Micro Adventures – Small Adventures that Mean a Lot
For adventurous people, it can be hard to go for longer periods of time without going on exciting adventures. But for most, it’s not possible to frequently travel somewhere exciting or spend weeks at a time exploring – at least not all the time. It’s natural to have a bit of a gap between big adventures.
This is where micro adventures come in. Instead of getting twitchy with Wanderlust whilst waiting for your next big trip, schedule in lots of micro adventures to enjoy on a regular basis.
A micro adventure is a smaller, more manageable adventure that you can fit into a small amount of time and without travelling far from where you live. This means that you should be able to fit in micro adventures in an afternoon or evening after work or on the weekend, fitting them in around your regular schedule and normal life. Micro adventures are usually simple and cheap too.
Best of all, micro adventures will get you outdoors, improve your well-being, and refresh your life with smaller doses of regular excitement.
Let’s look at some fun examples of micro adventures that you could try:
- Local camping
Go camping for one night somewhere local – or perhaps even go camping in your own garden. Staying near home and camping for just one night means you don’t need much stuff, just the essentials. This is a great way to get away from the modern world and focus on spending time with your family (if they’re coming with you) or to just enjoy being in nature on your own.
- Go for a Bike Ride
If you enjoy bike riding, hop on your bike, or drive your bike to a suitable destination to ride around, such as a forest with good bike trails. In some places you can rent bikes at the location too if you don’t have your own bike or can’t transport one there.
- Wild Swimming
I love swimming outdoors and if I lived somewhere where I could go swimming, I think I would do wild swimming several times per week. If you live near any suitable lakes, rivers, or the sea, you are lucky enough to be able to go wild swimming which can be so invigorating and refreshing in all seasons of the year. There are guides online as well as communities online that you can join to find safe wild swimming spots.
- Walk or Hike
Walking is always a good idea, and it can be something simpler like a walk in nature near your house or travelling a shorter distance to hike up a mountain for a few hours to take in the views. Walks and hikes can be enjoyed at any time of the day but there is something special about an early morning walk that lets you catch the sunset and watch the world come alive. Likewise, an evening walk or hike timed with the sunset so that you can enjoy the beautiful colours that comes with it and watch the world calm down after a busy day, is also wonderful.
These are just a few of the many possible micro adventures you could squeeze into your week if you’re craving more adventure in your life. Micro adventures are the perfect solution to a more exciting life and to spend more time in nature. Even when you feel like life is too busy to fit things like this in, you can. And perhaps it’s even more important to do this when life is feeling hectic. Make it work for your schedule, whether you have just a few hours to escape into the outdoors, a day, or a weekend. Adventure is good for you and can be right there on your doorstep, you just need to step out and find it.
For lots of ideas on micro adventures, and tips on safety and kit as well, check out the book Microadventures: Local Discoveries for Great Escapes by Alastair Humphreys. It’s on my wish list!