Tag: Ideas

Go With the Flow – An Exercise In Changing the Plan

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A few weekends ago some friends from school came down and visited us. They wanted to spend some time together before we headed off to Ireland for the semester. Of course, their plan changed at least 7 times over the course of the weekend. They were going to come down Saturday; no, they were coming down Friday; they were leaving Monday morning to head to St. Louis to meet some other friends; they weren’t going to St. Louis, so they were staying with us till Monday evening; we were going with them to St. Louis…. In the end, no one went to St. Louis (we all hit snooze and then just turned our alarms off), so we showed them some of our favorite local spots (including some fabulous cake… if you’re ever in the Paducah, KY area, be sure and visit The Upper Crust bakery).

How many adventures do you miss out on because they’re not “part of the plan”? My wife and I debated if we should go to St. Louis, as it hadn’t been figured into our budget. Finally we decided that it was silly to miss out on an adventure with some good friends over a small budget overlook (we had the money, we just knew that a bunch of expenses were coming up with the Ireland trip. Don’t over-extend yourself financially, as that will really mess up your adventuring.) We could have saved ourselves some stress if we had been a little more open to short-term changes in our long-term plan.

Going to Paducah was never even mentioned. We had plans for Saturday, which were not all completed due to a shortage of time and sunlight. Sunday was dictated by the whims of my niece, who led us around on some fabulous adventures there at the house. Monday, the fabled trip to St. Louis. We all slept late (apparently we needed it), then decided to head to the city for some exploring. We tried a new restaurant, walked briskly around town (too cold for us!), explored the local painters’ gallery, and headed over to the Upper Crust for some cake and coffee. The whole weekend was wonderful, even if 2/3 of our plans didn’t quite work out. We didn’t allow them to upset us or ruin the rest of our day. We laughed about it and continued on in a new direction.

If something doesn’t go according to plan, it does not have to be a bad thing. New opportunities are now open. You have the perfect chance, and excuse, to explore! Maybe your car broke down in an unknown area; while waiting for help to arrive, explore the area. Perhaps someone you are meeting is running a bit late; grab the camera and snap some photos. Are you hungry and happen to see a new restaurant? Stop by and try them out, you don’t always have to go somewhere familiar.

Take advantage of this chance to do something new!

An Easy Way to Go Camping More Often

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Do you like camping but don’t get to go often enough? Just can’t find the time to get away? Here’s some good news, you don’t have to! Grab your gear, set up in your yard and you can go camping any time. Have to be at work in the morning? Set the alarm on your cell phone, make coffee and breakfast on your stove before heading inside for a quick shower, then head off to work.

These backyard excursions can provide valuable experience. With shelter near at hand, you can test out new gear without fear. New stove or type of food? Go in and rummage through the kitchen if it doesn’t work out. Want to see how well your gear stands up to the rain or cold? Go test it! If you get wet or cold, go inside.

There is no worse time to find out your gear isn’t working than when you’re out in the field, relying on it. Can you set up your tent quickly, even in the wind? What about taking it down during a lull in the rain? Being able to do so has saved my wife and I from getting thoroughly drenched a couple of times; this is a skill that we honed with practice. Through testing at home, we know that we can sleep comfortably in our hammocks on a 35°F night. When sleeping in the tent, we know which of our pads are the most comfortable. Through practice, we know our favorite meals and how long it takes to prepare them. When you use your gear at home you can use it more often, testing it thoroughly and learning its quirks, which will enable you to have a safer and more enjoyable camping experience.

Don’t let time be an excuse anymore. You can have a great time camping, right in your own back yard. Literally!

Feed the Fowl

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I have not yet found a city that did not have a body of water full of waterfowl in it somewhere. Mallard ducks with iridescent heads, majestic swans and… you know, geese. Sometimes these are ponds tucked away inside of a subdivision, in the middle of a local park, or they are the local boat ramp leading to a larger body of water. If you don’t already know where they are located, you can take an afternoon and explore, searching them out. You might be able to ask around and find someone who can lead you in the right direction.

No matter where you find them, these birds love to be fed. Fortunately for us, they make for a cheap date. Bread and water, as a matter of fact, and they supply the water. You don’t need much, a few left-over slices, a moldy loaf (I’d probably recommend throwing away the moldy parts, though), some out-of-date stuff from the store. I have never had too much, and have little fear of ever doing so. If you are at a park, they might have candy machines that dispense feed for $0.25.

You can always tell when they have been fed before, as they will flock towards you. (We were once trailed half-way around a pond by about 50 ducks, even though we had nothing to feed them.) This is quite handy, as there is no chasing them down. All you have to do is appear at the water’s edge, stand still for a few moments, and then begin serving dinner.

Simply pinch off a piece of bread, toss it near the waterfowl and watch them dine. They will dive after the bread, making sure it does not go to waste. (Though I have tried, I have not yet managed to find a duck who catches bread as it falls toward them… even when it hit them in the beak.) If your ducks are on land, you can carefully feed them out of your hand. Simply place the food in the palm of your hand and lower it down to their level. They will grab it with their beaks. Try not to move as they do so, or they might inadvertently pinch you (which can be frightening for children).

If you’re looking for a quick and simple adventure, feeding the fowl might just be the ticket. It can be calming, enjoying the scenery and seeing the beautiful colors of the birds themselves. Great photo opportunities are offered. It neither costs a lot nor does it involve a lot of traveling. Once you have found a great location or two, you can repeat as often as you wish.

Now go out, find your fowl, and enjoy the dinner!

10 Ways to Make Her Valentine’s Day Special

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Are you ready to make her Valentine’s Day special? This doesn’t necessarily mean having flowers ordered and chocolate ready to go (unless that is what really makes her happy). Have you planned something that will show her how special she is, how much she means to you? In no particular order, here are 10 ideas to get you started:

  1. Have an indoor picnic.
    It might be too cold to eat outside, but you can still have a romantic picnic. You already have the perfect location available. Clear the floor by pushing furniture back and lay down a clean sheet or blanket. Set two complete dinner places: placemats, long-stemmed glasses, everything. Don’t forget to include some long-stemmed candles.
    The meal does not have to be fancy, this is almost a case where it is the effort that counts (it does need to be edible). Quality company will more than make up for a mediocre meal. If you are not an experienced cook, I have always had luck with pasta. You can purchase tortellini that only needs to be boiled and then add a jar of her favorite sauce. Buy a loaf of fresh bread and slice it, add some butter and toast it in the oven. This simple meal is fast to prepare, easy to cook, and delicious.
  2. Write her a Letter.
    Make the time to write a message meant just for her. You don’t have to be a wordsmith for it to be special for her, it just has to be heart-felt. Here are some questions to help get you started:

    • How has she made your life better?
    • What does she do that you look forward to every day?
    • Why were you first attracted to her?
    • Why is she more attractive to you now than when you first started dating?
    • What are her unconscious habits that you have noticed?
  3. Bake her favorite dessert.
    Like the picnic meal, this is almost a case where it is the effort that counts. If you take the trouble to make a cake, or brownies, or cheesecake, it will not matter if they are not perfect. The cake can be a little lopsided, the icing doesn’t have to be perfectly smooth, it will still taste wonderful. (Again, they do have to be edible, so follow those directions closely!) Ask the best baker you know for a recipe if you don’t already have one. Not only will this make her day, but you get to enjoy the final results with her.
  4. Give her a massage.
    Everyone loves a good massage. Take some time and treat her to one. You don’t have to be great, you just have to be willing to put in a good effort. She will tell you if something feels good, so just keep doing what she likes.
  5. Prepare her a bath.
    Draw a nice hot bath, include her favorite bath salts or oils (perhaps even bubbles!) and lead the way. Have her bathrobe and slippers ready when she gets out. Meet her with a fresh cup of her favorite drink. Spoil her.
  6. Spend the day together with no distractions.
    You have to spend time with her, time when you are focused completely on her. This focused time is one of her basic needs. One of the greatest gifts you can give her (anytime, not just for Valentine’s Day) is to spend time with her. So put away the cell phone, turn off the TV and computer and just talk to each other. You can talk over a meal, with mugs of tea in your hands, on a drive or a walk. Discuss your hopes and fears, dreams and ideas. Share your plans for the future and regrets of the past. Grow closer to one another.
  7. Watch her favorite movie with her.
    Get comfy on the couch. Put on your PJ’s, curl up underneath a blanket together, grab some snacks and sit back for her favorite movie. Absolutely no complaining on your part!
  8. Buy her something she wants but would never buy herself.
    This cannot be something practical. It has to be something she really wants but is not willing to buy for herself, or that she is waiting to buy. This doesn’t have to be something big, it just has to be something important to her. It might be a book she’s been wanting, a piece of jewelry she’s been eyeing, or some clothing that she would not get for herself.
  9. Go on a date.
    Sweep her off your feet like you used to. Make reservations at her favorite restaurant (an alternate is to recreate your first date). Do something besides watch a movie afterwards, perhaps go bowling or some other activity that allows you to interact (movies don’t allow you to talk, you want to find something that does).
  10. Do the chores so she doesn’t have to.
    It is her day, after all. Make it special by removing some of the day-to-day stuff. Are there chores that she always takes care of? Today you can give her a pleasant surprise by doing them for her.

None of these are hard, and most do not have to be expensive. They all can show that you care enough to put some thought into your Valentine’s Day gift, which is what she really wants!

Here’s a Quick Way to Learn Everything You Need to Know

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How do you know that you have learned enough? Are you sure that you didn’t miss that one vital piece of information that could make or break your adventure?

In today’s world, there is more information available to us than we could ever take in, much less remember and use. It is all too easy to become overloaded with information, paralyzed with the options before us. I am especially guilty of this. I love to learn, to explore a wide range of subjects. I researched off and on for months before starting this site. Finally I decided it was time to just go for it. I could continue reading forever, but no matter how much I knew, without jumping in and actually doing it, I would never get anywhere.

Fortunately for us, there is a simple way to learn what is most important, the truly necessary information, for any subject. Use other people’s knowledge (OPK). There are experts who have researched just about every topic available, and others who have done everything there is to be done. Often, they have published their findings in written form, either in books, on websites, or on blogs. Search out “Best of” titles. If they do not have such a post or chapter, contact them and ask.

An example: I had never been out of the country, and had no idea what/how to pack for my trip to Ireland. I looked up information from people who had traveled around the world.

* The Digital Backpacker
* Life Nomadic

I ended up carrying more than they did, but I used their suggestions as a starting point, as the very minimum that I needed to take. I didn’t have to research what luggage to use or what adapter to buy for my computer. Those two pieces of information alone saved me many hours of research. I was able to meet Tynan of lifenomadic at an event and he was more than happy to discuss gear for a few minutes.

Learn from others’ mistakes and research. Find someone that you trust, find out what they have to say on the topic, and go from there. You can save yourself much time if you just utilize their other people’s knowledge.

Planning Your Adventure – Keep on Stepping

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We are nearing the final post in the Planning Your Adventure series! If you are just joining us, it would probably be best for you start at the beginning.

You have completed the first two steps that you have laid out. You have, haven’t you? (If not, go back and get those done! Then come back and we’ll go from there.)

All that you have left to do is to keep on following the stepping stones that you have written down. Follow the same pattern as before. Each day, complete one 5 minute task. If the next task will take more than 5 minutes, break it down into smaller tasks, listed in order. If you apply yourself, though, you might be surprised what you can accomplish in less than 5 minutes.

I was able to find out what paperwork I needed to get into Ireland in less than 5 minutes. A quick google search provided me with a list of what I needed. A few minutes later and I knew how to go about getting that paperwork. (It helped that I already had everything except my passport. Otherwise I would have created a new sub-list for each item I needed to get.)

That’s all you have to do. Break your big, “impossible” tasks down into small, easy-to-do tasks and then do them!

You’re almost there, are you excited about your adventure yet? Keep on stepping, follow that map you have drawn and reach your X!

Planning Your Adventure – Start Stepping

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Another post in the Planning Your Adventure series. You have your Baby Steps listed. Now it’s time to start taking action!

You have at most nine (sub)steps listed to complete each goal. Focus only on the first step. Can you complete it in less than 5 minutes? If not, break it down further until you can do each portion of the step in 5 minutes or less.

    Live in Ireland for 3 months & visit Europe for a week

  1. find transportation
    1. compare prices of plane tickets between carriers (I already know I will be leaving the last week of January and returning the first week of June)

      • check out prices at cheaptickets.com, priceline.com & orbitz.com
      • determine which airline is consistently cheaper & check their sites for direct prices
    Paint 8×11 picture of sunset & trees

  1. get materials
    1. go to store and purchase (paint, canvas & brushes)

Now do it! This small step gets the momentum started. It is the gentle nudge that gets you started. Are you done yet? No?! Stop reading, GO DO IT, then come back and continue reading. I’ll be here when you get back, don’t worry. GO!

  • US Airways ended up consistently being the lowest price.
  • At least $100 cheaper per ticket directly from their site. (I was able to search both of these in about 10 minutes, so I actually did the first two steps together.)
  • This took a few more than 5 minutes, but Michael’s is only two blocks away so I was easily able to pick up the materials I needed. I ended up waiting in line longer than it took to get there. Total of maybe 15 minutes.

Now that you have completed your first step, you need to complete the next one by this time tomorrow. It will take you another 5 minutes (or break it down again until you have a series of 5 minute-tasks to complete)

Your adventure is getting closer, are you getting excited yet? You’ll be off on your adventure soon, as long as you keep on stepping…

Planning Your Adventure – Baby Steps

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Continuing on with our Planning Your Adventure series, we have chosen our goals, defined them and now we can start achieving them!

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

How true, how very true. One single step is all that it takes to get going. Even better news, a small step is no worse than a large step, and is generally so much easier!

Break it down. What do you have to do to reach your goal? Let’s make it even easier. What three things do you have to do to reach your goals? These will not include every single step, but will get you pointed in the right direction.

    Here’s my example:
    Live in Ireland for 3 months & visit Europe for a week

  1. find transportation
  2. find place to stay
  3. take care of business at home
    Paint 8×11 picture of sunset & trees

  1. get materials
  2. get images to work from
  3. PAINT!

Now that you have a general direction laid out, you can start including some more details. For each of the steps, write up to three more steps that you have to take. These are actually the stepping stones that you have to proceed across to reach your goal.

    Live in Ireland for 3 months & visit Europe for a week –

  1. find transportation
    1. compare prices of plane tickets between carriers
    2. purchase plane tickets to Ireland
  2. find a place to stay
    1. determine city to stay in
    2. look up places on CraigsList/other options
    3. rent apartment
  3. take care of business at home
    1. medical requirements (vaccinations, prescriptions, etc)
    2. have necessary paperwork (passport, visa, etc)
    3. sublease apartment/move stuff into storage
    Paint 8×11 picture of sunset & trees –

  1. get materials
    1. go to store and purchase (paint, canvas & brushes)
  2. get images to work from
    1. browse internet for suitable images
    2. “chase” sunsets and take own pictures
  3. PAINT!
    1. set up equipment
    2. look at inspiring pictures
    3. put paint on canvas

Is your list finished? This is your road map. Each step is laid out before you. Once you put the finishing touches on it, it is time to start stepping…

Planning Your Adventure – Further Definition

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This is the second post in the Planning Your Adventure series.

Before proceeding to the next step, you have to make sure that your goal is well defined and measurable. In the last post in this series (What do you want to do?) you chose one or two goals to focus on reaching.

    As before, I will provide my own example in this color to illustrate what we are discussing. My goals are:

  • take a trip to Ireland/Europe
  • paint a picture

This step helps you know when you have reached your goal. If you don’t define your goal, in measurable terms, you could continue chasing it all of your life. For example, if your goal is to “travel around the world” does this mean that you are going to take a plane and physically circle the globe, or visit every continent, or visit every country or… See what I mean? You could continue chasing that goal for many lifetimes. However, if your goal is to “visit one country in every continent” you will know when you have completed that goal.

Define your goal. When you picture your goal, what image do you have? Write that down beside each goal. Be specific. Include details such as time frame, people around you, exact location, scenery, what you are wearing, etc.

  • take a trip to Ireland/Europe – Live in Ireland for at least three months, taking at least a week to visit Europe (including, but not limited to, the Louvre, Eiffel Tower & Big Ben). Travel with my wife. End of January thru the beginning of June.
  • paint a picture – using acrylic paint, create 8×11 painting of trees silhouetted by sunset

If you cannot say “this is what I have to do to complete my goal” go back and add more details. We are turning the X on the map from a fuzzy blur to a sharply defined location. We know exactly where we are going. Armed with that knowledge, we can begin our Baby Steps…

Planning Your Adventure – What Do You Want to Do?

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This is the first post in the Planning Your Adventure series.

Before you can get anywhere, you have to know where you are going. Today we are going to start drawing your map. X marks the spot, right?

I will draw my map as we go along, to give you an example. I’ll use this color text to separate it from the directions.

First you have to determine your X. Let’s start with a deceptively simple question. “What would you do if nothing could go wrong?”

    Some examples would be:

  • purchasing something (motorcycle, house, computer, etc)
  • learning some skill (cooking, a new language, jousting, etc)
  • doing something (going on a trip, finding more geocaches, trying out a new restaurant, visit a long-lost relative, etc)
    My list:

  • Running motorcycle (either fix mine or buy a new one)
  • RV -windstream
  • My own company
  • Cross-country motorcycle trip
  • Travel to Ireland/Europe
  • Hot air balloon ride
  • Hang glide
  • Get pilot’s license
  • Paint a picture
  • Sell my ring design
  • Sell stationary design
  • Be debt free

This can be a hard question to answer truthfully. (I’ve had the advantage of time to think about it.) If you are struggling, think back to dreams that you have given up on for some reason or another. Think of things that you hate or fear and write down the opposite. Don’t limit yourself and do not concern yourself with how these things will be accomplished. Just list your dreams.

    If that didn’t help, try answering these questions:

  • What would you do, day to day, if you had $100 million in the bank?
  • What would make you most excited to wake up in the morning every day?
    If you are still having a hard time, fill in these five spots:

  • one place to visit
  • one thing to do before you die (memory of a lifetime)
  • one thing to do daily
  • one thing to do weekly
  • one thing you’ve always wanted to learn

Now you have a list of dreams. Using at most a 6 month timeline, indicate the most exciting and/or important dreams.

    Reordered list, in order of importance & doable within 6 months

  • Travel to Ireland/Europe
  • Running motorcycle (either fix mine or buy a new one)
  • My own company/passive source of income (notice that I am defining this further)
  • Be debt free
  • Paint a picture
  • Cross-country motorcycle trip
  • Hot air balloon ride
  • Hang glide
  • Get pilot’s license
  • Sell my ring design
  • Sell stationary design
  • RV -windstream

I have a number of goals left, too many for a beginning project. I narrowed some down because they are not achievable in 6 months or less (pilot’s license, buy windstream, cross-country motorcycle trip) and some are just not as important/exciting to me (selling designs, hot air balloon ride and hang gliding).

Now that you have indicated the most important dreams that you can complete within 6 months, it is time to choose which ones to focus on. I recommend trying only one or two at a time to start with.

I will focus on the most important goal (a trip to Ireland/Europe) and an easy one to complete (paint a picture).

Now that you have your goal firmly in mind, the X drawn on the map, it is time to figure out how to get there! Next time we’ll Define & Measure!