job (he worked at Avis Rent A Car) for years, but felt trapped. 鈥淲hen I finally got on the road, I felt like a dog at the dog park off-leash.鈥 And while he鈥檚 been chasing that feeling ever since. These days you’re just as likely to find him backpacking聽or glamping as you are in his off-road camper, shooting for brands such as Blundstone and Paka Apparel. 鈥淚鈥檓 lucky to have the job that I have,” he says. “But people don鈥檛 have to go so far to find adventure. You can find adventure 30 minutes away, or right down the street. Just get outside.鈥
Be Your Own Inspiration and Win Big
国产吃瓜黑料 and HIRSCH Selected Whiskey, The Horizon, are teaming up to give one lucky winner the ultimate glamping getaway from , worth up to $5,000. All you need to do is show us how you’re redefining exploration in your life聽for a chance to win the grand prize. Enter your photo below or share a public photo on Instagram with #ChaseYourHorizonContest and .
Founded in 1974 by A.H. HIRSCH, today continues to chase new and unique expressions of whiskey as a modern explorer would chase their horizon. The newest offering 鈥攊s an adventurous, forward-looking interpretation of a Straight Bourbon 鈥 a love letter to the modern-day explorer chasing new and uncharted territory.