Or tips on creating a spirit of adventure from a young age…
We’re a busy family. I think it’s trending in general for people to be exceptionally busy. So, how do you squeeze in adventuring? Like anything: if you really want it, you’ll make time; if you don’t, you’ll make excuses.
1. Use your errands/appointments as a kickstart. Most of our smaller adventures are just tacked on to something else. Need to run to IKEA for a closet organizer? Make a day of it. Need to pick up a friend at the airport? Hit the city sights on the way. Doctor’s appointment downtown? Hit that trendy spot next door that you’ve never had time to drive in for. If I must subject my kids to a long ride in the car, I’m going to try and make it worth everyone’s while. It makes the day more fun and the ride home more bearable… actually, the plan is usually to wear everyone out so they sleep on the way home.
2. Plan ahead. Obviously not every excursion is an add-on, but that’s an easy way to add some zest to your schedule. While we often like to fly by the seat of our pants, we also plan in advance. Calendars fill up. If we don’t input some fun things, our schedules will be filled with appointments and similar drudgeries. The real fun now is planning trips around a combination of school and work calendars. We have dates set apart for travels, without knowing where we’re traveling, just to make sure we can save the time to get away!
3. Wing it. Does that sound contradictory? We always have something fun on the calendar to look forward to, and we also try to save some down time. We have an average of four medical appointments each week (this is down from the nine we averaged just over a year ago). Sometimes, I’m exhausted and we just need to veg and recover the house. Other times, however, I’ll find that we need a change of scenery… or something to keep me awake… and we’ll hit the road without a moment’s notice. Obviously, these are tiny adventures. We have three hours in between when the kids wake up from naps and Dad gets home from work. Since I teach, this schedule stays pretty much the same whether I’m working for pay or as an at-home mom. These are perfect opportunities for exploring a local museum, park, or hiking trail. This is how we get to know what our home area has to offer.
All of us prioritize our time, whether it’s intentional or not. How you choose to spend your hours shows what’s important to you. Just make sure your priorities match your goals in all areas of life.