Here at camp, we’re huge advocates for year-round adventure. Even in the winter, we host Ski & Serve, Mountain Mission, and winter retreats. It’s always a good time to expand your comfort zone and try something new.
Winter lends itself perfectly to a special kind of adventure — the kind rooted in noticing, reflecting, and making the most out of ordinary days. There’s something about slowing down in the colder months that prepares us for the joy of a full, action-packed summer. Even winter adventures of the outdoor variety are best followed by a time of warming up and reflecting. So whether this season finds you hitting the slopes or buried under a pile of blankets (and hey, why not both??), this adventure guide is for you.
Embrace Your 5 Senses
What do your favorite adventures sound like? What’s your go-to hiking snack? Whose voice stands out when you remember the last trip you took? Senses hold memory. Senses add texture to adventures, and in many cases, make the adventure.
No matter where life finds you right now, you can make any new experience more memorable and special by slowing down enough to take note of your five senses. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Take a five senses walk around your neighborhood (or on a new-to-you hiking trail). The goal here is noticing. What colors do you see? How many textures can you find? Pay attention to the way sound ebbs and flows, any good scents you pick up, and what you can taste (trail mix, anyone?).
- Sight sponsors 10:00. Choose a morning you have mostly open for adventuring and assign each of your five senses to sponsor one hour. (Sight at 10, hearing at 11, taste at 12, etc.) The goal of this exercise is to 1) challenge yourself to focus on something that’s usually easy to tune out 2) notice how much of a gift each of your senses are. Jot down in your journal or Notes app anything that sticks out to you — sounds that usually fade into the background, a beautiful view you would have missed if you weren’t doing this exercise, and so on.
Paying special attention to your five senses might seem odd or even pointless at first but remember: our senses are how we experience the world. They give life to our adventures. Giving your five senses more awareness than usual now, during quieter adventures, only helps add even more zing to your big adventures later down the road.
Same, Same, Different
How easy is it for you to notice patterns? You’re about to find out!
Depending on your personality, this might be challenging or a walk in the park. Either way, practicing noticing patterns around you is an excellent way to slow down, boost your creativity, and try on a change of pace.
Remember in school when your teacher asked you to make a Venn diagram to compare and contrast two stories? You listed all the ways they were unique and all the ways they were the same. Well, you can do this exercise with anything.
On your next winter adventure, spend time comparing and contrasting. Yes, really! This can be as challenging and exciting or as scaled down as you want. The point of this exercise is to awaken your creativity and help you learn a little about yourself. There are more similarities in the things that you enjoy than you might realize! Spotting themes in your daily life or in your favorite adventures gives you valuable information about yourself and helps you plan what you want to experience next.
If you’re traveling, compare and contrast the meals, transportation, roads, neighborhoods, your mood, and the people you meet on your trip versus at home or from your last trip. Remember, this isn’t about ranking which you prefer — it’s about noticing all the ways they are the same and different and looking for patterns.
If you’re spending time at home, here are some ideas of what to compare and contrast:
- Movies you enjoy
- Rooms in your house
- Your two favorite days of the year
- Your top three most recent reads
- Who you were 10 years ago and who you are today
- Your routine in the winter and your routine in the summer
- Activities that are inside your comfort zone and outside your comfort zone
After you ask yourself what’s the same and what’s different, go a level deeper. Ask Why am I drawn to both of these? Do these have a similar tone? Where did I first hear about/buy/choose these? What are my favorite memories with these characters or in these rooms? Do these shows/books/household items have similar themes? What do similar themes in stories I enjoy say about me?
Reflection Time
There is no adventure without rest. (And some may say there is no real rest without adventure!) For our final exercise in quiet adventures, spend some time with the prompts below. These are endlessly flexible depending on your preferences and needs. Journal these, use them as conversation prompts at the dinner table or on a car ride, go for a hike and mentally reflect on them, etc. The goal is to learn more about yourself and foster an appreciation for rest, adventure, and their ebb and flow through the seasons.
- What adventure taught me the most about myself?
- In this season of life, would I benefit from more adventure? Or more rest?
- In what ways do rest and adventure complement each other? What if my life was filled with one but not the other?
- When do I feel most adventurous at home?
- When do I feel most adventurous when traveling?
- When do I feel most rested?
- When I’m rested, what do I feel empowered to do in my daily life?
- What time of year do I feel most adventurous?
- What time of year do I feel most like resting?
- Who do I like to go on adventures with?
- What do I want to try for the first time on my next adventure?
Adventure On!
Where will your adventures take you this winter and spring? More importantly, what will you notice during these adventures? Whether you’re taking the trip of a lifetime or staying home waiting for warmer days, you can make this season an adventurous, restful, and nourishing time. Simply tune in to the beauty and wonder that is already surrounding you.
Happy adventuring. And don’t forget the trail mix!
