Now that the summer holidays are over, are you yearning for the next trip? Are you planning a “staycation” next time round? Or are you just looking for ways of making the most of your free time? Whatever your plans, a “microadventure” might be just what you need. Lonely Planet’s new book Everyday Adventures – subtitled “50 new ways to experience your hometown” – is full of ideas for experiencing your own backyard as if it were unfamiliar territory.

What are Microadventures?

According to Tom Hall, Editorial Director at Lonely Planet, “We want to show that you don’t need to travel far – or spend big – to have an adventure. Even if you are short of time, just by making some tiny changes to your daily routine, you can open up the world around you. Whether you are at home, at work, or overseas, it’s possible to explore every day”. Everyday Adventures contains 50 microadventures – small, and mostly inexpensive – activities that you can carry out on your own, or with others.

Each activity has detailed instructions followed by a “case study”, where the contributor has put it into practice. Some of them involve exploring new or unfamiliar parts of your neighbourhood (rolling the dice or random chance may play a part…) But others, like Macro Lensing or Sense of Abandon (exploring derelict buildings) involve new ways of looking at things. Then there is Literary Jaunt, which you can do without even leaving the house (I know, because I’ve just been sidetracked by this one…)

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Using Everyday Adventures

Everyday Adventures is arranged in sections with intriguing titles, like “Follow your Senses”, or “Challenge Yourself”. And there is a thematic index showing, for instance, “group adventures”, “eco-friendly” or “no-cost adventures”. As always with Lonely Planet books, there are fascinating snippets of loosely-related information, such as “Hangover tour” (cures for sore heads from around the world) or “the myth of the minotaur”. One of the great things about trying something new is that you’re bound to learn something along the way…

Some of the activities are easier to incorporate if you live or work in a city, and could be a bit of a challenge if you spend your days in a more rural location. But there are plenty of ideas that can be used anywhere and, with a bit of imagination, most of the acitivies could be adapted to your circumstances.

Really, that is what this book is about. It is a starting point, a device for firing the imagination. By the time you’ve worked your way through the 50 challenges in this book, you’re likely to have come up with another 50 ideas of your own… You will have found new places to eat and drink, new places to hang out, and probably new activities as well. But, like any good travel experience, it is mostly it is about stretching the mind… and the imagination.

Everyday Adventures is available in the Lonely Planet shop, price £12.99.