We’ve mentioned the “Fun Scale” a few times on our podcast. I’m not 100% sure who came up with the Fun Scale, as I’ve heard of it from a few different sources. Essentially, the Fun Scale is a measurement of adventures and how fun they are.

Type I Fun

Type I Fun is fun that is fun while you are having it. Visiting a waterpark, going skiing, and taking a cruise around the Caribbean islands are all examples of Type I Fun. These adventures are fun while you are having them, and it’s fun to share them with others after you’ve come home.

Type I Fun is great! These are adventures when nothing goes wrong. You return from your trip with a full memory card and happy memories of a wonderful time spent.

Type II Fun

Type II Fun is different. Type II Fun is NOT fun while you are experiencing it, but rather only becomes fun afterwards. Type II fun is often hot, wet, muddy, or uncomfortable. Examples of Type II Fun include hiking, trekking, camping, kayaking, or going on some other grand adventure. It’s only fun in hindsight. Type II Fun refers to the type of adventure that you “want to have had”, but don’t necessarily “want to do”. In the end, Type II Fun is often the more rewarding, though, and your Type II adventures are the ones which usually end up being the most memorable.

Remember your high school English class? There are three types of conflict: man vs. man; man vs. nature; and man vs. himself. A good adventure will likely have one of these elements in it. After all, every great story starts when something goes wrong. No adventure is complete without some sort of conflict. That’s where Type II Fun comes in. Type II Fun isn’t actually “fun” per se, but it does make for the best stories. These are the memories that you’ll think wistfully of twenty or thirty years down the line.

Type III Fun

Type III Fun is awful. Don’t even bother. Type III Fun isn’t fun while you are having it, and it isn’t fun afterwards. Type III Fun is when things go wrong, and I mean seriously wrong. Type III fun is miserable and disastrous. That’s when you break an ankle and have to be airlifted to the nearest hospital at your own expense, have your passport snatched and are forced to spend your whole holiday at your embassy, or suffer an acute bout of food poisoning on your first night in-country which ruins your whole holiday. There’s a fine line between Type II and Type III Fun, and it’s a line best not crossed.

Making the most of disaster

Which story would you rather me tell:

1) “I had a perfect cruise. It was a lot of fun. The entertainment and excursions were great”.

or

2) “I was rafting in the jungle when the ropes holding my raft together suddenly snapped. I was flailing about in the water attempting to salvage my gear, when suddenly I noticed a crocodile directly ahead of me!”

While adventure #1 is undoubtable the more enjoyable in the moment, adventure #2 is probably the one that you would remember until your dying day.

When things are rough, laugh. Think of the stories you’ll have to tell. Pull out your travel journal and jot down how you’re feeling. Turn on your action camera and shoot a candid conversation with yourself documenting your discomfort. These are the moments you’ll remember down the line, and these are the adventures that will be far more “fun” in hindsight than a perfect vacation.

When things go wrong on an adventure, and they most certainly will, just keep Type II Fun in mind. Think about the story you’ll have to tell to your friends when you return home. Think of the adventures you can write or blog about. Think of the stories you’ll have to tell on our podcast (go ahead, write in, and maybe we’ll have you on as a guest on the show!).