THE VALUE OF ADVENTURE MOTORCYCLING MIRCOADVENTURES
By Paul Strubell of Dirt Orcas – 11/3/17
In 2012 Alastair Humphreys was awarded with the honor of National Geographic Adventurer of the Year for his combination of big time expeditions and for his creation of the microadventures movement.
If you are unfamiliar with mircoadventures, Alastair describes them as , “… an adventure that is short, simple, local, cheap – yet still fun, exciting, challenging, refreshing and rewarding.”
I am a huge believer in the philosophy behind microadvenutes as a way to improve your everyday life. They are the perfect way to better the time in between those big trips you plan once or twice a year. An adventure motorcycling microadventure to a local State Park or National Forest can be the perfect ingredient to a well lived life.
With hiking or camping the microadventure seemed to take hold a bit better because of its simplicity. When you add in a motorcycle and gear it seems to discourage the rider a bit more, because there is some effort involved in getting ready to go. Still, with a little preparation you can be on the road at the drop of a hat.
They take no time at all to plan, if you are the slightest bit organized, and simply by shifting your mindset from having to work 9am-5pm, to having 5pm-9am completely free to do what you want, you can open a whole new world of amazing adventures to yourself.
In addition to having more of the things we love, like motorcycle riding, hiking, cooking outdoors, sleeping under the stars, and breaking up the monotony of the work week, you will also find that you will be getting more out of your expensive gear that mostly collects dust in the closest. You also get the added benefit of knowing your gear better and understanding what you need and what you don’t for that next big trip you’re planning. Think of a mircoadventure as dress rehearsal.
If you find the time to get out on a weekday you won’t need reservations because campgrounds are typically empty and you’ll have your choice of spots to choose from.
There are down sides but can be easily overcome with a positive attitude. You might be a little tired if you don’t get a good night sleep, but think about how much energy you’ll gain from the lift your brain gets from adventure.
It’s easy to witness the many big adventures going on all around you and want to live vicariously though them while you plan your big trip. However, reality suggests that life has a way of getting in the way of what we plan so it is also very important to make sure you are having your own adventures while you can. Shifting your mindset might be all it takes to add so much more to your life at this moment. You have the time and they won’t cost you hardly anything at all. Take advantage of that and start living more.
To learn more about Alastair Humphries and microadventures you can check out his website here or his YouTube channel for more videos.
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