With more time being spent at home, you might be looking for new, exciting, but safe ways to beat the boredom of being within the same four walls.
The good news is that not all adventures have to involve thrill-seeking activities, or jet setting around the world to a faraway place.
Believe it or not, it’s still possible to indulge your adventurous side from the comfort of your own sofa.
When most people think of adventure, they think of escapism. But you can still take your mind to an exciting new place without having to be there physically.
So if you’re looking for an adventure that you can go on anytime, anywhere, then here are 15 different ideas.
Watch NASA at work, and see Earth from space
Modern technology allows us to see places we might never normally be able to gain access to, from the comfort of our own homes.
If you’re interested in space and the universe, then you might be interested to know that on YouTube, you can watch live round-the clock footage of NASA Astronauts aboard the ISS -which means you’ll get to see stunning aerial views of Earth from space. It’s really quite breath-taking.
Travel the world with your taste buds
Travel may be limited right now, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy exploring in your own kitchen. OK, so it’s technically not in your living room (unless you use a camping stove) but if you’re longing for new and interesting experiences then why not explore some new cultures and flavours by cooking a delicious new dish? While most of us are familiar with lasagne and linguine, when it comes to foreign cuisine there are so many great-tasting dishes out there that most of us haven’t even scratched the surface with. What’s more, with plenty of smells, sounds and tastes to enjoy throughout, cooking can be a great way to focus your mind on the present moment and comes with a great tasting reward at the end. If you’re interested in travelling the world with your taste buds, then consider going on a culinary adventure.
Get stuck into a good book
When you get truly lost in a good book, it can seem as though time is passing around you, without you even realising it. You can become transported to an entirely new world, where you can actually see, smell and hear the sounds that are being described,
and feel the emotions of the book’s characters along with them. When this happens, we tend to forget about our own surroundings and personal circumstances and immerse ourselves fully in this other world experience. There are few feelings like finding true escapism in a great novel – and the best thing about it, is that you can do it anywhere, at any time.
Escapism through reading is something that’s very personal. Perhaps you’d prefer to be transported into the future, or hold the hand of a protagonist as they navigate the trials and tribulations of true love.
If you’re looking for a few ideas for books to read, then you could try taking a look at our articles 27 of the best must-read novels, 20 of the best history books, or 17 books for your winter reading list. Some of our favourite adventure novels included in these lists include The Life of Pi (2001), The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (1979), and Wild (2013).
Check in to the puppy playroom
If you’re a dog lover, then chances are you’ll love the opportunity to check in on a group of puppies in their playroom – even more fun, is that they don’t know that they’re being watched. So when these little pups aren’t napping, you can expect to see a lot of mischief!
Live footage from the puppy playroom is filmed by hidden cameras located in the Warrior Canine Connection (Maryland, USA). This non-profit organisation is responsible for training therapeutic service dogs for war veterans. Puppies visit the playroom during the day from the age of about 4 weeks old to be socialised with each other, and with staff, volunteers and military personnel and their families. If you’re having a bad day, and need a bit of cheering up – then footage of these happy, bouncy puppies is sure to put a smile on your face.
Explore any country in the world with MapCrunch (pictured)
If you’re not sure what sort of adventure you’d like to go on, but you know you like exploring, then MapCrunch could be a great place to start. As soon as you land on the site, you’ll be shown a random Google street view of somewhere in the world. You can either choose to explore that area, venturing as far as you want to using the arrows – or you can hit ‘Go!’ in the top right-hand corner and be transported to somewhere else entirely. I hit the button three times and went to Mongolia, Jerusalem and Brazil!
Or if you’d prefer to choose where you want to explore, then you can visit Google Earth and ‘fly’ to your country of choice – where you can see detailed satellite images, and find out more about it.
Go on a quest for knowledge
It’s possible to go on an adventure each time that you open up your mind to new ideas, perspectives or information. So, if you’ve got a few hours to spare, then why not consider choosing a topic such as a country or an animal – that you know nothing about, and finding out as much as you can about it, using the internet, books or TV shows? There are thousands of online courses on a range of different subjects, that you could sink your teeth into, if you’re looking for somewhere to start. A routine evening or weekend can quickly be turned into an exciting quest for knowledge. And the best thing, is that the adventure of knowledge never stops.
Join in with storm chasing
There’s something incredibly fascinating about tornadoes and hurricanes, because they show us the true geological power that the Earth has over us. When Mother Nature wants to unleash her wrath, there’s no stopping her! Because, here in the UK, we typically only see tornadoes and hurricanes on TV – for some reason, that makes them all the more intriguing.
There are plenty of YouTube videos and TV shows, showing recorded footage of tornadoes and hurricanes, but there’s something quite thrilling about the idea of being able to see one in action – live. The good news is that Severe Studios are giving people the opportunity to tune into live storm-chasing videos on their website.
Tornadoes and hurricanes can be quite unpredictable, so unfortunately, it’s hard to tell exactly when storm chasers will go live, but it’s worth checking into their website every so often, to see if you can join in with the action. While you wait to catch a live storm, Severe Studios have plenty of archived storm videos for you to indulge in.
Visit gorillas in the Congo or pandas in China
You don’t have to go on a safari or to a zoo, to see what some of the world’s most beautiful creatures are getting up to. Thanks to modern technology, there are live webcams positioned all over the world that will let you get up close and personal with everything from big cats, through to birds and sea life – and all footage is available on YouTube.
With so many different options, it’s totally up to you to decide where you want to go! Perhaps you’d like to visit gorillas in the Congo, pandas in China, or Hummingbirds in California, USA. There’s something extra special about getting to watch these stunning creatures, when they think no one is watching!
Watch an adventure movie
In a similar way to reading a great book, it’s also easy to find yourself getting lost in a great movie – particularly ones where the main character heads off on a long journey. Even though you’re enjoying a movie from the comfort of your sofa, you can quickly feel as though you are walking beside them, experiencing the same senses, and sharing in their emotions. You know you’ve become really engrossed in a good movie, when you don’t want it to end and you’ve gotten to know the characters so well, that it feels as if you know them personally.
If you’re looking for some inspiration for adventure movies, then we’d recommend trying Eat Pray Love (2010), Into the Wild (2007) and Back to the Future (1985). You could also try engaging with other film lovers over on the Rest Less community forum – here you’ll be able to discuss your favourite films, and swap movie recommendations with likeminded individuals.
Practice guided meditation
Practicing guided meditation is a great way to relax, unwind and transport your mind to somewhere more peaceful. Many people use meditation as a form of mindfulness to help them stay in the present moment and quiet negative thoughts. During a guided meditation, a soothing voice will talk you through each step – encouraging you to do things like visualise certain surroundings, focus on your breathing or let go of specific thoughts or worries that are affecting your daily life.
If you want to use guided meditation as an opportunity to go on a mindful adventure, then consider listening to those that focus on visualisation of surroundings – for example, imagining that you’re listening to the waves as you walk along the beach, or taking in all the woody sights and smells as you take a wander through the forest. YouTube has a number of really useful, free guided meditations, so it’s worth giving these a try.
You could also try downloading the Headspace app, which has plenty of guided imagery meditations. They offer a two week free trial, so that you can try some for free, before committing to a full subscription.
See what’s happening at popular tourist hotspots around the world
Fancy popping over to Times Square or enjoying a view of the Ponte delle Guglie in Venice? If you want to take a sneak peek at what’s going on at some of the world’s most notorious tourist spots in real-time, then consider checking in to one of many live webcams across the globe. If you’re someone who loves people-watching, then this is one for you!
If you’re ever feeling particularly stressed or anxious, then there can be something very reassuring about watching the world go by. It can help us to see the bigger picture, and to realise that no matter how big or small problems are – the world will keep turning.
Take a trip down memory lane
If you’ve got a quiet afternoon, day or weekend, then consider having a bit of a declutter, and using this as a chance to take a trip down memory lane. Decluttering is a journey in itself, and it can be quite liberating letting go of things that you no longer need, organizing the things you want to keep, and seeing the neat and tidy end result. However, it also gives you a great excuse to get out your old keepsakes, mementos and diaries.
Reminiscing about the past can help you to see how far you’ve come and appreciate where you are at present, and it can also help you to revisit happy memories and indulge in a bit of nostalgia. Sometimes we can surprise ourselves when we remember how much we’ve already done, and how much we’ve grown as individuals. If you want to have an adventure at home, then getting lost in your past for a few hours can be a great way to do this.
Try to see adventure as a mindset
By choosing to see adventure as a mindset, then you’ll never be short of them. We often lose our sense of adventure when we repeat the same actions and become bored with our everyday routine. But there’s an adventure to be had in every scenario, if we choose to approach things a little differently than we normally would.
For example, instead of driving the same route to work everyday in autopilot mode, why not leave a bit earlier and explore a new route? Or instead of picking from the same handful of dinner options everyday, why not try a completely different recipe, that gets you excited?
Sometimes looking at the world a little differently, and making an effort to find adventure where we can – even in small ways – can open up a whole new and exciting world, wherever we happen to be.
Travel the world with this musical time machine
There’s nothing like music to transport us to a different time and place. From gospel to Motown, and from classical to the swinging 60s, it’s amazing how quickly sounds can evoke feelings of escapism. With this musical time machine you can listen to music from any decade and country of your choice. Visit Brazil in the 1960s or China in the 1990s, or simply explore the sounds of the world….
There is a premium offering, but even the free version of the service had us transported out of our living room. The creators of Radiooooo built this tool with the goal of broadening people’s horizons through musical culture.
Track turtles, sharks and dolphins
OCEARCH is a scientific research project trying to help ocean wildlife. With this tracker you can keep track of tagged ocean animals around the world and see where they are and where they’ve been.
You can find out each animal’s name, their weight and their length! If you become attached to any specific animal, you can search for their name and see where they have ended up. My favourite is a White Shark, named Helena. She’s 12ft 5ins, weighs 1314lbs, and I last spotted her along the Atlantic Coast of North Carolina!
A final thought…
Deciding to look at every aspect of your life as an adventure can make it a lot more fun, and can also offer you some relief from the stresses and strains of daily life. With life still being a bit strange and the majority of us still spending more time at home than we usually would, it’s important that we all take steps to look after ourselves not just physically, but mentally too.
For many of us, this can mean finding ways to have fun and keep our minds engaged – and fortunately, there are plenty of ways we can do this from the comfort of our own homes. With a little imagination and curiosity, it’s possible to start an adventure wherever we happen to be. Not all adventures are immediately obvious – but they are there.
(Article source: Rest Less)
