Generally, when people are asked what they want to be when they grow up, they don’t answer by saying they want to go off the grid. In fact, whenever I mention this, I get the sympathy pat on my head and the, “Oh sure honey; dream big.” Going off the grid can have a negative connotation that goes with it, but when you stop and think about it, how cool would it be to drop the phone, grab a coat and head out into the world?

Plenty of people are completely changing their lifestyle to become self-reliant in energy, water, and food. Alex Honnold is famous for free soloing El Capitan in Yosemite–a 3,000-foot wall of rock–and is a prime example of going off the grid. He completely transformed his van so that it is complete with a bed, storage, and even a kitchen area.

In a video called, “An inside look at Alex Honnold’s adventure van,” he gives a tour of his van that he lives in from day-to-day. He commented, “I don’t think van life is particularly appealing. You know, it’s not like I love living in a car, but I love living in all these places. Like I love being in Yosemite, I love being basically wherever the weather is good. I love being able to follow good conditions all over, and be relatively comfortable as I do it.” This might be a perfect example of going off the grid. He drives around wherever he wants and is prepared for almost any adventure that comes his way. He also commented that living in a car is, “cleansing in a way, and you realize how much less stuff you need.” By only having the necessities, he lives a life free from the chaos that many of experience on a daily basis.

Less intense ways of going off the grid may just have to do with becoming more self-sufficient. In an article called, “How living off the grid works,” it talked about how one of the main reasons people choose to go off the grid is to, “reduce their carbon footprint.” This basically means that people are choosing clean energy like solar panels to power their homes, or collecting rainwater to water their lawns. The article talked about how people are getting tired of all the energy, water and telephone bills, so they are choosing to live a more simple lifestyle.

These are somewhat extreme examples of going off the grid, but there are a bunch of smaller things you can do to feel like you are living an adventurous life. You don’t have to sell all of you belongings, buy a shuttle van and travel the world with only the clothes on your back.

It’s the simple things that often get overlooked, that ultimately end up being the most important. It’s the people who go on runs during their lunch breaks. The people who set up a tent in their backyard so they can have that camping experience. The people who go on early morning walks before they head off to work for the day. These examples won’t necessarily take you off the grid, as much as they will add to an adventurous lifestyle, but sometimes that’s all you need. Living more spontaneously and breaking out of the day-to-day routine can be a refreshing change in someone’s life.

Going off the grid might not be your thing, but who wouldn’t want a little more adventure in their life?