50 Everyday Adventures + Adventure Tips

by | Aug 8, 2018 | Creativity, Lists | 2 comments

Adventure is a very unique, individualized thing. It basically means something we do that’s out of our normal routine, but is actually exciting! That doesn’t mean it necessarily gets your adrenaline pumping every time or that it’s a risky behavior. Everyone’s adventures are completely different experiences!

An Uncustomary Babe asked me to write a list of 50 Everyday Adventures and I thought that was a great idea because one of the questions I get asked a lot is how I come up with so many ideas for my adventures. I think a good starting point is to recognize that every day has the opportunity for adventure. This summer in particular has been very adventure-filled because I’ve been with someone who is willing to seek out more, back track on your path, risk a long trek for something that could potentially not be worth it, and finds joy in small pleasures. Take some lessons from him… those are some seriously amazing traits to have when you go out on an adventure!

50 Everyday Adventures + Adventure Tips | Uncustomary

Things To Keep In Mind When Adventuring

1. Be open
2. Allow plans to change
3. Check out things that at face value don’t seem “worth it”
4. If something even slightly peaks your interest, TURN AROUND
5. Keep going until you’re tired; when you’re tired, stop
6. Move slowly, look up, look down, mind the details
7. Use all your senses; observe as much as you can
8. Document, document, document
9. Adventure often (daily if possible)
10. An adventure doesn’t require another person, a car, or even leaving your home

Places to adventure? Everywhere, seriously. Absolutely anywhere can be an adventure, even a seemingly boring shopping mall. But I know that’s not what you want. So here are some ideas…

Places To Adventure

1. City streets
2. Parks
3. Woods
4. Backyards
5. Abandoned buildings
6. Roadside attractions
7. Haunted places
8. Beaches
9. Museums
10. Libraries

A good adventurer is also prepared! Want to make adventuring a regular thing? Make yourself a tool kit so you’re ready for anything! (These supplies and the places to adventure are more for adventures related to outdoor wandering, exploring, etc. Remember not all adventuring requires you even leaving your house!)

Things To Put In An Adventure Tool Kit

1. Notebook + writing utensil
2. Camera (or other visual documentation technology)
3. Map
4. Containers for collecting
5. Magnifying glass
6. Sidewalk chalk
7. Tape
8. Walking stick
9. String
10. Bag to put it all in

And without further ado, here is a list of ideas for adventures you can try out! These can of course just be starting points. Some of my best adventures start out with an itinerary to do one particular thing and it goes off the rails and becomes an entirely new thing. Allow yourself to see what happens.

50 Everyday Adventures + Adventure Tips | Uncustomary

50 Everyday Adventures

1. Try to plan out as much as you can the night before, but from the time you wake up till you go to bed you can’t use communicative technology (so no phones, GPS, social media, etc.) Challenge yourself to go as analog as you can, and maybe even get lost and have to ask for directions!
2. Host a couchsurfer or go couchsurfing yourself for a night
3. Choose a color and only eat, drink, and wear that color for the entire day
4. Go to an authentic restaurant of a cuisine you’ve never tried and eat something you’ve never had before
5. Go Geocaching, a ready-made outdoor scavenger hunt already somewhere near you
6. Get temporary/wash-out hair color and give yourself a crazy makeover for the day
7. Walk through a graveyard (bonus points if it’s night and/or on a full moon) and call out “Is there anybody there?” and listen and look
8. Do something super weird in public (here are 50 ideas)
9. Get a tattoo
10. Visit a Hookah lounge with a small group of your friends and try out a bunch of different flavors
11. Go to a plant nursery and buy a bunch of flowers and plants to make a Faerie Garden (bonus points if you buy/build them some furniture)
12. Volunteer at an organization you’ve never been involved with before
13. Go skinny dipping (bonus points if it’s in a place you don’t have permission to be swimming in)
14. Cover yourself in temporary tattoos
15. Set up a table on the street with a sign that says “Ask Me Anything” and see what happens
16. Visit a metaphysical shop and touch all the crystals with your eyes closed and buy the one that feels like it has the most energy/speaks to you
17. Walk down the street with a friend totally normally, except you’re wearing an animal head mask
18. Plot an elaborate kindness prank for a friend
19. Fold one hundred origami stars (AKA “lucky stars”) after you write a wish on each piece of paper, put them in a jar, and place them on your altar
20. Look up The Wander Society and make wandering a part of your daily routine (leave symbols from their lexicon around town for other TWS members to find)
21. Get your aura photographed or have a past life regression hypnosis session
22. Buy giant rolls of paper big enough for human bodies to lay on, take them and a ton of drawing utensils to a park, roll them out, and encourage people to have their body outlines traced and let people doodle in and around them
23. Find a friend to go wig shopping with
24. Go on a guided walk, like a Graffiti Walk or a Ghost Tour (or make up your own!)
25. Make a silly protest sign and stand on a street corner to see if you can get cars to honk in support of you (See #UncustomaryHonk)

50 Everyday Adventures + Adventure Tips | Uncustomary




26. Set up a tent in your backyard and camp overnight (or actually go camping somewhere else; you should try hiking and camping in wild)
27. Set up a creativity group via Facebook with some local friends and spend the day coming up with resources, planning events, etc.
28. Buy a bunch of googly eyes in different shapes and spend all day inanimate objects with faces and adding googly eyes to them (it’s called Eyebombing!)
29. Find an area of your city where people seem to graffiti a lot, and try your hand at making a tag with spray paint!
30. Research estate sales happening near you and wake up early to explore as many as you can in one morning
31. Take yourself out on a solo date (here are 50 ideas)
32. Go around town writing positive messages/quotes in sidewalk chalk for people to read and smile at
33. Get a friend to play videographer and videotape you dancing all over town
34. Cut out these words (“left”, “right”, “look up”, “look down”, “investigate”, and “turn around”) onto a regular die, then go out for a walk and roll the dice at least at every intersection
35. Go somewhere to visit something natural that’s in season (traipse through sunflower fields, pick strawberries, buy a pumpkin)
36. Spend all day interviewing strangers on a specific topic
37. Research a haunted place/urban myth, go there (again bonus points for at night, a full moon, or Friday the 13th) and call out to see if anyone is there. Record everything and go over the audio later.
38. Go to the dump and collect interesting garbage that you can create art with
39. Purchase adorable postcards and stamps, go to a cafe, get yourself some lunch, then sit and write postcards to your friends and mail them off
40. Do some guerrilla art (here’s the 101 guide to getting started)
41. Go to a beach in the off-season and collect seashells or trash and organize it by color
42. Buy some kaleidoscope glasses and wear them while you explore a local museum
43. Have a Zine Day where you start a zine from scratch, fully finish it, make copies, and leave copies at local cafes and shops!
44. Carry a life-size cut-out around with you everywhere you go and document it on your Instagram (bonus points if you get a cut-out made of you)
45. Do some historic urban exploring (find something interesting that happened in your town a long time ago and go learn about it)
46. Uncover a mystery
47. Get a detailed map of your city, explore it street by street, and highlight the streets you’ve completed
48. Track animals in nature
49. Rent one a city bike or one of those Byrd scooters and explore the city with wheels that aren’t inside a car
50. Say “yes” to everything for an entire day

Here’s a video extra I recorded about Wandering, Exploring, and Living Loudly!

Uncustomary

Get Out Of Your Rut Cheat Sheet

How do you like to adventure?

Photos: Maura Housley




In Columbia, Maryland, there’s a former grocery store that has been transformed into a department store for mythical creatures, time travelers, and intergalactic tourists.

It’s called DoodleHATCH.

You can groom a unicorn, visit an intergalactic space station, climb onto a giant’s bed, meet guinea pigs, explore an artist’s studio, and discover approximately a million other things that somebody actually sat down and made.

It’s a nonprofit interactive art museum, a community project, an educational resource, and one of my favorite places I’ve ever discovered.

And it could be demolished as part of a proposed redevelopment of the Long Reach Village Center.

But there’s still an opportunity to help.

You don’t need to donate money. You don’t need to live in Maryland. And you don’t need to know anything about zoning laws.

You can start by writing an email.

🚨 Here's what's happening

Developer Columbia Concepts has proposed redeveloping the Long Reach Village Center in Columbia, Maryland.

The proposal would replace existing buildings with new housing, recreational facilities, and other development.

Unfortunately, that puts a whole collection of existing community resources at risk of being demolished, including:

  • DoodleHATCH Interactive Art Museum
  • Maryland Fashion Institute
  • A makerspace used for community education
  • Local restaurants, shops, and service businesses
  • Early childhood education and community programs
  • A 140-foot-long mural created by approximately 100 community members

This isn’t just about losing a fabulous museum. It’s about losing an entire collection of places that people have built, supported, and relied on.

And there’s another possibility!

🌈 Meet The REALM

Lee Andersen, the founder of DoodleHATCH, and her nonprofit ManneqART want to preserve the existing community resources and transform the village center into an arts and culture destination called The REALM.

Imagine a place where artists have studios, children have room to explore, students can learn creative skills, people can attend performances, and local businesses continue serving their neighbors.

There are plans for a performing arts space, more opportunities for artists, and a Witches Kitchen that might serve you a horrible-disgusting breakfast.

Which, personally, I think sounds promising.

The people behind DoodleHATCH are gathering support to oppose the developer’s zoning proposal and advocate for The REALM.

And they’d love your help.

💌 How to help in about two minutes

If you live in Howard County, Maryland

If you’re 18 or older, DoodleHATCH is asking eligible county residents to visit the museum and sign their petition in person.

📍DoodleHATCH Interactive Art Museum

8775 Cloudleap Court, Unit 101
Columbia, MD 21045

⏱️ Museum hours: Friday–Sunday, 10 AM–5 PM.

And while you’re there, I highly recommend exploring the museum. Bring someone who needs a reminder that being an adult doesn’t mean you have to stop enjoying ridiculous things.

If you don't live in Howard County

You can still help!

DoodleHATCH is collecting emails from people who oppose the proposed Columbia Concepts redevelopment and support preserving the existing arts and community resources through The REALM.

Send your email to: Lilou@DoodleHATCH.com

Suggested subject: Support The REALM | Oppose Columbia Concepts Zoning Proposal ZB 1132M

You can write your own message or use one of the templates below.

You don’t need to write an essay. A short, genuine message explaining what you support and why is enough to participate in this email campaign.

✍️ What should your email say?

To make your position clear, include these three things:

1. Say what you’re opposing.

State that you oppose the proposed Columbia Concepts redevelopment and zoning amendment for the Long Reach Village Center, case ZB 1132M.

2. Say what you’re supporting.

Express your support for preserving DoodleHATCH, the Maryland Fashion Institute, existing community resources, and the proposed arts and culture center called The REALM.

3. Explain why you care.

This is the part that makes your email yours.

Maybe you’ve visited DoodleHATCH. Maybe you’re a parent who wants more creative places for children. Maybe you’re an artist, an educator, or someone who thinks it’s important to protect the few spaces where people can explore and make things without needing to buy something.

Maybe you live across the country and just learned that there’s a department store for mythical creatures in Maryland, and you think the world would be a little less interesting without it.

That’s a perfectly good reason to care.

Automatically Build Your Email!

💌 Email templates you can copy

Option 1: Short, simple, and effective

Subject: Support The REALM | Oppose ZB 1132M

Hello,

I’m writing to express my opposition to the proposed Columbia Concepts zoning amendment and redevelopment of the Long Reach Village Center (ZB 1132M).

I support preserving DoodleHATCH, the Maryland Fashion Institute, and the existing community services and small businesses, as well as the proposal to create The REALM arts and culture center.

Creative and educational spaces like these provide valuable opportunities for families, artists, students, and the wider community. I believe they deserve to be protected.

Please include my email with the messages of support being collected for DoodleHATCH and The REALM.

Thank you,

[Your Name]
[Your City/State]

Option 2: For artists, creatives, and fellow merriment makers

Subject: Please Protect DoodleHATCH and Support The REALM

Hello,

I’m writing in opposition to Columbia Concepts’ proposed redevelopment and zoning amendment for the Long Reach Village Center (ZB 1132M), and in support of The REALM.

I believe communities need places where creativity, imagination, and play are actively encouraged.

DoodleHATCH is an extraordinary example of what can happen when artists and community members are given room to create something that doesn’t fit into an ordinary commercial space.

Places like this are rare. They encourage people of all ages to experiment, learn, explore, and connect with one another.

I support preserving DoodleHATCH, the Maryland Fashion Institute, the existing community resources, and the vision for The REALM.

Thank you for collecting these messages and advocating for the creative community.

[Your Name]
[Your City/State]

Option 3: For people who've visited DoodleHATCH

Subject: Please Save DoodleHATCH | Oppose ZB 1132M

Hello,

I’m writing to express my opposition to the proposed Columbia Concepts redevelopment and zoning amendment for the Long Reach Village Center (ZB 1132M), and my support for The REALM.

I’ve personally visited DoodleHATCH, and I want to share why I believe it’s worth preserving.

[Write two or three sentences about your experience. What did you see? Who did you bring? What surprised you? What made you want to return?]

DoodleHATCH is more than a collection of exhibits. It’s a place where creativity is something people can actively participate in, and I believe losing it would be a tremendous loss to the community.

I support preserving the museum, the Maryland Fashion Institute, and the other existing community resources through the proposed arts and culture center, The REALM.

Please include my email with the messages of support you’re collecting.

Thank you,

[Your Name]
[Your City/State]

A few tips before you hit send

Automatically Build Your Email!

DO:

  • Use your real name.

  • Include your city and state so organizers can understand where support is coming from.

  • Clearly identify the redevelopment proposal you’re opposing.

  • Specifically mention your support for The REALM.

  • Add a personal sentence or two if you can.

  • Be respectful, even if you’re frustrated.

  • Share this page with other people who might want to help.

DON’T:

  • Pretend to be a Howard County resident if you’re not.

  • Claim to have visited DoodleHATCH if you haven’t.

  • Make up experiences or information.

  • Send threatening, insulting, or harassing messages.

  • Assume your email is the same thing as signing the official petition.

  • Worry about making your message sound impressive. Clear and genuine is better than elaborate.

💌 The Save DoodleHATCH Email Machine

A few clicks, a little personality, and an email that helps support DoodleHATCH and The REALM. No account or signup required.

What's your connection to DoodleHATCH?
Why does protecting places like this matter to you?
✨ Your email preview
To: Lilou@DoodleHATCH.com
Subject: 


✉️ Open in My Email App




Your information stays in your browser until you choose to copy or open the message. The email does not send automatically. Emails support DoodleHATCH's advocacy campaign; they are not the same as official petition signatures or zoning testimony. Please review the message before sending.
 





			

			

				
				
				
				
			

				
				
			

				
				
				
				
				
				
				

				

				
				
				
				
				

				
				
				
				
				
🐹 Wait. What exactly is DoodleHATCH?

			

				
				
				
				
				
			

				
				
				
				
				
I’m so glad you asked.


DoodleHATCH is an interactive art museum in Columbia, Maryland, created by artist, designer, and professional generator of wildly ambitious ideas, Lee Andersen.


The museum is designed as a pretend department store for mythological creatures, time travelers, and galactic tourists.


There are dozens of installations, and unlike most museums, you’re encouraged to touch things, explore, and participate.


There’s also an artist’s studio full of fabric and handmade garments, workshops, special events, birthday parties, free books, and opportunities for local artists to share their work.


The museum welcomes families and children, but adults are absolutely allowed to enjoy themselves, too.


And the woman behind it has spent decades bringing creativity into the community through fashion, festivals, education, and public art.


I discovered DoodleHATCH in 2020 and loved it so much that I started volunteering.


I’ve been back multiple times, and there are still things I haven’t seen.


That’s part of what makes it special. You can keep discovering things because people keep creating them.

			

			

				
				
				
				
			

				

				
				
				
				
				

				
				
				
				
				
You don't have to live near DoodleHATCH to care about it.

			

				
				
				
				
				
There are Merriment Makers everywhere.


People turning empty buildings into art spaces. People organizing parades. People teaching kids how to sew, paint, dance, or build things. People putting enormous amounts of time into projects that make their communities more interesting.


Sometimes they’re running nonprofits. Sometimes they’re working out of their garages. Sometimes they’re making something weird in a strip mall that you might drive past a hundred times without realizing what’s inside.


I hope you’ll help protect DoodleHATCH.


And I hope you’ll look around your own community, too. Visit the strange little museum. Go to the local art show. Find the person who makes giant puppets or organizes an absurd annual festival. Spend your money at the independent shop with the handmade things.


There are people everywhere creating reasons for us to be curious about being alive.


I’d like them to be able to keep doing that.

			

				
				
				
				
				
			

				
				
				
				
				
Help save DoodleHATCH. Help protect The REALM. Help keep the world interesting.

			

				
				
				
				
				
💌 Email: Lilou@DoodleHATCH.com


🌈 Visit: DoodleHATCH.com


🦄 Share: Uncustomary.org/Doodle