How To | Be More Adventurous

Feel like you spend too much time watching others being brave and not enough throwing yourself into life yourself? Here are a few ways to find your inner adventurer

Do what you love but be a little more adventurous
Think going from walking to climbing a mountain, swimming to wild swimming, camping to wild camping.

Have more fun
Enjoyment is not the same as fun. Do something a bit silly that makes you laugh. Jump off a rope swing into a lake. Ride a roller coaster. Make up a bed and sleep in your garden under the stars.

Feel the fear but don’t let it control you
Listen to it, thank it for alerting you to possible dangers and then tell it to move away so you can be in control of your life.

Enjoy the journey
Think about where you enjoy the process not just the outcome. Go for a hike in the woods or a bike ride, not for exercise but to bask in nature.

Find pockets of adventure
Rather than waiting until you have time for a weekend away, find something that fits into your evening or lunch break.

Watch and read about adventure
When we hear of others that inspire us, we start to expand on what we believe is possible.

Listen to what’s whispering to you
Do you drool over travel or adventure programmes, lust after campervans or think fondly of horse riding or sailing boat memories? Act on these desires and impulses rather than finding reasons not to do things.

The ideas above are from our feature ‘Brave New World’ by Rebecca Frank from our August issue. Read more about how to be brave starting from page 20 and be inspired by reading Achievable Adventures by Charlie Wild and Jessica Last (Quadrille, £18)

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5 things | you probably should do on an island adventure

Take a leaf out of the Famous Five’s book and do it properly

Britain has 82 large islands around it, and more than 6,000 smaller ones. And each is special and worthy of an adventure in its own way.

In our May issue, we’ve an extract from Islandeering: Adventures Around the Edge of Britain’s Hidden Islands by Lisa Drewe (Wild Things Publishing) which has lots of great ideas for walks, swims and things to see on 50 islands in our archipelago. But to make life simple, if you’re off on your own island adventure this week, we’ve got five things you really should do to up the Blytonesque fun factor.

1. Eat something you foraged yourself. From cockles to dandelion leaves, it always tastes better when you found it rather than bought it. Pretend you’re stranded and it will taste even better!

2. Explore some rocks or ruins. Paddle in rock pools hunting for crabs or scramble up the banks of a ruined castle. Every discovery is exciting on your own island.

3. Ride out in a little boat if you can (take care to tie up your oars so no gold thieves can row your boat back out leaving you stranded a la Anne and George on Kirrin Island).

4. Plan a big walk - walking the perimeter of an island all around the coastline will give you a smug glow but if that’s not manageable walk the shortest path across it or perhaps up a significant hill. Be sure to take a map - or draw your own.

5. Take a picnic. Eat it on the sand, a rocky outcrop or find a more sedate picnic bench, wherever you like, but it must contain a fancy sandwich, some good cake and, obviously, lashings of ginger beer.

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Escape: Islands of adventure

For a real get-away-from-it-all day out, hop on a boat and sail to a British island. Timeless, remote and teeming with wildlife, they are the places for a carefree escape.

One of the most romantic is Lundy Island in North Devon. Car-free, wild, and full of seabirds (Lundy means 'puffin'), this is the place to choose for a Blyton-esque holiday with the Landmark Trust's 23 holiday properties located on the island.

Get to know this beautiful island and its history by watching this short film about Lundy.

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