This post is written by our Senior Editor, Rachel Kempton.
Life is a journey. Fill your tank with joy.
I love the word adventure. It conjures up so many great images… like embracing the great outdoors and roaming free in nature, sleeping under the stars, cooking on open fires, stargazing, doing things you’d never normally do, and making magical memories along the way.
My husband, Mike, and I have been talking a lot about adventure recently and doing something that gives us the opportunity to change up our normal routine, slow down and live more simply. And inspired by adventurer Alastair Humphries, who regularly shares travelling tips on our blog, and Ben Fogle, who we interviewed just a few months ago, we decided it was time to organise our own little adventure.
This is how we made it happen…
Step One: We asked ourselves what we really wanted from our time away
Our list included:
- A complete break from the busyness of every day life
- Freedom from daily pressures and demands on our time
- To spend quality time together as a family, to have fun and make lasting memories
- To try something that neither of us have done before – and fulfil a shared dream
- To get back to basics
- To keep it cheap
- To re-connect with nature
- To make it a new, interesting and enjoyable experience for our son Zack, who’s almost three
Then we talked about what we’d really love to do. We had so many ideas – big and small – but as we were both keen to go camping in the end we decided to hire a classic VW campervan and take a road trip – something we’ve been dreaming about for years.
After deciding on dates and looking at our finances, we did our research, got some quotes, and booked Emily.
Mike with our campervan, Emily
Step Two: We made an action plan
Planning our adventure was so much fun! We spent evenings researching places we wanted to visit, plotting a rough route, booking campsites and making a list of things to take with us. It felt great to be in charge of our own adventure. Plus knowing exactly where we were heading on each day meant there was minimal stress, which is always important when there are toddlers in tow!
Step Three: Enjoy the journey
Our trip was certainly an adventure! It saw us…
- Camp in beautiful wide-open fields with only horses for company
- Stargaze ‘til the early hours
- Meet larger-than-life minotaurs and lady-hares created by internationally renowned sculptor Sophie Ryder.
- Roast marshmallows by campfire
- Go wild swimming in a deep river pool
- Discover an inspiring creative community at Fisherton Mill – an independent gallery with café & artist studios in Salisbury
- Play games, do jigsaws and draw
- Meditate
- Practice yoga
- Watch the sun rise… and set
- Barbeque in the rain
- Drive a 1940s tractor
- Experience the healing magic of Stonehenge
Go with the flow – even if you’ve stalled
While it was great to have a rough schedule, we were reminded about the importance of being flexible and open to changing our plans when Emily broke down… for the third time in four days on a busy roundabout!
We were lucky that people were kind enough to stop and help us move the van to safety. It was four hours before we were back on the road and by that point, still trying to see the funny side, we couldn’t help but think we were being given a message – after all things often happen in threes!
AA to the rescue!
Mike had also pulled his back and desperately needed to see a chiropractor so we decided not to continue down to the south coast as planned. Within an hour, we’d negotiated 50% of our money back from the campervan company, and arranged for someone to come and pick Emily up. We could have been really angry about the situation – the hours lost by the roadside with a demanding toddler, the inconvenience, the fact we had to change plans, and the money we were going to lose on pre-booked accommodation – but we chose to see it as a blessing in disguise. Now we were free to have a second, more spontaneous adventure!
A little piece of paradise
After a bit of ‘googling’ at a local café we discovered the perfect hideaway in nearby Herefordshire.
It was fully booked for months, but luckily there had been a last-minute cancellation and what’s more, we later discovered that the owner was a back specialist! The Universe really does work in mysterious ways.
“We could make our lives so much more interesting, and develop so many new capacities, if we sought to work with the unknowns of emergence, rather than try and plan the surprise out of our lives.” ~ Margaret J. Wheatley and Marion Kellner-Rodgers, A Simpler Way
We took so much from our three-day adventure at Kingfisher Camp. It certainly gave us some food for thought…
The view from our little hideaway
(1) Going off grid is good for the soul
Having no electricity was wonderful. We loved getting back to basics, making fire, heating our own water, using the compost toilet, showering in the open air and using candles to light our way to bed. It reminded us not only of how much we take for granted but of how over complicated life has become. [Tweet “It’s amazing how little you actually need to be happy.”]
Our living room (above) and kitchen (below)
Connecting with a simple and natural way of living made us feel happy, and whole.
(2) Nature is nurturing
Being off the beaten track meant we were completely alone, immersed in nature. The only sounds we heard were the babbling brook, wildlife, the weather and the occasional whistle from our kettle! It was so peaceful. Within a day we all felt calmer: more relaxed, rested and refreshed. By living in harmony with nature, we gained an even greater respect and admiration for its life-giving elements and seasons. We were reminded us that not only are we part of life, we are life.
(3) The power of the present
Having no distractions – TV, music, phones or laptops – made it much easier to experience the full beauty and potential of the present; to be there, completely there, in each moment, and really focus on the task at hand, whether it be playing with Zack, making lunch or walking through the countryside. It was a great reminder that we’re cut off from the reality of living in the here and now too often and that we waste far too much time looking backwards and looking forward, when ultimately right now is all that exists – and it really is as good as it gets.
“We waste so many days waiting for the weekend. So many nights wanting morning. Our lust for future comfort is the biggest thief of life.” ~Joshua Glenn Clark
Whether it’s a small everyday exploration or a big one-off opportunity, one thing’s for sure, adventure makes life more exciting. In challenging yourself to try new things you push past your comfort zone and invite new people, opportunities and experience s into your life. Who knows what doors you might open, what skills you might learn, and what life-enriching passions you might discover on your next adventure…
What does your next adventure look like? And what would you love to take from it? We have some great FREE resources to help you get going..
