The Lagom Rules for Adventure – 1st Edition

These are random rules/guidelines to being a Lagom Adventurer inspired by Gibbs of the popular NCIS. They are subject to change at any given time and are in no particular order.

#23 Be prepared to share food. Dishes are pretty much communal, so don’t be surprised if I’m reaching over sampling your duck tacos.

#17 Each person should order something different. This expands the possibilities of trying new food.

#32 Try to eat somewhere new once a month. This is something Aaron I have been doing for probably a year now. It expands your horizons.

#65 Makeup is optional. Neither one of us are high maintenance girls which frees up more time to adventure.

#3 Matching socks are optional (this may be more of my own personal belief). I will try to find matching socks in the labyrinth of laundry room, but I’m not going to waste a lot of time. I have better things to do.

#82 Be on time or early is even better! It’s annoying having to wait on people. If you are running late, text and give the others a heads up. 

# 45 No guarantees that an occasional curse word won’t slip out. Now we aren’t out here just dropping the F bomb to be dropping it, but once you have taken a spiderweb to the face anything could come flying out.

#81 Be flexible. Sometimes the weather or an outdated Yelp entry can throw a wrench in your plans. Last fall we were really excited about another trip to The Taste of STL but the thunderstorms won. Instead we found the Iron Barley and made a trip to Trader Joe’s. Not exactly the same but not bad either.

#18 The opposite of rule. #81. Be prepared and plan well. I’m a planner. I see something. I research it. I don’t want to miss a single thing because I didn’t have a game plan going into the adventure.

#60 Don’t get stuck on the word “adventure.” It’s subjective. Everyone’s ideas of adventure are different and that’s ok!  If going to Walmart on a Friday night the first of the month and grocery shopping isn’t your normal behavior then that’s an adventure. And I must say a good form of people watching (one of my favorite activities.)

#22 TAKE THE PICTURE! Yes we all want to look photogenic and at our best, but more importantly take the picture so you can remember the moment. My personal preference is to only include part of my face. In my own mind, it distracts from the fatness. Have you seen The Authentic, The Unfortunate, and The Unsightly?

I would post a lovely picture of me taking pictures, but I’m usually behind the camera!

#11 Be prepared for me to take a healthy number of pictures. These could be the obligatory selfie/groupie, a timed posed shot, or my favorite – the random in the moment shot. (I was a yearbook adviser for 8 years; I’m always thinking of that perfect dominant action photo.) We aren’t taking these photos because we want to see ourselves. It’s because we want to remember the moment.

#44 Always try to eat local first. Eat local and try to sit near the locals. Here lately I’ve been privy to intriguing conversations – one of which involved wild hogs and Tannerite.  Be observant without being the weird stalker staring at people from the corner.

#77 If the spot is named after a specific dish or the home of something famous  – try it. It normally won’t disappoint. My recent examples – the Peacemaker Crab sandwich and the famous White Pie.

#56 Be willing to turn the radio off. Two reasons 56a – if the radio is off in the car your kids will be more willing to talk. 56b – learn to be ok with silence or just your own thoughts. Sometimes I have the best conversations with myself.

#93 Don’t order the hamburger. Unless you are at a hamburger joint don’t order one – not at the Mexican place, steak house, and anywhere else. Yes, hamburgers are a safe bet for those picky eaters, but this is about branching out and finding new delicacies.

#94 Don’t order the steak well done or medium well. Back in my younger years I was guilty of this until I started waiting tables and had the opportunity to try steak differently. There’s a big difference in flavor. Trying working your way down from well done. You won’t regret it.

And that’s our first edition of the Lagom Rules for Adventure which seems to be very heavily food oriented. I’m sure we will be expanding and adapting as we continue. If you can think of any to add, let us know.