Adventures are individual to us all. For me, adventures are any kind of break from my daily routine. Having time to myself or sharing them with others, the luxury of time not being dictated by demands of life feels like the greatest opportunity to get out, explore and have fun.
Now I'll be honest - I'm not the biggest or the best planner. Part of what I enjoy is taking things as they come and winging it. As I've got older (and more adventurous) I have come to realise though, that being a blagger can be risky or spoil your plans entirely.. so here's a few planning tips from a 'not a big planner' adventurer.
First and foremost - think about what adventure means to you.
Just because your instagram feed shows people dipping in lakes, ice-climbing the Alps or running for days across the desert doesn't mean that would be your idea of a good time.
In order to fully satisfy your adventurous cravings, the activity needs to suit you.
So if that's any of the above then great. If you'd rather rent and air b&b and spend the day reading in peace - that's great too!
You do you.
Finding what makes you feel truly happy and spending your time that way is a great form of adventure.
If you are craving a step into the unknown and going somewhere wilder then research can be your best bet.
I like to use maps, apps and social media to find places to go and things to do.
For me, adventure usually means finding beautiful scenery, hiking trails with less footfall, running to scope an area and fuelling up with local vegan goodness.
OS maps and AllTrails offer some great routes to follow to reduce your risk of getting lost and in trouble. I also use Happy Cow for food spots.
This leads me on nicely to my next tip - all of the above are available at the touch of a button.. just make sure you have enough phone battery or a portable charger.
Fail to prepare, prepare to fail.
Having a bag full of essentials is just good practice.
This can include appropriate clothing, maps, compass, safety items like a first aid kit/whistle, chargers, head torch, water and best of all, snacks.
Mountain rescue are wonderful teams of volunteers that you never really want to have to meet. If you can keep yourself as safe as possible then you're doing them a favour.
If you're UK based you already know that the weather is unpredictable to say the least. So keeping an eye on this whilst planning your adventure would be for the best.
Finally, be realistic with your competence. Try and be aware of your limits and capability.
It's nice to push yourself to gain a sense of achievement but weighing up gain vs risk can help keep an adventure enjoyable.
It can be tempting to look around and think what other people are doing is what you should do. As I mentioned at the start of this post, the most fun happens when you do what's right for you and putting yourself too far outside your comfort zone can make even the best adventure a bit of a flop.
Overthinking can definitely hold you back from adventuring to the fullest, but consideration of what is right for you - that's never going to hurt.
Inspiration for adventure is everywhere. Articles you read, picture you scroll past, books and music, stories from trips of friends and family.
Adventuring can increase happiness, enthusiasm and cognitive flexibility. It can reduce stress and bring mental clarity through gaining headspace in new environments.
If you've been feeling a little bit stuck in the mundane of every day life, maybe an adventure is exactly what you need.
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