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 What's It Like To BE...
What's It Like To Be an Adventurer?
Sometimes in the spring time, I kind of get spring fever. I just want to pack my backpack, go outside exploring in the woods and look for an adventure. This month I met a real advernturer. Actually, Bernie Harberts is an author, filmmaker and a public speaker. But mostly he is an adventurer. After all, his adventures give him something to talk and write about! His book, Woody and Maggie Walk Across America, chronicles his trip across the United States with his mule and pony. Hes been a professional adventurer with his company, RiverEarth.com, for 10 years, but hes been an adventurer at heart ever since he was a little boy. Keep reading to learn more about this fascinating person.
 Truman: What does it take to become an adventurer?
BERNIE: An adventurer needs to be a mix of crazy and organized. The crazy part comes up with the creative ideas. The organized part brings the creative idea into being. Example: In 2004, I decided to sail my sailboat Sea Bird 6,500 miles, one quarter the way around the world, alone. That was the crazy idea. The organized me spent over five years getting ready for that journey. It worked. Our 65-day passage was a huge success and helped me realize another crazy dream film a 65 Days at Sea documentary film.
The organized part also needs to figure out how to pay for these adventures. I founded a publishing company, RiverEarth Publishing, that sells my books, DVDs and articles.
Truman: When and why did you become an adventurer?
BERNIE: I became an adventurer at age 9 when I ran away from home. Okay, I didnt really run away for good. I did walk 22 miles in one day though, from our farmhouse to our city house. I did it just because I wanted to see how far I could move my body in one day.
Truman: So, what do you do every day?
BERNIE: When Im out adventuring, Im traveling by horse, mule or boat, meeting people and documenting the world. In a typical day, when Im traveling by mule (see www.RiverEarth.com), I get up at dawn in my tipi, feed the mule, break camp, saddle up and ride about 10 miles. Then I break for lunch. In the evening, after Im done riding and my mule is fed, I pitch my tipi, cook super on my stove and write in my journal, preparing stories for publication.
Truman: You live in a tipi? Is that the hardest part of your job?
BERNIE: No, the hardest part of my job is picking up my mules back feet to put on his mule shoes. He hates that!
Truman: Thats funny! Whats the best part of your job?
BERNIE: The best part of my job is bringing my mule Woody and pony
Maggie to schools and libraries to tell folks about my journeys.
Truman: What made you decide to travel across the United States with a mule?
BERNIE: After sailing 4 years alone around the world, I decided I wanted to see my home state of North Carolina. It took four months and 10 days to travel the 600 miles across North Carolina, and by the end of that trip, I decided Hey, lets just keep going!
Truman: After traveling all of that way together, you and Woody must have developed quite a friendship. What is he like?
BERNIE: Woody and I developed such a strong relationship he once waded across a pond, broke a fence and chased me down in a portable toilet - just so he could be with me. Personality-wise, hes a cross between a yellow lab (very affectionate) and a stick of dynamite.
He threw me three times on my journey across America. Then for good measure, he dumped me twice more in as many weeks after I returned from the trip.)
Truman: What was the most interesting place that you visited on your trip?
BERNIE: The Sonora Desert in Arizona was my favorite place because the desert sand was full of animal tracks left by creatures I never saw. I saw J shaped figures in the sand and wondered what they were. Later, I learned they were made my the side winder rattlesnakes that came out after dark.
Truman: When did you decide to write a childrens book about your trip?
BERNIE: I decided to write a childrens book after Woody refused to set foot in the Atlantic Ocean. Id just ridden him three weeks to get to the ocean and hed been fine cars, cities, barking dogs, no problem. Then, when he saw the ocean, he freaked out and ran away with me on his back.
Hmmmmm. I wonder what he sees? I thought, and thats what got me
thinking about a childrens book.
Truman: What advice would you give to kids interested in the profession?
BERNIE: If you want to see what its like to be an adventurer, try this:
1) Dream up a simple adventure, the crazy part we talked about earlier. It could be something as simple as walking through your neighborhood and
discovering what critters live under your neighbors mailboxes.
2) Prepare and execute your adventure, the organizing part. In the example above, you might want to gather a camera and notebook to document your findings. Then, when youre done, you might want to write a story so you could share your findings with others. If you enjoyed your first simple adventure, you might want to try a larger one.
Truman: You know that I love to write! Which do you prefer: being an
adventurer or a writer?
BERNIE: I prefer being a writer because an adventurer is just an adventurer but a writer is both a writer and an adventurer.
Truman: Good answer! Its certainly been an adventure interviewing you. I loved getting e-mails from your solar-powered, Internet-connected mule wagon! Good luck on your next adventure.
For more information about Bernie Harberts and his adventures with his mule Woody, visit www.RiverEarth.com.
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