Why We Love Type Two Fun

Type Two Fun: The Adventures We Love (in Hindsight)

If you’ve ever found yourself soaked to the bone on a hiking trail, muscles aching, questioning all your life choices, and then later that same day looked back and thought, that was incredible, you’ve experienced the magic of Type Two Fun.

Type Two Fun is a term adventurers use to describe experiences that are tough, uncomfortable, or even downright miserable in the moment but become fond memories and satisfying stories once you’ve had time to recover. Unlike Type One Fun—activities that are immediately enjoyable, like eating ice cream or lounging on the beach—Type Two Fun demands effort, perseverance, and often, a willingness to suffer. But it’s also the kind of fun that shapes us, pushes us beyond our limits, and gives us lasting confidence.

What is type three fun? (avoid type three fun)

What is Type Three Fun? Type Three Fun is unpleasant in the moment AND unpleasant retrospectively. I find that Type Three Fun usually happens when (a) someone selects an adventure too far outside their comfort zone, training, or experience, (b) the conditions are so bad or unpredictable that evening proper training and experience won’t change the outcome (you may end up just being glad you’re unscathed at the end), or (c) someone is pressured into an adventure they genuinely don’t want to be on by a partner, a friend, or sometimes even themselves. TRY TO AVOID TYPE THREE FUN – proper self-discovery, planning, and preparation should set you up for success here.

Why Type Two Fun Matters

Type Two Fun teaches us resilience. When we venture into challenging situations—whether it’s a grueling hike, battling seasickness on a diving trip, or navigating a language barrier in a foreign country—we prove to ourselves that we’re capable of more than we thought. Each challenge overcome becomes a point of pride and a reminder of our inner strength.

This kind of fun also forges connections, both with the people we share the experience with and with the places we explore. There’s a unique camaraderie in tackling something difficult together, and those shared moments of struggle often lead to lifelong friendships.

How to embrace type two fun

If you want to incorporate more Type Two Fun into your life, here are a few tips:

1. Start Small: You don’t need to climb Everest. Start with a local hike, a camping trip, or trying something outside your comfort zone.

2. Prepare and Train, but Expect the Unexpected: Good gear, property training, and planning make the tough parts more manageable, but flexibility and humor will get you through the unexpected twists.

3. Shift Your Mindset: When things get rough, remind yourself that this moment is temporary—and that future you will look back on it with pride.

4. Focus on Growth: The best part of Type Two Fun isn’t the activity itself; it’s the sense of accomplishment and growth you feel afterward.

Why we keep coming back

There’s something addictive about it. It’s not the kind of experience you seek every weekend, but when you reflect on those moments of challenge and triumph, you’re reminded why you keep saying yes to the next adventure. It’s the call of the mountains, the ocean, the unknown—a whisper that says, you’re capable of more than you realize.

So, the next time you’re sweating, shivering, or second-guessing your choices, remember: this might just be the best story you’ll tell when you get home. That’s the beauty of Type Two Fun—it leaves you a little braver, a little stronger, and a lot more ready for whatever comes next.