Would you like more moments of wonder in your life this year?
Do you keep intending to make this the year when you really do get out “there” as much as you dream of doing?
The trouble is, real life often gets in the way and good intentions fade, right? If only we had a little more time, a little more money we could live far more adventurously, right…?
But rather than waiting for that mythical, elusive day to arrive, wouldn’t it make more sense to do what you can, with what you have, where you are? And to do it now? That is the whole premise behind microadventures: that it is better to do something small, to grab at those moments of wonder, rather than doing nothing at all but dream.
So why not commit, today, to a challenge? It’s easy enough to be achievable, but will be really rewarding to complete.
This year the summer solstice falls at 5pm on Friday 21st of June.
In other words, it is perfect timing for an overnight 5 to 9 microadventure.
Get out there and spend midsummer’s night under the stars. Go nice places and do good things. Climb a hill or a tree. Swim in a river or a loch. Sleep in a bivvy bag or a hammock. Wake up on a beach, a mountain or an island. Listen to birdsong or the laughter of your friends.
It doesn’t matter what you do; just do something!
The hardest part of incorporating adventure into your busy daily life is making it happen. And that’s the whole point of my solstice microadventure challenges: they encourage you to stop procrastinating and get on with it!
Are you up for it?
If so, here is the plan…
- Put the Summer Solstice Microadventure Challenge in your diary right now: overnight on Friday, June 21st. (I know that real life is busy and the weather sometimes sucks, so you can also do this anytime in the week before or after the solstice.)
- Forward this link to whoever you want to rope into the challenge – your friends, your family, your work colleagues, that ridiculously good-looking librarian…
- Go nice places and do good things. Spend the night out in the wild enjoying a microadventure. If you need help making plans, preparing kit, overcoming fears etc., then the posts here will help.
- That’s pretty much the end of the plan, and it is certainly all you need to do to have a memorable experience that you’ll never regret and will remember fondly for years. However, because I’m so darned nice and you are so darned desperate to procrastinate and make excuses and not bother doing this thing even though you really want to do it because that’s the ridiculous nature of human beings, I have teamed up with the lovely folk at Alpkit to provide some fantastic prizes as incentive for you to get out and enjoy a 5 to 9 microadventure.
- To be in with a chance of winning a stash of excellent outdoor gear (and a few booby prizes of my own books) simply tag your photos on either Twitter or Instagram with #GoNicePlacesDoGoodThings between June 14th and June 30th.
Prizes!
- Microadventure Bivvy Bundles
- Longest Day Sleepout Bundles
- Lightweight Back Packing Camp Cooksets
- Ordos 2 ultralight backpacking tent
- Hunka bivvy bags
- Brukit stoves
- T-shirts
- Signed Microadventure Books
Good luck!
Hi Al, would it be possible to include entries via Facebook or email as not everyone has Twitter or Instagram?
Cheers
Happy adventuring
Afraid not because Facebook has made it almost impossible to track hashtags. I’m very sorry! But I hope that you still go and have an adventure – that’s the true prize…
Dear Mf. Humphries,
The last couple of years I have celebrated the summer solstice by attempting to swim Nine,Texas Hill Country rivers in one day. I have yet to do so in one day but, it really is the journey that counts isin’t it? So a recount of last years attempt looks like this: starting in Austin, the Colorado River, the Comal River, The San Marcos River, The Medina River, The Sabinal River, the Frio River, The Guadeloupe River, The Blanco River, and the Pedernalles River. It took my wife and son and I two days to complete the round robin tour but was a remarkable adventure in some of the most beautiful country Texas has to offer. This year will be different and as yet undecided, but I hope just as adventurous. Thanks for the inspiration.
Dear Mf. Humphries,
The last couple of years I have celebrated the summer solstice by attempting to swim Nine,Texas Hill Country rivers in one day. I have yet to do so in one day but, it really is the journey that counts isin’t it? So a recount of last years attempt looks like this: starting in Austin, the Colorado River, the Comal River, The San Marcos River, The Medina River, The Sabinal River, the Frio River, The Guadeloupe River, The Blanco River, and the Pedernalles River. It took my wife and son and I two days to complete the round robin tour but was a remarkable adventure in some of the most beautiful country Texas has to offer. This year will be different and as yet undecided, but I hope just as adventurous. Thanks for the inspiration.
Good luck Charles!
Hey Al, who won? Asking for a friend… I had a splendid evening!
Hold your horses…. 😉
The winners have been informed Alex… Good luck!!