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I first wrote a version of this article back in 2018.
Two years later, during the pandemic, it unexpectedly became one of the most popular pages on my website. It made sense. People couldn’t travel, couldn’t go very far, and were desperately looking for small ways to break up the routine.
Now, six years later, I think the idea of mini adventures (or microadventuring, if you prefer the trendy version) is making a comeback.
And honestly, I think I know why.
We’ve become really good at consuming life instead of living it.
Whether it’s endless scrolling, AI doing half our thinking for us, streaming another series, or spending hours watching other people travel, it’s becoming easier and easier to end the day feeling like… nothing actually happened.
At the same time, we’ve seen a huge shift back towards experiences. Pottery classes have become a multi-billion-dollar industry. People are joining hiking clubs, taking cooking classes, learning languages, booking food tours in their own cities and looking for ways to reconnect with the real world.
I don’t think people are necessarily craving another holiday.
I think they’re craving novelty.
This article was first published in 2018 and keeps going strong. Promise me one thing though…
Don’t just bookmark this page and promise yourself you’ll come back later. Pick one idea and do it this week.
- Explore your Neighbourhood
When was the last time you walked down a new street in your neighbourhood? Camping in Your Backyard: Grab all your outdoor gear and have a camping getaway in your backyard. Bonus point if you can re-create the mood with a bonfire, marshmallows and guitar sing-along songs! Alternatively, you can find a location close to your city for an overnight hike or small trip and trial your hiking adventure meter!
Become a WWOOFer: Interested in nature, farming, volunteering and travelling? Why not combine everything and become a WWOOFer? You will have the opportunity to travel, learn about sustainability and help on a farm, while receiving free room and board.
Try a New Sport: Exercise and adventure go together quite well and when it comes to choice, well, you have a lot of it! Starting from land you can have a go at solo or group activities like mountain biking, karate, volleyball or tennis. How about something to cool down? Swimming, canoeing, kayaking or surfing are all options!
Rent a Boat and Explore the Seas: Another really fun idea for a weekend escape or even just a day is renting a boat and exploring some bays. Smaller engine boats for groups of 4-6 might not even require a commercial licence so it pays to ask around and see what is available. Grab a cooler box, some food and your swimsuit and you are ready for a day on the water.
Pick a Lucky Route: Set out of your house and bring a coin. Flip the coin every time you need to pick whether you go left or right.
Have a Music-Themed Excursion: Find out where you are going to be hanging out next through music alone.Pick a genre and find the establishments in your area that cater to your music taste. Can’t find anything? How about looking at the song lyrics of some local artists and visiting the places they mention in the songs?
Visit Places with Similar Names: Did you know the United States has more than 20 areas that are called Athens? Even if you can’t make it to the Parthenon or tour the quirky streets of the Greek capital you can have some fun tracing down how these cities got their names.
Have a Google Earth or Street View Tour: No need for flights or long layovers. You can have a virtual tour of Venice, Buenos Aires or the Remarkables in Queenstown within moments of opening your laptop!
Go Foraging for Your Dinner: Foraging can be a fun, and educational experience and a great way of exploring the natural world and local plant varieties. If you can, find a mentor that can teach you more about edible and poisonous plants or pick up a book from the library.
Set Out by Night: Grab a flashlight and a group of friends and experience your city transform during the night. Neighbourhood parks, famous landmarks or busy central streets can appear completely different during the early morning hours.
Start an A–Z Adventure Challenge: A-Z adventures can be applied to anything and everything you can imagine. From date-night, cuisines, drink choices or just general experiences. Start with A and every week pick something that starts from the letter you are at. For example, if you are doing a wine A-Z challenge you might go with Assyrtiko from Santorini and then move on to Baco Blanc from France the next week until you reach Z.
Go Do the Most Touristy Thing in Your City: Answer me this! How many times have you said you will do *insert most popular attraction in your city* but never do it because you live there and think there will be time later on? I have lived in 7 countries and moved countless neighbourhoods and one thing that has always stayed the same wherever I go, is the flawed belief that there is always time to do something later. Don’t miss out on local “touristy” experiences just because they are there and you think you will have time in the future.
Become a Local Somewhere New: If you are in dire need of a new place to hang out then you might just need to pick a new pub, coffee spot or park to frequent. Break the routine and have your daily coffee some place else and see what else is on offer around your neighbourhood.
Become a Fake Backpacker for a Day: Backpack, heavy boots, ninja packing skills and having to remove everything to find one pair of socks. Okay, backpacking might not be the sexiest form of travel but if you miss it you need to do something about it. Pack that bag and set out around the city to find your hostel. Make it even more realistic by having a foreign SIM card into your phone so you have no data.Did you remember to download the offline Google Maps this time?
Explore the City by Bike: For hardcore bike lovers a new route might be just what you need for a fun day out. For non-bike lovers or if you simply never had the opportunity see if there are companies offering bike tours in your city and set out on a sunset or waterfront ride with some friends and your cameras on full charge.
Go on a Hike Around Your Area: There are countless peaks to be conquered and vantage viewpoints to take sunset photos from if only you know where to go. Ask the local Facebook group for the best hikes in your area and get some exercise while exploring your city.
Have a Staycation at a Local Hotel: A great hotel experience is one where all worries and everyday troubles stay outside the door and your days are about dinner and breakfast options or whether the pool bar serves your favourite cocktail.
Change Up Your Commute Route: Intensely familiar routes are so ingrained into our brains that you could arrive at your office in the morning and not even remember if you stopped at the traffic light. Give your brain something new to think about by changing your commute route. Get the bus instead of walking. Walk instead of driving. Grab a bike or simply pick a new road to cross. Just make sure to leave a bit earlier just in case.
Discover the Street Art in Your Area: It hasn’t always been appreciated as an art form, however, street art offers a unique insight into the culture and everyday life of the people in that specific area. Whether you put your research skills to the test, hire a local guide or just enjoy photographing them, tracking down street art in your neighbourhood is a great way to spend a day.
Explore an Abandoned Building: What is down this way? You won’t find out until you go look. While there is nothing that screams “travel” about an abandoned building, it makes for interesting stories and gets your adrenaline going. Both of which are a staple of travel adventures! (I did this here: The Abandoned Button Factory Located in the Center of Athens)
If You’re a Foodie
- Dine Somewhere New: One of the easiest ways to have a mini adventure is to dine out or if that brings to mind fancy establishments and the budget is low, hit a food truck or street vendor for food you haven’t had in a while.
- At Home Cooking Class: Yes, it is great when people prepare your food for you but there is also a certain kinda charm to learning how to make it yourself from scratch. Whether you want to learn how to make a curry, a crunchy Greek tzatziki to go with your wraps or make use of the herbs and spices that are gathering dust in your cupboard, a cooking class is for you. You can easily turn this into a family-friendly or group activity by inviting some friends so you can all fail or succeed together!
Go Ice Cream Tasting: How can you turn ice-cream tasting into an adventure? Well, you can try and sample as many flavours in one day as possible or rank difference ice-cream shops in your area or even try to make some ice-cream at home. Let your inner child roam free!
Have a Wine Discovery Week: You know how the wine list in a new country can be completely unfamiliar? When you travel, unfamiliar names and labels are a perfect excuse to try something different. Pick one day a week or month when you try a new variety or label from a different country to what you are used to.
Have an International BBQ: Have a BBQ or a picnic and invite all your friends to bring an international dish or something they are proud to serve! This is the perfect excuse to try out your favourite international dishes like some Greek souvlaki, Chinese char siu or grilled bratwurst and see how similar they taste to what you remember.
If you Want to Learn Something New
- Explore the Galaxy and Stars Above: Grab the telescope in the house that is picking up dust or download an open source free App like Sky Map and see how fast you can become an amateur astronomer.
- Learn to Meditate: Meditation is an ancient practice that can relax and ground your busy day even if just for a few minutes. There are plenty of meditation apps that you can download and start practising straight away. Who knows, it might even become part of your new routine!
Try Colouring Books of Your Favourite Destinations: You might not be able to get to Paris or London or Tokyo any time soon but you can still escape to your favourite city through art!
Create a Vision Board: Nothing says “ready for my next adventure” like a plan of all the places or things you want to do. You can let your dreams go wild with pictures, ideas, quotes and exciting trip itineraries or things you want to do in your favourite destinations.
Start a Photography Project: Photography is about art, expression, creation and perspective. It forces you to look at the world through a lens and reorganize in it bits and pieces that appeal most to you. There are many ways to turn your everyday commute or walk into an opportunity to create something unique. Pick a window, view or area of your city or house you love to photograph and take pictures of it during different times of the day for a fun and interesting photography project.
Pick up a New Language: Learning a new language is a brain booster that can improve memory, thinking skills and focus. It can also deepen your connection to other cultures and give you a new perspective to consider.
Make a List of Your Favourite Travel Movies: Some movies manage to transport us right into another place. So much so that you often need to take a step back afterwards and remind yourself of where you are. Watch them! Make a list and watch them again! Anything to keep that wanderlust alive.
Learn About Important Heritage Sites: The UNESCO World Heritage Sites list includes more than 800 locations. There may be some located in your region or city without you even being aware of it. Even if you don’t find a new heritage site that you want to visit locally, the list might give you an idea of where your next trip will be.
Have a Social Media Free Day: Sounds too hard? Just imagine you are on a super long flight from Europe to New Zealand and there is no Wi-Fi on-board. Instant holiday feels!
Watch Travel Documentaries: Are you a culture enthusiast, historian, foodie or extreme sports fan? There is a documentary out there for you that combines your interests and new locations. If you haven’t seen Planet Earth on Netflix with David Attenborough you can start there!
If You Want to Connect
- Volunteer Somewhere: NearbyFarms, coffee shops, local charity shops. Giving back to the community makes us feel more connected to the place we live in and can also help boost your mood. Plus you might make new friends and find a new hobby at the same time.
Splurge with a Facial or Spa Day: When was the last time you treated yourself to something nice? When I think of spas, I think of luxury, health and rejuvenation. From weekend long escapes to quick pampering sessions at your local beauty salon you can’t go wrong with a hot stone massage or dip at a thermal pool.
Expand your Social Circle: There are many ways to meet different people or reconnect with a friend you have been meaning to catch up for coffee for the last 6 months. If all else fails, browse through your local Facebook events or head to Meet up and join a free event with people that share similar interests.
Cheer for a New Sport: Soccer is huge in Europe and Latin America, rugby brings to mind the All Blacks in New Zealand, and cricket is a mystery I will never comprehend. Next time you put on a jersey and get ready to support the team through your TV pick a sport you don’t normally watch. Might discover a new favourite!
Stay Over at a Friend’s House: Travel is not always fancy. Think hostels, backpacking and long layovers. Have a sleepover party at your friend’s house for a quick and easy holiday. Extra bonus point if your friend’s house comes with a jacuzzi, a massive backyard or a home theatre.
Host a Game Night: Game night is proof that you don’t need much to have fun. Just a handful of friends a couple of quirky games and some pizza and beer. If the lockdown restrictions are bad where you are at the moment or you prefer a social-distancing safe mini adventure, you could even host a virtual game night!
