1. It’s cold. It’s dark. I’m tired. I’m busy. I’ll do it later.
2. It’s exciting. It’s memorable. I need a break. I’m always busy so it might as well be now.

We can always look at things in two ways. As a hassle or as an opportunity.

I love nights in wild places for many reasons. I remember to become curious once again, I enjoy doing something that so many people would regard as ridiculous. And, on nights like the solstice, it makes me happy to know that there’s a happy community of fellow weirdos gazing at the stars not at the telly.

How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour, and that one, is what we are doing. Annie has more than once chivvied me out of the door on a cold winter’s evening to go do something more memorable than eating mince pies in front of the telly.

So this is my rallying call for you to go eat a mince pie on a hill! Sometime between now and the end of the year – go do a microadventure.

Go by yourself for some peace.

Go with your friends for some goodwill.

Go for a date.

Go with your kids.

Just go.

Enjoy the little things in life. Because, one day you will look back and realise that they were actually the big things.

So what’s the plan?

The plan is simple: make your own plan.

Walk home for Christmas (doing that was the catalyst for me beginning microadventures), cycle to the sea (check out my haircut 😂), go for a chilly swim or sleep on a hill.

Do whatever you like.

Just be different. Be bold. (And be responsible.)

Sleeping outdoors in mid-winter is not as simple as on midsummer’s night. It will be cold and dark. But if you prepare properly then these factors will make the microadventure feel more special.

You’ll need your warmest sleeping bag, you’ll definitely want your sleeping mat (take 2 if you have them), loads of loose layers (including an extra one you save for if you wake up chilly in the middle of the night, thick but loose socks, a woolly hat, and a head torch with new batteries. You’d be wise to pack a basha, even if you are planning to bivvy. And make sure you eat a big hot meal. And some mince pies. If you have any other concerns, they are probably covered in my Microadventures FAQ page.

And that’s it! Settle back under the stars and think back over 2019. How can you make 2020 even better? Let me know using the #microadventure hashtag on social media!