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Living on the Edge: The Rise of Extreme Travel Trends
189 Plays1 month ago
In this episode of States of Discovery, we're diving headfirst into the world of extreme travel. From sand dune boarding in the Southwest to white water rafting in remote canyons, thrill-seekers across the U.S. are redefining what it means to take a vacation. But what's behind this hunger for adrenaline? And why are others content to sit back and play it safe?
Join us as we explore the psychology of sensation seeking, the most daring destinations in the United States, and the ways we balance risk and reward in travel. Whether you’re a storm chaser, a solo survivalist, or just curious about what drives people to leap from planes or dine suspended in mid-air, this episode is for you.
In This Episode, We Cover:
- Today’s extreme travel trends: from unique accommodations to once-in-a-lifetime thrill rides
- Adrenaline-fueled U.S. destinations, including National Parks and beyond
- The spectrum of adventure: comparing casual risk-takers to extreme thrill-seekers
- The psychology of thrill-seeking and insights from Psychology Today
- How to test yourself on the Sensation Seeking Scale – past and present
- Real examples of high-risk travel: ice climbing, storm chasing, deep wilderness survival
- The role of cost, comfort, and access in choosing your adventure
Resources Mentioned:
- Sensation Seeking Scale – Zuckerman Test (Classic Version)
- Updated Sensation Seeking Personality Tests
- Psychology Today Article on Thrill-Seeking Behavior
Connect With Us:
- Phone Number: 805-298-1420 - Leave us a message! We’d love to hear from you.
- Email: podcast@onlyinyourstate.com
Subscribe and leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts!
Listener Question:
Are you an adrenaline junkie or do you avoid risk altogether? Share your most extreme travel experience—or your most grounded one—by emailing us or tagging us on Instagram!
Recommended
Transcript
Understanding Sensation-Seeking
00:00:04
Speaker
True. Emory psychologist and sensation-seeking expert Kenneth Carter says, high sensation seekers see potential stressors as challenges to overcome rather than threats that might crush them.
00:00:21
Speaker
And this mindset is a buffer against the stress of life. And I find that very, very fascinating. I mean, talk about taking the bull by the horns, I guess.
00:00:31
Speaker
ah Right. Oof.
Thrill-Seeking Travel
00:00:38
Speaker
Hey, and welcome back to States of Discovery. Today, we're diving into the psychology and culture behind thrill-seeking travel, why some of us crave the edge of danger while others maybe cling to comfort.
00:00:52
Speaker
From storm chasers in Tornado Alley to climbers scaling frozen waterfalls in New Hampshire, we are looking into the psychology and destinations that push the limits.
00:01:05
Speaker
Yikes. Okay. So just to start, I think we need to cover our bases here. Not everyone's idea of vacation includes the possibility of death. Yes? Yes. A hundred percent.
00:01:16
Speaker
ah I mean, for some people, yes, the edge of their comfort zone is a spin on a roller coaster. And that's pretty much me in a nutshell. maybe just something as simple as ordering the spicy option on a menu.
00:01:32
Speaker
Yes. So I think it's funny to see how personal preferences really guide people's thrill-seeking behaviors and honestly their inner psychology.
Biology of Thrill-Seekers
00:01:41
Speaker
So there's actually studies behind this. And according to Psychology Today, this sort of thrill-seeking and adrenaline junkie behavior is actually tied to something they call sensation-seeking.
00:01:53
Speaker
And it's not just a quirk, it's an innate trait in who you are as a person. And some people are biologically wired to crave that kind of intensity, new experiences, unpredictable unpredictability, and even fear. Yeah, and that doesn't necessarily mean that that these people who are sensation-seeking are reckless.
00:02:12
Speaker
In fact, there are a lot of thrill seekers that are calculated risk takers. So they're training, they're preparing, they don't want to dive, die. In fact, it's the opposite. They want to feel alive.
00:02:27
Speaker
And even in an an article published by Outside Magazine, there's an even deeper reason for thrill seeking adventuring. It's that desire to feel alive, like you said, but also a desire to be in tune with the natural world.
00:02:41
Speaker
which makes sense in a lot of ways when you think about thrill-seeking adventures, which can include surfing, rock climbing, splunking.
00:02:52
Speaker
All of these things allow humans to move in tandem with nature. It just so happens that there are calculated risks involved.
Sensation-Seeking Test
00:02:59
Speaker
Which I find really interesting as well, because there's an actual test you can take to kind of define what your sensation seeking level is.
00:03:09
Speaker
But first, I think we need to discuss what that actually is and what the sensation seeking is comprised of. the sensation-seeking test, that um it was the scale created by Dr. ah Zuckerman that's kind of been reworked to get to the crux of it all without spending hours taking a test.
00:03:30
Speaker
So Sarah and I took this test. And before we jump into our results, I think what's really interesting, the questions that they're asking, because... it It really does boil down to the psychology of, you know, they're not asking you outright, do you want to go like jump off a cliff? And is that your idea of a great vacation? They're asking, how do you feel about ah rewatching a TV show that you've already watched? So I think that I found that very interesting.
00:04:01
Speaker
Yeah, it's closer to like the Myers-Briggs test or an Enneagram or maybe even just like a general screener. So it's like putting you through like these tests that, look, this is not a diagnostic official test. Like you can't like take this and say like, hey, um this is what I... But I do think it's like a great insight into your personality. So...
00:04:20
Speaker
Before we discuss our results, I did want to touch on the components of sensation-seeking behavior and like what makes... Just to give context for for what our answers are going to be.
00:04:32
Speaker
So first, it is an innate quest for adventure and risk. So this characteristic, these people are looking for adventure. They're looking for risk.
00:04:43
Speaker
Second, there is a love for varied and novel sensations. Okay. Third, there's a natural ability to be disinhibited and unrestrained. And then fourth, there's a so susceptibility to boredom.
00:04:55
Speaker
So we can kind of see why these four traits would lead to someone seeking sensations and and adventure. So drum roll, please. Do you want to disclose your sensation-seeking results?
00:05:08
Speaker
Yeah, so I feel like this is going to be a little bit boring and no surprise to anybody that listens or perhaps knows me, but i actually land right in the middle.
00:05:20
Speaker
I'm a 49 out of 100. I'm 45, yeah. There's no way. There's no way I'm more sensation-seeking than you. That cannot be true.
00:05:32
Speaker
I mean, you do surf. I do not. That is true. Okay. Okay. yeah Yeah, what I thought was really interesting. So, you know, it says that if we land in the middle, you're moderate and sensation seeking.
00:05:45
Speaker
um Sometimes you're searching for novel, thrilling experiences, but striking a healthy balance, which I guess when you when it boils down to it. Yeah, that makes sense. I can relate to that 100 percent, 100 percent.
00:05:55
Speaker
ah hundred I can relate to that. Yes. Period. um So I think it's interesting because pursuing new experiences and adventures is something that is very, very important to me.
00:06:09
Speaker
But I also like to maintain a comfortable daily routine. Yeah. so and I'm curious what of the four components you relate to the most because to me, if I think of Marissa, I'm not thinking, oh, you're disinhibited, unrestrained, dysregulated. You're just doing whatever the hell.
00:06:26
Speaker
Yeah. so What of the four do you feel like you can see be part of your personality? Like more strongly. So i would say the second one, a love for varied and novel sensations, um and a little bit more towards a quest for adventure.
00:06:43
Speaker
i think for me, i You know, like adventure does come with risk and I don't think I get too hung up on the risk because of the act of what I'm doing is yeah so much more important to me. So like, you know, like you mentioned surfing.
00:07:05
Speaker
Surfing to me comes with a lot of risk. Injury, drowning, shark attacks, all of those things that if you kind of get stuck on that, you're never going to try surfing. But those are are usually just the outliers of the adventure when really the adventure well will be so much more rewarding to you in the long run.
Personal Thrill-Seeking Experiences
00:07:25
Speaker
Yeah, and in a recent conversation we were having, you were describing how you moved through your fear of flying and it was imagining the outcome. And I feel like that's a very similar thing. Like you want to do it for, ah forgive me, but for the vibe, like for the experience. Like you want to surf for the outcome, for the activity and not worry about what could go wrong.
00:07:47
Speaker
um Yeah. Yeah. Actually, interesting that's a really good point because at when I'm surfing, I always imagine – the feeling of getting up on the board, on the wave. And you're you're just like that connection with with nature that we mentioned, that's what I think about when I surf. I don't think about the risk.
00:08:06
Speaker
So maybe that is something in my brain. But then I'll never jump out of an airplane. Oh. You know, and that's like a story for another time. I mean, we're 45 and 49. We're not going to be jumping out of airplanes anytime soon.
00:08:20
Speaker
ah feel like that was actually one of the questions on the screener is like, would you enjoy jumping out of an airplane? it was like, absolutely not. No. Right. Same. Yeah. Okay. So what about you? What do you relate to most out of these? I think that the varied and novel sensations are...
00:08:35
Speaker
is Honestly, that's really high. um I do have a susceptibility to boredom. I feel like i will seek even you know um errands and things to do around the house if I feel like I'm having too much of a lie-in.
00:08:50
Speaker
And then one of my core values that I seek is being curious in – well, two, curiosity and adventure seeking. So I feel like that's just kind of folded in, but I have that huge part of me that is this over – rationalization and seeking information. And so I tend to like maybe overthink something. So that's why i'm not number three. I'm like unrestrained. No, thank you. I am over restrained, if anything.
00:09:18
Speaker
So just curious. Do you think that the your sensation seeking has changed as you've like gone through
Changing Sensation-Seeking Over Time
00:09:25
Speaker
life? Do you think certain experiences may shift where you land on the scale? Or do you think your age plays a factor in how that might fluctuate?
00:09:35
Speaker
I do feel like all of us have gone through that phase of, hey, my prefrontal cortex is finally locked in in early 20s. Now I'm suddenly afraid of things. um So I do feel like there's some of that because even as something as simple as a roller coaster, whenever I was younger, i gave but zero thoughts to what could go wrong. And now as I'm getting buckled in, I'm like, well, hopefully this isn't the day. This is worth it.
00:10:01
Speaker
so Yeah, that's interesting because i do I was thinking about that too the other day about just – I was chatting with my dad about the the movie – I think it's called Free Dive on Netflix. These free divers that – yeah, I know i already by your reaction, i already know the ocean deep diving unknown is – that's a big no.
00:10:22
Speaker
But these people that free dive without – they hold their breath and they – dive to like beat these records and then they have to come up so slowly to you know decompress or is that that level of talent is wild I was actually um just like maxing out like your o2 skills like how are you able to not need that much oxygen while you're doing that level of exercise and you're going slowly up. um Nah, that sounds like a lot.
00:10:53
Speaker
it it It is. And it's fascinating because like you know psychology today is saying thrillee thrill seekers aren't motivated by danger. They're actually driven to soak up these life experiences.
00:11:06
Speaker
And they just, like plainly put, they do not let danger dissuade them. Therefore, they don't have these risks accompanying these activities like cliff diving or mountaineering. Another one I thought was interesting, an example was gambling that they ask ah in the questionnaire, do you like to gamble? and And really, i don't.
00:11:25
Speaker
I don't find losing money fun. Yeah, like the money in my pocket. I'd much rather spend the money on an experience or food or something not Well, I had it and now I don't.
00:11:38
Speaker
ah So I guess that does make sense why someone would want to dangle from a cliff or chase a storm. Like there's that calculated risk. It's part of their personality.
00:11:49
Speaker
They're not necessarily throwing themselves at danger as maybe you or I might see it, but it's they're deciding to do these things for very concrete reasons. Yes, true.
00:12:00
Speaker
And Emory psychologist and sensation-seeking expert Kenneth Carter says, high sensation seekers see potential stressors as challenges to overcome rather than threats that might crush them.
00:12:16
Speaker
And this mindset is a buffer against the stress of life. And I find that very, very fascinating. I mean, talk about taking the bull by the horns, I guess. That's...
00:12:29
Speaker
But also I wanted to say, in addition to that kind of taking the bull by the horns, we're making these calculated risks. It's also for the story, right? It's for the, I went to happy hour. And let me tell you about this time I scaled some, I don't know, the half dome, right? Yeah.
00:12:46
Speaker
Yeah. ah Yes. I think, I mean, gosh, isn't it just like a shift in perspective too that you're, you know you're seeing these as challenges to overcome rather than a threat.
00:13:01
Speaker
So that mindset in general, of course these people are you know skydiving, paratrooping, ah yeah ah doing all these you know like these cliff jumpers that just have the squirrel parachutes that are gliding through the air. I'm just, oh gosh. But if they're looking at this as like, hey, this is just a challenge to overcome. And once I crush it, then...
00:13:29
Speaker
you know i can move on to the next thing. And that mindset to me is very foreign because I don't necessarily have that when it comes to thrill-seeking behavior, I think.
Adventure Stories
00:13:40
Speaker
Okay. So let me ask you this. If you were going on this big adventure and you came back and you didn't have a story to tell, you didn't say, well, you know what? I actually surfed off the coast of X, y and Z, or I went on a you know a hike through, i don't know, the the hills of Spain.
00:14:05
Speaker
And you said, well, I just can't, I watched a lot of hotel TV and then that was it Like, how would you feel? Would would that be you? Yeah, you know, no that wouldn't be me because i i i mean, it also just like, I do think it comes from a varied sense of what thrill seeking can be.
00:14:25
Speaker
Because to me, what's what would be like thrilling to me in a way that I think would really, ah you know, adrenaline rush is like public speaking. I hate that.
00:14:35
Speaker
I hate public speaking. I hate speaking in front of a group. I hate all eyes on me. Loathe it. Okay, so bad news for you. Did you know we're publishing this?
00:14:46
Speaker
Yeah, it was just you and me. We were just like chit-chatting here. and ah matt But like Zoom calls, I used to have like panic ah if there were 20 people on a Zoom call and I had to, it's just, I don't know what that is. That is a whole other episode, i think, for But then something like running a marathon, that is intriguing to me. you know For a while, I was training for like a sprint triathlon because i was like, hey, wouldn't that be really cool at you know my age to just really try that try training and try getting my body in shape for this and then completing it? That I find exciting. But then don't ask me to jump out of a plane.
00:15:29
Speaker
So what is the most adventurous thing you've ever done? What is the like adrenaline pounding, not necessarily death-defying, but yeah you know getting up there? i don't even... I probably couldn't... eat i think just living in a sprinter van for as long as I did Fair enough. Given the statistics, yes.
00:15:47
Speaker
Yeah. I was parking sometimes in the middle of nowhere with nothing, no cell service, no other human in sight, nothing. And it was just me and, you know, Ghost, my dog.
00:15:59
Speaker
And we were in the middle of nowhere. and And that to me is very scary because anything could happen, you know, like. ah Yeah. And that was for years. and don't know. What about you? what's the What's the most seeking thing you've done?
00:16:14
Speaker
I've done some thrill-seeking things, but not on purpose. ah So there there were times i was in Spain living for a little bit, and i remember I'm not fluent in Spanish at all, so I tried.
00:16:31
Speaker
I grew up learning French, and so I'd always get the pronunciation backwards, and even when I had like – I would like write my conversations down. It was terrible, so – ah Yeah, i I tried to do my due diligence and I failed.
00:16:42
Speaker
But anyway, i I broke my foot um and I was abroad and I just wanted to get home, but I had to like accelerate my travel. So I and my two large checked bags in a carry on bag took...
00:16:57
Speaker
a bus from where I was in Alicante up to Madrid by myself, unable to speak to anyone else. Because i was we were just going through random countryside. Like, they weren't speaking English, and understandably so, by myself. And it was just, like, ill-advised, you know? Like, it got to the point where when you're looking back, like, I didn't really have self-service. I wasn't in contact with anyone. I couldn't speak to anyone. had a ton of luggage with me. And I i couldn't manage it myself. i had a broken foot on crutches. Wow.
00:17:26
Speaker
It could have went sideways really easily. Thank goodness it didn't. um Even if it was as simple as missing my bus, what would I have done? Right. You know? so And you know what I think is interesting about that example is that you weren't seeking out this absolute situation.
Solo Travel and Thrill-Seeking
00:17:44
Speaker
Like that's, it just happened to be this very, uh, could have gone wrong situation, but it's, it's because this is not your identity. Your identity is not being this person that's, that's like testing the waters, right?
00:18:03
Speaker
No. I mean, yeah i like to say that maybe I am brave, but also to your point, I'm not jumping out of airplanes. And this sort of – I think it really does drill down to this sort of like solo travel, solo adventure.
00:18:17
Speaker
Both of us have had it in different flavors. And I think that is thrill-seeking in a way, especially as – women out in the world alone, that is sometimes ah pretty dangerous. And I feel like trying to figure out your way without a guided plan and as someone as a planner, that can be really – makes me feel like a daredevil, not going lie.
00:18:39
Speaker
Yeah. i think I think, you know, for certain instances – I was just watching an episode of Top Chef, Top Chef Canada. And in order for them to get an advantage in the challenge, they had to – be held the top tippy top of this building so high up they had to go over the edge just by one rope harness they're connected put their arms out and then look up and yeah so they got some of them that did it got a 30 minute advantage in the challenge and then the this one guy that didn't do it he's like i have two kids why am i doing this yeah you know And I think just that is an example of the calculated risk that you go into it and you're like, this isn't worth it versus, know. Okay. So when did Top Chef become Fear Factor? Yeah. Right. think in few seasons.
00:19:29
Speaker
Right. Yes. Wow. so Speaking of Fear a Factor, I remember I used to watch that diligently and think like, you know what? I can do it. I can do that thing. and here I am in my 30s. Absolutely not. That was not me. Yeah. Yeah.
00:19:44
Speaker
No. Okay. So let's talk about destinations and the people who are opting in to chase these thrills.
Extreme US Destinations
00:19:50
Speaker
It's not, oh, we were traveling and something went awry or ah you know it's ah it's a passion that may be like surfing that you've done, but it's not necessarily thrill seeking to the masses. Let's talk about places in the US s that people actually go to at me get these jollies that scare the crap out of me.
00:20:11
Speaker
Yeah. so it's you know National parks, first and foremost, believe it or not, they offer a lot of extreme adventures for thrill seekers, which I think is fascinating because a lot of people go to national parks for the beauty, the nature, the views, the short hikes.
00:20:29
Speaker
But you know we're not talking about these two-mile hikes. We're talking about the difference between that and an overnight where you pack it in, pack it out. You yeah just have what you brought and 20 miles from civilization.
00:20:46
Speaker
that That is wild to me because even on the short hikes, even on the family-friendly, moderate hikes, I was packing bear mace, sirens, like self-defense items. I was ready to go. and I can imagine people who are going on these like really extreme...
00:21:01
Speaker
overnight hikes or you know entering lotteries to do like the big impressive climbs and things like that. like i My feet were sweating just going over to some of the normal overlooks in some of these national parks. I got Yosemite, Glacier Point.
00:21:15
Speaker
Beautiful. I was having a moment. It was very high up for me. Yeah. And so you can also go sandboarding at places like Great Sand Dunes National Park in Southern Colorado. And that's all that sounds incredibly fun to me, but I feel like I would fail because it's a cross between skateboarding, surfing, skiing, and snowboarding. And it's one of those things where if I'm sitting at my desk, i'm like, you know what? I bet I could do that. Absolutely not.
00:21:42
Speaker
No, I trip over myself going down the stairs. Yeah, but you've gone sledding before, right? Well, sledding on my butt. like Yeah, you could do that too. You could sandboard. don't have to stand necessarily. you could You could sandboard like a sled down these dunes. See, this is the difference between you and me. You're like in your wetsuit surfing. I'm just on my boogie board with floaties. Yeah.
00:22:08
Speaker
Just like in the shallows, like, look, I'm doing it. I got it. Yeah, but then you're like, you're talking about going on a roller coaster and just like, you know, throwing your hands up and I'm on the ground taking photos.
00:22:20
Speaker
So I think it's just about perspective and maybe what's... i don't I don't know. Like, yeah, I don't know. I would do some... I would definitely do some thrill-seeking things. Like in Moab, that's like extreme adventure mecca where you have like free climbing, base jumping, all these beautiful, gorgeous red rock formations.
00:22:41
Speaker
And i feel like that's the type of place where you can go at ATVing in the desert. Yeah. you Like there's so much to do, but the appeal of that is that you're surrounded by this gorgeous landscape and that is like a once in a lifetime experience.
00:22:58
Speaker
The appeal, but also the fear, because I don't know about you, but whenever I'm out there and the middle of Utah and I'm like, wow, if something happened to me, how long would it take to me for me to get to a hospital? You know what I mean?
00:23:10
Speaker
Like you see that Green River stop and it's like everything else around it it's hundreds of miles for the next gas, let alone. Right. What are you going to do? that And that's why you're 45 out of 100 on the sensation seeking.
00:23:25
Speaker
A hundred percent. Yeah. Have you ever gone ah like climbing or anything like that in Moab? No. In Moab, no. Yeah. Mm-hmm. What's the like most – do you boulder, rock climb, anything like that? Are you – walk through and I hike, but I'm not – climbing. Yeah, I have climbed before. it was very big, believe it or not, in Austin, Texas.
00:23:50
Speaker
um A lot of people would go to the surrounding parks. And I've always thought about climbing as adding that to ah list of things that I would want to do. Because to me, like I like having things to do in nature. So maybe that's like part of this yeah seeking, is that I just like having...
00:24:11
Speaker
hobbies outside, if that makes sense. Like this summer, for example, we're going to go a whitewater rafting o in South Carolina. I haven't done that since I was in Pennsylvania since I was a kid.
00:24:25
Speaker
And for some reason, it just does not scare me. I'm not scared of whitewater rafting. Wear your helmet, wear your floaties. Yeah. Yeah. It's like the same as snowboarding to me. You know, like I grew i grew up snowboarding and then as an adult and I just took uh, you know, my wife's snowboarding for the first time and she makes fun of me cause I didn't take her to the bunny slope first cause she wanted to learn on the bunny slope, but I wanted to take her on the bigger just to get her used to it. And I was guiding her down the mountain and she was like, next time can we start on the bunny slope? Cause I guess that was too much. And I didn't even think about that, but Oh no, I don't know.
00:25:05
Speaker
It's like people, you know, throwing someone in the deep end kind of, you know, I, Look, I understand and respect that, but I too would want to go on the bunny slope because i feel like otherwise I'm just going to like plop over, show me how to stop and not, you know, run into a tree.
00:25:20
Speaker
um i feel like climbing would be really fun. But one thing I've noticed that every time I've gone to like a bouldering gym, I'm like, wow, my the like tendons in my forearm, my grip strength just isn't what it needs to be to do something like this.
00:25:34
Speaker
And i've the one experience I had climbing – into a cave I did not expect, nor did was I prepared, nor did I have gear. So it was um just a terrible experience.
00:25:46
Speaker
Yikes. Yeah. ah We went on this little, I think I told you before about my like sort of like cave diving scuba experience that I was not scuba, but like snorkeling that I wasn't expecting. And it was terrifying.
00:26:01
Speaker
Well, similarly, the guy in the little blow up dinghy was like, Hey, climb up into this cave and is in the side of a cliff in Mallorca. And he's like, I'll be down here. Didn't bring my anchor. I'll take photos. You go have fun.
00:26:12
Speaker
And all of us were just in like swimwear and didn't know how to get up into the, it was it was a thing. Because so situations like that, i think lead to certain traumas that prevent you from doing things in the future. talk about PTSD.
00:26:32
Speaker
Well, I mean, imagine though, if you had that experience and you had a guide that was very prepared, that was like, hey, this is I'm super prepared. I'm a professional. I have this, this, this. Here's your gear. here's Then you would be like, okay, I could do this versus- And then maybe you never want to do that again because of that situation. so Yeah. i do yeah I do think that that is impactful. it' like and And maybe some of these people with higher sensation-seeking skills, yes, they biologically maybe crave certain things, but I also think in terms of their formative years and their nurturing,
00:27:07
Speaker
Maybe they didn't have those experiences. They were taught the proper way. They understand. And they were able to form those like calculated risks. Whereas to me, i see it more as danger because I just haven't had the good experiences that I've looked back on. I'm like, well, it's a story. It was fun. But I have learned that I don't want to do X, y and Z because of how I felt.
00:27:24
Speaker
You know? So even people who go to say like Denali National Park and they're hardcore wilderness people, they're survivalists, they could be on the show alone, which I am addicted to.
00:27:36
Speaker
But like when you see people go on these shows and people who are going out into the wilderness, they are so prepared. They've like spent years of their life getting ready for this kind of thing. So of course, if I went there and I'm like I'm going to go to Denali National Park and I'm not prepared.
00:27:51
Speaker
i have a terrible experience. The mosquitoes bite me to death. And I'm like, well, I'm never doing that again. That's my fault because I wasn't and wasn't educated or ready for it. Yeah. Yeah. ah Yeah.
00:28:02
Speaker
and And I think what also at the same time, there might be like some evolutionary hardwiring in our brain that is just you know protect from danger.
00:28:13
Speaker
Protect. Protect. So it's maybe you're when you're looking at an activity and you're seeing it for what it is, maybe your brain is automatically pointing out all the risks that on the outset to like convince you to not do it because there there is a lot of danger involved and your brain's like, we want to stay alive.
00:28:32
Speaker
You know, don't do this kind of thing. Yeah. I also think too this about um how I grew up and where I grew up. I wouldn't say that Ohio is very high on the thrill-seeking state list.
00:28:44
Speaker
No offense to Ohio. It's beautiful. There are so many great things about it, but it's not the California or Florida or Colorado or Washington or Arizona, all these places. I mean, i didn't even list them all, but have like these very, like the national parks and these extreme spots to where, like I can't get whitewater rafting Ohio. Like not really, like there are rivers and things, but we're just gentle bumps, you know?
00:29:08
Speaker
We go cabruing here. That's what happens in Ohio. Yeah. Wait, what is cabruing? What's like going on a river float, either like inner tubes or in a canoe or kayak and you're bringing beer.
00:29:23
Speaker
So it's cabruing and you're just like all linked together. Okay. I did not know that i had an official name. Okay. Love that. If not, uh, trademarking it now.
00:29:34
Speaker
Yeah. was good feel like you should have trademark it. oh gosh. Yeah. Yeah. And so like on the opposite end of the spectrum, also talking about very extreme things, you know, what about suspended dining?
00:29:50
Speaker
People that are hanging from a crane, eating dinner at 150 feet in the air. ah You know, this type of this is definitely sensation seeking behavior, because why choose a restaurant where you'd have both feet on the ground when you could be hanging from a crane?
00:30:06
Speaker
Exactly. Also, i spill under normal circumstances. How are you supposed to actually effectively eat and enjoy what you're eating when you're like redlining at the top of a crane in the middle of the... I don't get it.
00:30:18
Speaker
I could not. Yeah. Right. Maybe. Yeah. But yeah. OK, so on the flip side here, because that does not sound appealing to me and I probably would never do suspended dining.
00:30:29
Speaker
So, you know, for some of us, are we living in a time when we're avoiding discomfort more than ever and and just like preferring to have normal experiences to avoid discomfort of anything else? And why is that?
00:30:45
Speaker
Why are we avoiding discomfort as much as we are?
Pandemic Impact on Thrill-Seeking
00:30:48
Speaker
I do think that especially because of COVID and we went through this long period of time where there was a lot of fear and a lot of real fear for like what is going on in terms of our medical safety and you have to stay at home and there was, you know, the um but kind of like stay at home orders and things like that. I feel like We got into this mindset of, look, I was sanitizing my groceries. I was wiping stuff down. i didn't know what was you know safe and not safe.
00:31:15
Speaker
And it kind of put you in a headspace of like, i well, you need to protect yourself. So maybe I'm not thinking about, I don't know, like wading through a swamp with leeches and snakes. And i also think that there is a level of you're no longer desensitized to these like adventure-seeking behaviors. Like if you've ever...
00:31:35
Speaker
been afraid of flying and you don't fly for many years, all of a sudden it seems like a much bigger deal than it used to be. Yeah. Yeah. I think that's a very good point because when you're experiencing fear on a day-to-day basis of the world that you live in,
00:31:54
Speaker
then why are you going to go out of your way to be uncomfortable or find discomfort? And it's almost like we're trying to regain control in a world that feels very much out of control. And I think that honestly related to some of the thrill seeking you can do, that's a little bit more approachable, like a little bit more reasonable. So say like theme parks.
00:32:14
Speaker
To your point about, okay, I can identify a space where I am in control or at least perceive control and I'm going to have fun doing it. I think that that is really why theme parks exist.
00:32:27
Speaker
Right? It's interesting because i have opposite feeling about theme parks. I don't know if it's just from growing up and going to county fairs where just things looked wobbly as heck.
00:32:43
Speaker
And I don't know. It's like i someone else is controlling that. So maybe it it does boil down to control because when I'm surfing, I feel like I'm in control. When I'm on an airplane, I feel like I'm not in control.
00:32:55
Speaker
Fair. then when I'm at a theme park, and the the ride is guided by things that are out of my control. So it's so maybe that does. we just have a breakthrough moment? Oh, my goodness. Genius.
00:33:09
Speaker
Well, I think it's all about – so, okay, sure. I think it's, I want to get back to theme parks, but I think you hit on a really good topic about control and perceived risk. And I think that being in control can give people a sense of
00:33:26
Speaker
It's almost like inflated risk reduction. It doesn't mean you're necessarily safer, but it feels safer. Just think about statistics in terms of driving versus flying.
Perceived vs. Actual Risk
00:33:37
Speaker
Flying, you feel out of control. But still, even with everything that's happened with you know the FAA and things this year and the headlines that we've seen, it's still much safer than driving. And driving more than likely you're in control.
00:33:50
Speaker
Yeah, that's a great point. Every time I'm on a plane and I hear the flight attendant talking to somebody about the risk of flying and how much safer it is than anything else we do on a daily basis, yep it's crazy. And you're right. It's separating the actual risk from the perceived risk and then knowing how to protect yourself in terms of like preparation or like you were saying, having a good guide, good gear. All of that matters in terms of maybe having you take a look at what the actual risk is versus the perceived risk.
00:34:25
Speaker
Yeah. And look, something as to me as wild as skydiving has really low fatality rates. it yeah you know it's If you look at the numbers, it's not something that is necessarily going to hurt you.
00:34:40
Speaker
But if you think about statistics, okay, how many people are skydiving versus how many people are flying? So if you want to like start scaling out your level of perceived risk, say, okay, sure, skydiving safe. There's really but relatively low fatalities, but it is a numbers game, like how many people are actually doing it.
00:34:58
Speaker
If you think about flying, even as many accidents as we've seen in the headlines recently, would say, I think from in a 2024 safety report, there are 1.3 accidents per million flights that accidents per million flights Like that's that's a lot.
00:35:15
Speaker
And I know that it feels like we've seen more. And I do think there are real infrastructure issues and staffing issues that need to be addressed. But it's still, you know, is something we need to remember is that that is still a really safe form of transportation.
00:35:29
Speaker
um Even if our perceived risk has gone up just due to some of the things that have happened recently. Yeah. and And I feel like part of that too has to be our perceived risk is forever growing, i think, due to the media as well and and how much information we're able to consume on a daily basis.
00:35:52
Speaker
And the fact that if you're seeing, like right now, we're having a lot of issues with air travel, you know, confusion on and whatever, it's Technically, a lot of that information is coming at you and your brain is kind of consuming it to where maybe your perceived risk is going up when the actual risk is just staying the same or even lower.
00:36:16
Speaker
Absolutely. I mean, look, I'm flying to New York tomorrow and I'm not even flying into Newark, but I'm thinking, okay, it's fine. It's fine. It's fine.
00:36:27
Speaker
So, you know, it is interesting, like as a 45 out of 100 on the sensation seeking scale and someone who's maybe a bit more cautious, Yeah, you you're absolutely right. Like the numbers are remaining the same essentially, but my perceived risk is going up. And that's probably why, you know, if someone were to ask me like, hey, you're going to go ah base jumping? I'll say, no, absolutely not.
00:36:49
Speaker
um Like go on a roller coaster, maybe. um But once I get on it, I'm going to be extremely anxious until it's over. Yeah. Okay, so circling back to themme theme parks, because I did want to go back to that.
00:37:01
Speaker
um You find that theme parks, what, the perceived risk versus actual risk is a lot higher. Well, okay, county fairs, yes, they're putting together those things on the fly. That's that's a whole different story, I think. um But in terms of theme parks,
00:37:22
Speaker
and the The real risk is low. It's extremely low. But I don't deny if I'm going to Cedar Point and I'm sitting on that new tilt coat coaster, I'm going to be like sweating a little bit. um Yeah. i Is that why you don't go on roller coasters? Is it because of the fear or is it more of like a body sensation of I'm going to get sick or have a headache? Yeah.
00:37:46
Speaker
It's the body sensation, I think, for me. I don't like that feeling of falling. um The first drop of a roller, you know what it is to the anticipation of you're sitting there, you're strapped in the climb up the thing is like so slow, like like just drives me crazy that you're just anticipating this.
00:38:07
Speaker
And then but it happens so fast and then it's done and you're like, oh my gosh, this is great. And you asked me the other day well when the last roller coaster I was on was it was a mummy at Universal Studios. I love The Mummy. Yeah.
00:38:19
Speaker
And I think the reason I like The Mummy is because, a it's very dark, so I don't really see what's going on. B, there is the anticipation isn't there because you're also in like parts of the movie and you're able to look around and see things. yeah I think to me, a roller coaster, that first climb, i i just don't want to do it.
00:38:38
Speaker
Well, good news for you. if you're going to Epic Universe, the Stardust Racers in Celestial Park, that's a launch coaster. You're going at 60 miles per hour immediately. So you'll be fine. No anticipation needed.
00:38:50
Speaker
Yeah. Okay. I need to solve it for you. I'm going to, you know, what's interesting too, about this whole situation is that going to Epic universe, I ha I purposely have not looked at the rides because i don't want to, no, no, no, no. no I'm still going to, I'm still going to do it. Cause you, I, that was helpful information that you just shared because I just right out the gate, i'm going to go, but I think the more I don't know about something. Yeah.
00:39:17
Speaker
I'm able to do it versus the more I know about it and then my brain will just like ruminate on it. And then. Which you would think would be different given our entire conversation today about preparation, skill, education.
00:39:30
Speaker
You're like, nah, just put the blinders on. Yeah. Yeah. yeah Probably not healthy either, but yeah. I understand though. The rumination can be, I get that a lot too. Like you just sit in your own, know, cage thinking about something that's going to happen.
00:39:47
Speaker
Being an overthinker. I think that's where a lot of the perceived risk comes from is because, you know, it's this it's growing up and it's the stories that people tell you ah of, oh, did you hear about that boy growing up that got, you know, injured on a ride or and and then that just sticks with you in your head. And then that's the one example and not the millions of examples of safe rides.
00:40:10
Speaker
Well, it's also, I think, too, some external factors like maybe, you know, my mom will text me like, hey, did you hear about that roller coaster on the other side of the world that did something and someone got caught? I'm like, oh, I didn't. um yeah Thanks, mom.
00:40:24
Speaker
Yeah, my mom, too. Same. And that's probably why it's... Yes, it's just like creeping I would love to do ah gut check episode 20 years from now and be like, hey, how do we feel about ah if podcasting is still a thing?
00:40:41
Speaker
Yeah. Are we now the people who are like texting others like, hey, did you hear about that accident about that on that tilt world? Oh my gosh. I hope not. I hope that's not me. But yeah.
00:40:53
Speaker
So, okay. Do you, are there any, any thrill seeking adventures that we've talked about that we haven't talked about that you would want to add to your
Future Thrill-Seeking Plans
00:41:03
Speaker
bucket list? Let's say in the next five years.
00:41:05
Speaker
Absolutely. i think we didn't talk about it very long, but there are so many things in the United States I think it wouldd be worth doing. So um even in my hometown of Canton, Ohio, and then I know, and I think Santa Fe, they do a lot of air balloon launches.
00:41:21
Speaker
And I don't like heights. i don't know if I would freak out during it, but it does seem like something fun to like be part of like one of those air balloon festivals and like go up in one and just see. Because how do you... i It just blows my mind that you can't really control it. You literally have a car that chases you to find where you land because all you do is go up and float and that's it.
00:41:45
Speaker
So you're talking about like a tethered ride or untethered? Untethered. Okay. So just going up, floating around, coming back down. Yeah. Yeah. Every year for the football hall of fame, they have a air balloon festival and it looks really fun. And like, they don't float far. They land in the same town, but I still think that would be fun.
00:42:06
Speaker
That would be fun. That would be really fun. I've never done anything like that. Well, I mean, how far are you from the football hall of fame? And is this something you can cross off your list? I mean, maybe I should start reaching out for this August.
00:42:18
Speaker
We have our known travelers, thrill seekers launching this fall. What if I go up in an air balloon just for this, for this campaign? i Yes.
00:42:29
Speaker
Just have me out down in the corner of the basket. be a compelling video you're like so sorry i didn't get any photos i actually didn't see anything i was curled up in a bowl see i will need a gopro like what you have so that way can at least put it on my head so if i'm curled down you can at least see what's going on hold it up while you're down there yeah what about you what's something i mean i know you're going whitewater rafting but anything else Yeah, I think honestly, um, I, yeah, nothing.
00:43:04
Speaker
No, I don't know. My wife keeps talking about diving. She has her certification for like open water diving and I've never done scuba diving before. And snorkeling makes me nauseous. I get seasick snorkeling. So I don't know. is another Looking up and down. Like, what is it?
00:43:22
Speaker
Yeah, I think it's just like you're there and you're floating on the surface, orling and your're he you're just you're looking around and stuff. Yeah. Oh, man. i Yeah, scuba, it's a lot.
00:43:36
Speaker
It's a lot. Same. So I'm going to say yes to it. um i think that's just where I'm at, too. I told you this for Epic Universe. i'm i'm I'm saying yes to everything. I'm also, don't know, I've reached this point in my life, the past year or so, two years. I don't know. Everyone says once you hit 40, then it's kind you're just kind of like,
00:43:56
Speaker
you don't give a darn about what anything. And I feel like right now that's just where I'm at. I'm like, yes, let me just say yes to things. Let me just yeah do it. um And you know, what's the worst that can happen?
00:44:09
Speaker
I think that's a great mentality to have because it's not like you're saying yes to uncalculated w risks that are wild. Like, you know what? I am going to just like jump in the back of that van and like go base diving and try these strange drugs. ah I do hope that your snort, if you do go scuba diving, maybe you can ease in with like, I mean, obviously you probably have access to like crystal clear waters, but I feel like if it's like bright and there are like cool fishies and you can just like suffer through for that. Yes. Yeah.
00:44:38
Speaker
I will say no report back am afraid of I'm afraid of fish in the water and all the things. We know this. But the one time I did get lured into snorkeling with fish, it's because I saw turtles. And I got so excited about the turtles and they bait and switched me.
00:44:53
Speaker
I'm like, oh, I want to go see the turtle. And then he swam away. And then i was just surrounded by like fish and coral and I hated it.
00:45:01
Speaker
What? So, okay. Another disappointing thrill-seeking experience that probably, okay. We are wrapping this up, but I'm getting a lot of insight. yeah We got it.
00:45:16
Speaker
Wow. I learned a lot about myself. Forget the episode. Oh, man. This is, yeah. No, this is great. love this.
00:45:25
Speaker
So, yeah, I think ah whether you're scaling cliffs or screaming like me on a roller coaster, thrill-seeking is so much more than just a rush. It really is a way of exploring and testing the boundaries of life and maybe just being able to feel everything more deeply. Yeah.
00:45:46
Speaker
So yeah, feel nature more deeply, feel the fear and anxiety. Just say yes in calculated ways. But thank you for joining us on States of Discovery. If you have a travel story that pushed you to your limits,
00:46:02
Speaker
brought you to the edge, you want to share it, or maybe you just want to share um a story like me, who you did an adventure, and then you're like, wow, that was terrible. What happened? Send us an email at a podcast at only in your state.com, and we'd love to hear about it.
00:46:17
Speaker
Yes. And until then, stay curious and maybe just a little bit wild.