Shrove Tuesday for plenty of folk, myself included, simply means Pancake Day.
It’s followed by Ash Wednesday, the start of the Lenten fast, which in these modern times implies giving something up, such as, let’s say, chocolate, before arriving at Easter ready to gorge on chocolate eggs, chocolate bunnies and anything else chocolate.
(Example given is obviously for descriptive purposes only.)
(Maybe.)
Perception is projection
(or is it the other way round?)
That’s my perception of this time of year. How far from the tales of its biblical origins it has travelled, I’m not sure, because religion has never really played a part in my involvement or decision making for events such as Lent. For me it has always been more of a commercial culture.
Except it doesn’t feel good anymore. The giving up chocolate for Lent in order to gorge on it at Easter sort of culture, that is.
Now, I’d consider myself très creative, occasionally adventurous, fairly daring, even impulsive. But I’m also pretty dull. Nature has its ways of balancing all.
So, fortunately, when Leah of Wild Days Out gently suggested a pleasant idea on our Adventure Queens Facebook page about doing something for Lent instead of not doing something (i.e. eating junk food), I very much felt inspired, and daunted.
Lent Micro Adventure
The brief was simple: do one micro adventure each day of Lent. Something new, or perhaps something that scares you. Outdoors or inside. For forty-four days.
(Cue scrambled brain and likely scenarios of failing brilliantly, such as achieving anything more than a blog post about attempting such activities on Day 1.)
So, surprising even myself, I’ve been able to put together a list of 44 different micro adventures. Some borrowed from other insightfully adventurous ladies in the group, and some that I’ve yet to do myself but I’ve had in mind for some time. Perhaps you’ll be inspired to do some too!
In no particular order, with no set date to each one, accepting that perhaps a better idea will come up along the way, and perhaps 44 micro adventures is too high a bar to grab hold of, here is my list:
- Camp out indoors
- Tree climbing
- Bird watching
- Cook breakfast outside
- Play hopscotch
- Forage for food
- Watch the sunrise on a beach
- Make a den
- Visit the climbing wall
- Play frisbee
- Outdoor art
- Kayaking
- Geocaching
- Litter picking
- Mountain Biking
- Create paper boats & float them
- Outdoor poetry
- Sea swimming
- Sand dune running
- Fly a kite
- Roll down a hill
- Sleep out under the stars
- Make pebble art
- Whittle wood
- Crochet a gift
- Go crabbing
- Cycle a new route
- Explore a new castle
- Identify cloud shapes (made up & real)
- Eat dinner al fresco
- Visit a new town
- Use a sewing machine to make a gift
- Wild camp somewhere new
- Explore a new running route
- Outdoor doodling
- Stand under a waterfall
- Paint a canvas indoors/outdoors
- Climb a new mountain
- Volunteer at a race
- Have a rubber duck race
- Build a sand sculpture
- Rock climbing
- Cycle on a BMX track
- Outdoor writing
Join in with your own (daily) Lent Micro Adventure, be sure to share your stories or photos with #LentMicroAdventure on twitter, Instagram and/or Facebook. Or use the hashtag to search for ideas that others have come up with.
Most of all, have fun! And if you’re going to fail at this, be sure to do it brilliantly.
Namaste x
