As I set up for a community event in the center of town, I connected with several people, many whom I don’t get to see often.

I’d just finished helping unload a trailer of trash receptacles when the trailer of portapotties pulled onto the square. I watched the owner set the first couple in place without any help and hollered across the street, “Need some help?”

He was surprised: “Oh, you don’t have to.”

“What if I want to?”

“You want to help?”

Sure. After all, this wasn’t the dirty part of the job. That came after the weekend. And oddly, I was a bit curious about the portpotty setup. I’m not a fan of using them, but why not learn something and help someone in the process? I yelled across the street to a friend to ask if she wanted to help, too, and we both jumped on the trailer and began the trip around the square. We laughed as we considered, “How many times in our lives will we have the chance to drive around the town square on a trailer of portpotties?”

I got a key of my own and was in charge of stocking all the paper products and checking the soap. My friend was in charge of the chemicals that make the portapotties tolerable over the weekend. We did more laughing than working. People looked at us oddly, but we just smiled and waved.

Sometimes adventures are found in the oddest places if we’re alert and willing.

I don’t think you need to set up portapotties to have an adventure today—or in your lifetime—but I challenge you to look outside your routine and comfort zone. You’ll learn something along the way, including about yourself.

I got to keep the key I used (since it was a standard key with many replacements), and I put it in a place I see every day. It might seem like an odd reminder, but it prompts me to be willing to try new things, to help others and respect what they do, and to fully embrace life in community.

Let me know what surprising adventures you find!