Be the 'Cool Kid'

One way to get the most out of your 52 Weekends Together is to keep a record. This doesn’t mean you have to rush to the craft store and get a fancy scrapbook. Unless, of course, you already have one. In which case, scrap away! But, if you are lacking in that department, don’t fear. The 52 Weekends pocket books have lines provided for you to do just that. However you go about it, Make it work for you.  Use a sheet of notebook paper, write in a journal, if you’re really tech savvy, you could even create a video blog (which is sure to impress your friends!).  documenting your experiences will allow you a way to look back on just how far you’ve come from Weekend 1. And it is important to make use of them because documenting your experiences will allow you a way to look back on just how far you’ve come from Weekend 1. Keep track of the places you go, the things you do, and the people you meet (no name? no problem—“kind man who helped me find my seat” will suffice). Take pictures! Your companions’ smiling faces will be the best testament to the memories made throughout your journey.    

Admittedly, it is much easier to log onto your computer, Google “Himalayan adventure,” push the Enter key, and begin exploring through the various search results than to save up thousands of dollars, purchase various survival kits, hire a mountain man tour guide, and take months off of work to experience your own, but in the end, what have you come away with? Photographs other people have taken, knowledge other people have gathered, and a sense of wonder that there are some really ambitious people out there. Okay, Himalayan adventures may be a bit of a dramatic start, but the point is this: it is very easy in this day and age to let other people experience things for you. But then, you are just observing the world around you, rather than being a part of it.

Instead of searching for information online, you can be the source. Think how much cooler your kids will think you are if you take them to actually see your college football team play, rather than just telling them about how much fun you used to have at the games. Think how much more fun your friends will have with you by taking them to see your favorite band play, rather than just continually playing a CD for them when riding in your car. At the end of the day, you will have one more memory made, one more relationship strengthened, and one more entry for your record.