Going without
Every Easter in Ireland people celebrate the festival of Lent (even those who aren’t terribly religious). For those of you unfamiliar with it, Lent requires that you abstain from a personal vice for 40 days. For some this is alcohol, for others it’s chocolate or a range of the other typical ‘bad habits’. However, what usually follows on day 41 is a gorging of said vice, after all—it’s tradition!
The concept of binging on what we have deprived ourselves of is not unfamiliar to most of us. How many of us have made a New Year’s resolution to stay away from fast food only to find ourselves drowning in fries after a few weeks of abstaining from it?
Right now though, what we are being starved of is not the usual unhealthy vices, we are being denied the chance to be among the trees, the lakes, and the oceans. It’s not our choice, the withdrawal of nature has been forced upon us. We can no longer simply be outside, in the open, and at one with nature.
An opportunity
What we do have is the opportunity to look back at all our previous adventures and be thankful. Perhaps, more importantly, we can take stock of the missed chances to spend time in nature, to reflect on the Saturday afternoons that we chose to spend on the couch instead of in the woods.
I am lucky enough to be able to venture into the woods more than most, but there are certainly times where I have let opportunities pass me by with the thought of ‘there’ll be another time’. No longer will this be the case. Separation really does make the heart grow fonder.
Planning for the first bite of adventure after the lockdown ends.
The idea of bucket-lists are nothing new, however, I have a challenge for you: can you create a local outdoor experience bucket-list, whilst in lockdown? How many little adventures lay on your doorstep that are waiting to be explored? Now is the opportunity to research online and get started on planning that trip. It may be a local hike with friends, a trip to a national park or a simple visit to a nearby waterfall with the kids.
Your next adventure need not be too far off or in the most remote areas imaginable. There is a world of adventure to be explored within your locality. In fact, as we consider our impact on how sustainable our adventures are both environmentally and economically, it makes more sense now than ever to champion our local environments.
Now is the time to get planning your nature binge. What adventures are awaiting you on your doorstep?
