Wild Adventures To Have Before Turning 40 – Forbes

Sliding out of your thirties and into the next decade doesn’t have to be ill-omened. There are, in fact, many brilliant benefits of getting older.

You’ll find that, in many contexts, you’ll make decisions based on what you want to do, not what you should do; you’ll be more secure with your body and your abilities, and be more curious to try new things physically; you’ll learn how to tame your inner critic, the one that nags and cautions that you’re not good, smart or strong enough; you’ll learn to appreciate your resiliency and ability to bounce back after hardships; toxic people in your life will get the boot; and you’ll be more willing to invest in self-care.

If you find yourself yearning for a new adventure, whether to celebrate an approaching decade or to check off a bucket-list item, consider one of these experiences.

Run a Half or Full Marathon

One thing you’ll notice in your forties is that your body changes and performs differently than it did in your earlier years. Muscles ache, backs and knees get sore and stamina can be a challenge. The journey you’ll go on, training for an endurance race, is full of ups and downs as you push your body into new milestones. You’ll have good runs, where you feel proud of what you’ve accomplished, and you’ll have bad outings where you question your resolve. It’s a beautiful thing to start off only being able to slog a few miles and then end by crossing the finish line, arms in the air, after running 13. 1 or 26.2 miles.

Whether you sign up for your local race for the first time or hit the pavement in a new city, here are the top half and full marathons in the US for first-time runners: Walt Disney World Marathon, Bank of America Chicago Marathon, Monterey Bay Half Marathon, Rock n’ Roll Marathon Series Las Vegas, Austin Marathon Series, Flying Pig Marathon, Cincinnati and San Francisco Marathon Series.

Caution: the running bug might bite and you may end up traveling all over the country to earn new race medals.

Learn How to Surf in Bali

If you’ve never been on a board, out in the ocean, it may be time to give it a go. The best way to learn something new is through great instruction, which is slow and patient and willing to help you overcome any fears. Plus, if you have support of peers, people who are also learning how to do something new, you’ll have the added benefit of comedic camaraderie. Falling off your board is much more enjoyable when others around you are doing the same.

Goddess Retreats in Bali, Indonesia brings women from all over the globe together to fully immerse in beginner-level surf lessons. You’ll go out each day to practice surfing and when you return to the Goddess Sanctuary, you’ll enjoy a wholesome colorful meal, pool time, yoga and daily spa treatments. Most of the women who attend are solo travelers, so you’ll meet new friends and bond over a shared experience. Also, one day is reserved for cultural engagement—you can explore the island on a bicycle tour that winds through villages, learn about the Indonesian art of Batik printing, learn how to cook Indonesian specialties or go to a Balinese market.

Go Skydiving

If you’ve seen viral videos of Will Smith, Maisie Williams, Liam Hemsworth or Tom Cruise jumping out of a perfectly good airplane and thought that you might like to try skydiving too, then now is the time to go for it.

Flying tandem takes the edge off a bit, but to ease any apprehension, here are some tips for the big rad day: read up on the drop zone and confirm that it’s an affiliate of the United States Parachute Association, make sure you’re medically fit to handle the rush, eat a moderate breakfast beforehand, wear comfortable tight-fitting clothes and breathe.

Backpack the Rim-to-Rim Trail: Grand Canyon National Park

Hike from North Kaibab to the South Rim on this 23-mile adventure, resting your head at Cottonwood, Bright Angel and Indian Garden campgrounds. You’ll be amazed at how green and lush Arizona’s most-visited park can be as you cool off near a waterfall, trek past wildflowers and swim in brisk flowing water.

While some athletes run the trail in one day, it’s recommend to slot four days to fully take in the canyon’s magic. Explore Ribbon Falls; drink a beer at Phantom Ranch with other dirty hikers; camp under the stars at Cottonwood Camp and watch the twinkling lights, visible on the North Rim a mile above; and cop-a-squat and watch the sunset at Plateau Point. You’ll have copious amounts of stellar experiences to write home about as you hike in and out of the canyon, past rose and rust-colored layers of rock, revealing millions of years of geological history.

Four Season Guides lead trips throughout the year—the professional guides create one of the most amazing adventures that you’ll ever have, perfect for skating into your fourth decade.

Travel Differently, Science Agrees

The science has long been out: learning something new is beneficial for your brain. NPR reported the importance of picking up a new hobby for sharp-as-a-tack mental health, using data from University of Texas at Dallas neuroscientists. Another study linked international travel with increased creativity. Yes, it’s true, lives full of repetition put us on autopilot, while exposing ourselves to something newfangled sparks the brain into building neuron connections.

In short: we’re happier when we experience and learn new things.

So, why not challenge ourselves to travel deeper? Eat new foods that you’ve never heard of, attempt to communicate with people from different cultures when you don’t understand the language, leave your devices at home and navigate blind, stay at an Airbnb instead of a hotel, bring your pet along for the ride, travel solo, make new friends, take a great American road trip across the country (or at least across state lines), camp in a National or State Park, backpack across Europe—the choices are endless and turning 40 doesn’t have to throw a wrench into your plans. Pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone is a risk—you may get rejected, lost, wounded—but, in the end, you will be glad you took the chance and put yourself out there in a big way.