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It is so easy not to go out. To hibernate almost in January.

But when you do make yourself lear the housework and busyness behind for the day, you never know what you are going to find…

It was not the greatest weather. We were not super motivated. But experiences and opportunities only occur when you open your door to them, as this particular day attested.

THE WALK

Having looked on stridingedge.net, a beautiful walkers site, we had found a walk from Grasmere to Easdale Tarn and back over Silver How. According to the site, this walk would take us 2-3 hours, leaving plenty of time for tea and Gingerbread in Grasmere.

The initial walk up to the tarn was lovely. Easy to follow paths with gorgeous scenery, waterfalls and snow. Our real adventure for the day began as we headed past the Tarn to look for the path, which was clearly marked on the map, back over the hills to Silver How. This is where we learned that paths are much harder to find and follow when they are under a foot of snow!

JOINING FORCES

In our attempts to locate our path, with ended up joining forces with a man visiting from America, who was looking for the same walk. Where we may have previously been tempted to turn around, this teaming up brought our all our bravado and stupidity – so we headed on.
What a great decision.

NEW EXPERIENCES

The American – Mark – turned out to be a photographer. So there we are, Wednesday afternoon, between school runs, on top of a mountain, in the snow – having a photoshoot!!

Luckily Mark was also a great navigator, with a compass, so he helped to make sure we got back to Grasmere, if not in time for Gingerbread, in time to head back for the kids.

Remember – life will always be busy. Its hard to find the time – but so much richer and more rewarding for doing so.  Go on – Grab Opportunities

The post Grab Opportunities appeared first on Karmaplace.

Adventures always sound very appealing and exciting.  However the word adventure tends to conjure up huge ideas – we can all sit and plan and think about those adventures we would really like to have.

However, will we ever have the money, time and bravery all at the same time to actually embark on a big adventure?  Plus if we do, it is likely to be just once within our lifetime.

When we sit with that thought -‘ its a once in a lifetime’ – it has to be perfect.  Second best won’t do.   So much time is given over to dreams and planning and waiting for just the right time, weather and opportunity.

TIME TO SCALE BACK

Its time to scale back those dreams, to allow adventure into your life in a smaller way - its time for the micro adventure.

CARPE DIEM – SEIZE THE DAY

Throw caution to the wind, leave your comfort zone – get into your stretch zone.  Get out your high tog sleeping bag, your water proofs and your gin and head off for a micro adventure, in the forests of the UK rather than the tropics.

HOW

• Book a yurt, in February,
• add 4 children,
• throw in a young crazy dog
• add in two crazy mid-lifers,
• sprinkle in plenty of food and alcohol – mix well and you have your self a micro adventure!

NOTHING IS GUARANTEED

We have never done this before, we have never even been away together before, will everyone get on, what will it be like all sleeping together in one space, with the crazy dog?  The weather could be dreadful.  But this was not the time  to sit and worry about those things.  We had little to lose – what was the worst that could happen?

The possibility was that we could actually have a great time – why not give it a go?  It was not expensive.  It was not a long journey – it was worth the risk.

Plus, Jenny is easily led and Sara is the stupid, adventurous type – thus why we are also embarking on a 100K walk for Oxfam. (100K Madness)

THE TRUTH

• The dog had rampant diarrhoea and sickness – all night long.
• The rain hitting the top of the yurt – all night – is a noise akin to tap dancing elephants.
• Awaking in the morning we were extremely bleary eyed and breathing out steam, it was so cold.
• It was almost too cold to get out the sleeping bags to light the fire.
• It was wet, it was dirty, the kids’ DS’s had run out of battery …

IT WAS GREAT!!!

WHAT?????

What kid doesn’t enjoy a bit of mud? Freed from technology  they explored the farms and woods.  They made friends with goats and cats.  They painted their faces with charcoal to become  woodland warriors.

We lit a campfire and cooked sausages and marshmallows.  We sang our hearts out around it.

We cooked over our log burning stove – feeling very ‘Little House on the Prairie’

We wrapped up and went for an amazing walk through the forest.

We discovered waterfalls.

The kids went paddling!

We ate the biggest cakes we had ever seen – bigger than your head, they had to be seen to be believed and were utterly delicious too.

Because the kids were ‘free range’, we were able to sit back and relax.  Laugh.  Drink.  Enjoy ourselves.

The night rewarded our adventurous spirit with the clearest most star filled skies any of us had ever seen, it was beautiful.

SO DON’T WAIT.

Don’t wait for a once in a lifetime, that lets face it, may never happen.  Don’t leave it until your kids are too old or grown up to start enjoying adventures.  Just scale back your vision.  Be brave.  Make things happen.  Enjoy yourselves, get dirty, have fun, make memories.

Have a micro adventure of your own.

Our inspiration for all this came from Alistair Humphreys, he says:

‘ Adventure is only a state of mind.  Adventure is stretching yourself, mentally, culturally or physically.  It is about doing what you do not normally do, pushing yourself hard and doing it to the best of your ability.’

See his web page: alastairhumphreys.com for your own ideas.  He also has a new book out on this very subject called “micro adventures” if you are feeling really inspiried by our (micro) adventurous spirit.

LINKS:

Grizedale Forest Campsite
The Sun Cottage Cafe, Hawkshead.

What will you be doing?

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