Microadventures: Get Away and Have Fun Without Traveling Far

“One way to get the most out of life is to look upon it as an adventure.” ~William Feather

I live for exploring the world, trying new things, and meeting passionate people. As a filmmaker I’m very fortunate to be able to do all these things from time to time, and I just love it!

However, this is only a small part of my work. I also often find myself stuck in front of a computer for weeks at a time editing—no nature, no people, no exploring. Just me and a computer.

It’s easy to get bogged down by all the day-to-day pressures and get stuck in a continuous cycle of work and life commitments. However, having new experiences and pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone on a daily basis is essential for growth, balance, and happiness.

When I’m itching for adventure and have been stuck in front of the computer for a few weeks or months I find myself looking at Facebook, Instagram, and all the social media sites in an attempt to tame my craving for exploration.

But this never works. Instead, I just see people going away on incredible adventures abroad, having the time of their lives, while I’m in the office working away on the computer, wishing I could join them.

This just puts me in a slump, as I know I have so much work to do that I’ll have no time to go abroad for a week or two and explore.

I then heard about microadventures from a guy called Alastair Humphreys, an adventurer, author, and motivational speaker. He encourages people to go outside, get out of their comfort zone, and live life to their full potential.

A microadventure is close to home, overnight or a couple of days, cheap, simple, and most importantly a lot of fun!

Not having had the chance to go away for a while I decided to give it a go and attempt my own microadventure over a weekend.

I called my good friend Zak, who lives in a van, and asked if he’d be keen to go on and adventure with me—and he was!

A week and a bit later we found ourselves heading to the North of Devon for our microadventure.

We went swimming in freezing cold water holes, cooked dinner on the fire, explored the coastline, found new townships, played football on the beach, made new friends, and went sand dunning.

It was insanely fun and it fulfilled a lot of my cravings for adventure, while still only being a few hours away from my apartment.

After having such a rewarding experience with my own microadventure I decided to put together my top tips for anybody who, like me, craves adventure but doesn’t always have the time to go overseas.

So here they are, my top ten microadventure tips:

1. Go somewhere you’ve never been before but close to home.

Many avid travelers have been all over the world but often haven’t made time to explore their own back yard. There are so many wonderful places close to home yet to be discovered.

2. Go with a friend or a family member who also enjoys adventure.

With so many distractions in today’s society we don’t give ourselves the time to just sit and chat. A microadventure is the perfect opportunity for this!

3. Turn your phone off and just take in your surroundings.

It’s amazing what we miss when we spend so much time looking down at our phones. Instead, look up, breathe deep, and smile! The world is full of everyday miracles. We just have to make sure we’re fully present and not distracted to appreciate them.

4. If you can find a spot to make a fire, cook your dinner on it.

There’s something very primal and rewarding about this experience. Roasted vegetables on the fire are the best! Wrap them up in tin foil and leave them to cook.

5. Look at the world with fresh eyes by being a tourist in your own country.

Be curious, excited, and willing to learn. It’s amazing how everything looks so different when you’re a tourist.

6. Go for a dip, even if it’s a quick one.

If you can find a pond, lake, stream, or the sea, jump in, even if it’s freezing. You’ll feel great afterward!

7. Do something that scares you (while still being safe).

When I went on my last microadventure we set up a rope swing at the top of the hill. It was terrifying, but once Zak and I both did it, it felt awesome! An adventure is never complete until you do something that scares you a little.

8. Be open-minded and friendly to everyone you come into contact with on your adventure.

Positivity is contagious and makes you feel good too.

9. Bring a camera to capture your favorite moments.

It’s awesome being able to share your microadventure experiences with others and hopefully inspire them to go on their own.

10. The secret to microadventures is to do them often.

Try and make them a weekly or at least monthly thing. Create a list of all the wonderful places near you that you’d like to visit and then just do it when you’ve got an evening or weekend to spare.

I hope you found these tips helpful! It would be great to hear about any microadventures that you’ve been on or have planned. Also, if you’ve got any other tips that I may have missed, share them in the comment section below!

Adventure image via Shutterstock

About Sebastian Solberg

Sebastian is a multi-award winning filmmaker from New Zealand based in London. He has directed and shot commercials, music videos, documentaries, and short films all around the globe. His latest short film Modern Man has screened in over 100 cities and has won a number of awards including “Best Comedy Short.” Visit his video blog at www.youtube.com/sebsolbergfilmmaker.

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