A Call for Adventurers (you know who you are)

Sunrise run on the Back Cove in Portland

Have you felt a mid-winter restlessness? A pull towards something that makes you feel ligher, more alive? An urge to bust out of your daily routine?

This quest has been tugging at me for weeks. Maybe it’s the deep freeze we’re in, or maybe it’s the fury over the Epstein files. Whatever sparked it, I’m ready to act. While we can’t seem to control our corrupt government, we can control the quality of our days. Creating more joy in our daily lives is a quiet act of rebellion against the hate, and reminds us that we still have power.

If you’re someone who comes alive with new experiences, who feels most energized outside, who actively chases awe and wonder - then we’re cut from the same cloth. And today, I have a new challenge for you, one that doesn’t require a road trip or plane ticket.

One month of microadventures.

This word was popularized by Alastair Humphreys and involves novelty or challenge, without requiring significant time or money. In his case, and in mine, these microadventures are focused on outdoor time. Because, as we say at my place of work, “Life happens outside.”

As I was busy pondering my life’s current lack of adventure, Alastair’s newsletter showed up in my inbox, and it was like an oxygen mask to the passenger going down in the middle-aged plane.

Here’s the truth, I love my life and everyone in it. I honestly wouldn’t trade it for anything. AND, adulthood - with all of its responsibilities, plus carrying the weight of our current world - is a LOT for a free spirit (or for anyone really). Both of these things are true.

It’s hard balancing the parts of life I love (our teenagers, our hunk of love dog, meaningful work, to name a few) with the grind of laundry, endless cooking, schedule juggling, and keeping up with the news. Finding time for novelty and outdoor adventure sometimes falls to the bottom of the list.

But what I’m beginning to understand, is that being an adult with full-time responsibilities that sustain the lives we’ve built, doesn’t mean our days have to be void of adventure. Our jobs give us the resources to adventure with less stress and our regular routines provide a sense of grounding. We can have stability and spontaniety. Routine and wonder. A steady life and an adventurous one. Both things can be true.

In pursuit of this goal, I’ve decided to make microadventures a new focus and I’d love for you to join me.

What does this actually mean? Here are some initial thoughts, but please share your ideas…I’d love to hear them.

• Explore a new route for your regular morning walk or run(I drove my dog down to the Back Cove one early morning last week to walk the boulevard and watch the sunrise - it was stunning!)

• Walk or bike to work instead of driving. If you ever work remotely, set up in a local coffee shop and walk your buns there. Portland offers an endless list of what I lovingly refer to as my “coffee offices.” Rotation is key for a feeling of novelty and adventure - sometimes I even work at the indoor rock gym while my son climbs.

• Make an outdoor fire. Remember in early COVID when we all bought SOLO stoves and sat around them, truly connecting with our favorite people? We can do that any time! Why sit around indoors (and on screens) when we can freeze our asses off outside? I’m going to put our SOLO stove on the back deck today and start a fire. It’s 6 degrees outside, so this feels quite adventurous.

• Book a sauna. There’s no better time for this than February. I recently shared a sauna with friends and it was truly rejuvenating. Although there was no cold plunge option at this location, they did offer cold water buckets and adirondack chairs in the snow, which was invigorating. Find a mobile sauna on a beach (like Popham, if you live in southern Maine) and add cold water swimming to your adventure.

• Try winter hiking! It’s the most peaceful time of year to hike. I now choose smaller hikes and local trails over larger mountains in the winter, but it’s a favorite season for hiking. After a fresh snow, it’s absolutely gorgeous out there. Here’s a winter hiking checklist, if you’re new to hiking in the cold season.

• Learn a new skill. In a couple of weeks, I’ll be starting Registered Maine Guide Training with the Outdoor Learning Center (thanks to my employer, Teens to Trails). I plan to pass the course and become a Registered Maine Guide by the summer, but there’s a chance I’ll fail and have to take the test more than once. It’s challenging, intimidating, and exhilarating! Do something that scares you, but also fires you up. You may fall on your face, but you’ll get back up - and won’t have regrets about not trying at all.

• Sign up for our upcoming Women’s Intro to Hiking course! If you’ve been feeling the tug to start hiking, but don’t know where to start, this one-day workshop is for you! It will also connect you with other outdoorsy women, and that is the quickest route to a more adventurous life.

If you have ideas for microadventures, or you’d like to join me in this challenge - daily adventures for four weeks, starting today, comment below. We’re calling it a month, but it’s really about building a new habit that we’ll just keep on practicing.

Cheers to full lives, adventure sandwiched with stability, and getting to the end with no regrets.