HOW TO HAVE AN ADVENTURE AT HOME: 36 WAYS TO GET STARTED

Too often we assume that you need to buy a pricey plane ticket to go on an adventure. We often forget that sometimes people visit the places that we live in order to have their adventures.

So why don’t we do the same?

Let’s Go on an Adventure at Home

After getting back from my recent trips to Singapore and Bali, I had to readapt to everyday life. I tried to ride out that high energy the trip supplied me with for as long as I could. But post-holiday blues never keep away for long.

With a little one, it’s not as easy as it once was to jump on a plane, so I’ve needed to become a bit more creative with how I adventure and exploring my own backyard, or area has become a fun option for me. Especially since it’s easy to bring Little Linguist along.

If you have the itch to travel, you can find an adventure anywhere. Even just outside your door. 

Here are a few ideas I’ve collected to help get you started.

How to Have an Adventure at Home: 36 Ways to Get Started

1. Visit one of the locations listed in these great roundups by Local Adventurer.
2. Try a new restaurant.

A post shared by Shannon Kennedy (@eurolinguiste) on Oct 5, 2017 at 8:13pm PDT

3. Visit a local neighborhood (in LA, for instance we have Little Tokyo, Chinatown, Little Saigon, etc.).
4. Find a local B&B and have a weekend “getaway”.
5. Visit a local museum.
6. Find an historic site in your area.

A post shared by Shannon Kennedy (@eurolinguiste) on May 19, 2017 at 10:18pm PDT

7. Pretend you’re from out of town and ask people that you meet (in stores or at restaurants) what they recommend seeing in the area. Then go see it.
8. Watch the sunrise. Find a scenic place to do it.
9. Watch the sunset. (See above).

A post shared by Shannon Kennedy (@eurolinguiste) on Oct 17, 2017 at 11:20am PDT

10. Join a local tour. I discovered my area has brewery tours!
11. Join a meet up or group event.
12. Go camping in your backyard (if you have one).
13. Find a pop up.

A post shared by Shannon Kennedy (@eurolinguiste) on Jul 28, 2016 at 12:53pm PDT

14. Go star gazing. Find an area close by where you can get away from all the city lights. Get there and then get outside and appreciate the stars.
15. Have a picnic in a park.
16. Start preparing for your next trip.

A post shared by Shannon Kennedy (@eurolinguiste) on Oct 9, 2016 at 2:47pm PDT

17. Read a travelogue.
18. Watch a foreign film at a local theater.
19. Take local transportation and get off somewhere new (as long as it looks safe and you have a way to get back!).
20. Find somewhere nearby that you can hike.
21. Visit a tourist attraction that you haven’t gone to yet.

A post shared by Shannon Kennedy (@eurolinguiste) on Feb 18, 2017 at 4:56pm PST

22. Look up a class in your area for anything you’re interested in (cooking, sewing, martial arts, etc) and sign up for one.
23. Set up a scavenger hunt with a friend.
24. Go to a local performance (music, improv, poetry reading, etc.).
25. Try out geocaching. 
26. Or letterboxing.
27. Read the Wikipedia entry for your city and see if there’s anything noted that you haven’t visited.
28. Take advantage of the ‘search’ feature on Instagram and browse your area until you find something that looks interesting. Then go visit it. (And by something I mean a place.)
29. Visit a local farmer’s market or swap meet.
30. Find a local festival. (Nearby we have a Korean festival, an Italian festival, a Greek festival and each summer a night market).

A post shared by Shannon Kennedy (@eurolinguiste) on Aug 2, 2017 at 3:47pm PDT

A post shared by Shannon Kennedy (@eurolinguiste) on Jul 22, 2017 at 9:03pm PDT

31. Volunteer.
32. Search “things to do in [your city]”. Do something you haven’t done.
33. Discover what nature has to offer in your area. Are there bodies of water? Caves? Forests with paths you can take?

A post shared by Shannon Kennedy (@eurolinguiste) on Aug 19, 2017 at 1:17pm PDT

34. Attend a local event. Sometimes around the holidays, cities host events. Ours has a Fourth of July parade, an Easter egg hunt, and a live nativity set come Christmas.
35. Try out a coffee shop, bakery or tea shop that isn’t a part of a chain.
36. Just walk.

What about you?

What are some of the ways you’ve adventured in your hometown? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!