always choose adventure
Of all the family rules Ronnie and I hope Charlie and Margaux carry with them through life, this one might be my favorite:
Always choose adventure.
When most people hear the word adventure, they think of boarding a plane, climbing a mountain, or setting off for some faraway destination. And certainly, some of my favorite memories have come from doing exactly that. But the older I've gotten, the more I've realized that adventure isn't really about where you go. It's about how you choose to move through the world. It's choosing curiosity over comfort, wonder over routine, and possibility over fear. It's raising your hand, asking the question, trying the new thing, introducing yourself to the stranger, and saying yes to opportunities that excite you, even when they're a little scary.
Some of the best things in my life have come from choosing adventure. Adventure led me to rugby, which led me to lifelong friendships. Adventure led me to write books, start businesses, and take chances that didn't always work out but always taught me something. Adventure led me to Ronnie. Adventure led me to motherhood, which has been the greatest adventure of all. Looking back, I can trace nearly every meaningful chapter of my life to a moment when I chose curiosity over certainty and possibility over comfort. What I've also learned is that:
Adventure doesn't disappear when life gets busy. It simply changes shape.
Some seasons are filled with passports and plane tickets. Others are filled with diapers, work deadlines, carpools, and laundry piles that somehow seem to regenerate overnight. During those seasons, it's easy to believe adventure is something you'll get back to someday. But I've found that adventure is still there if you're willing to look for it.
Adventure can be found in a book that changes the way you think. It can be found in a conversation that opens your mind or a hobby that reminds you what it's like to be a beginner again. It can be found in taking a different route home, accepting an unexpected invitation, or learning something completely new. And perhaps most surprisingly, it can be found right in your kitchen.
One of the things I love most about food is its ability to transport us. A meal can introduce us to a different culture, a different tradition, and a different way of gathering around the table. Every recipe tells a story about the people who created it and the place it came from. Food allows us to experience the world without ever leaving home, which is one of the reasons I love cooking so much.
When life feels busy and travel isn't in the cards, food becomes one of the easiest ways to keep choosing adventure.
Try the ingredient you've never heard of. Make the recipe that feels slightly intimidating. Invite friends over and attempt something new together. Let your kids help, even if it takes twice as long and creates three times the mess. Adventure isn't really about distance. It's about discovery.
That's what this chapter is all about. These recipes are invitations to explore, experiment, and stay curious. They are a reminder that wonder doesn't require a passport and that some of the most memorable journeys begin around a kitchen island with flour on the counter, music playing in the background, and people you love gathered nearby.
Because adventure is everywhere you seek it.
Sometimes, all it takes is a single bite.
