“What if this bog-standard corner of England is actually full of adventure, nature, wildness, surprises, silence, perspective — if only I bothered to go out and look?”
That’s the question adventurer Alastair Humphreys asked himself.
Humphreys was named as a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year for his pioneering work on the concept of microadventures; his focus is on encouraging us to stay curious about the world on our doorstep (and get outside to enjoy it). The essay “A Single Small Map Is Enough For A Lifetime,” adapted from the book Local, is a great look at how important it is to re-examine—and re-evaluate—the wonders that are close by.
“Instructions for living a life:
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.“
—Mary Oliver