Live your own definition of adventure

Here it goes, another mention of our summer challenge… but I promise you it will be a quick one! If you follow our blog you’ll know we set out to bag 20+ munros over 4 weeks with our son, raising money for Tommy’s charity – at the end we bagged 22 together, walked 104km with 7500m of ascent, raising over £1200.

We had our own reasons for doing the challenge but now, a few months later, we all have the same feelings from it. That it was a fantastic way to spend the summer together, chasing the good weather and living the simple life. It was hugely challenging, a hard slog at times but a lot of fun! Would we do it again? A resounding yes from us all, our son included!

Let’s be clear though, that doesn’t make us anything special. We’re an ordinary family with a love of the outdoors, who have spent years building up to the summer challenge to make that sort of thing possible with our son. Does it help he’s an energetic firecracker who loves the outdoors and all its challenges as much as we do? Well yeah, I’d be lying if I said he doesn’t have a say in our family adventures so I’m glad he’s always asking to get outside on them!

With that in mind, here is something about each of us in our family:

Stacey: I have a weakness, well ok several weaknesses for chocolate, sweets, the odd glass of wine…. I won’t go on but I am hungry now…

Keith: Is a science nerd, he loves lasers but also has a need for speed. According to our son, Keith is “more rock and roll than you, mum!”………

Our son: Loves Lego, can build anything random that he puts his mind to and is currently training to be a “house ninja” because that means all sorts of trouble when he’s older….. thanks for the heads up!

We love hearing from fellow outdoor families who started out similar, growing in confidence and ability and living their family life according to their own definition of adventure. It’s really inspirational for us. Getting outside doesn’t always have to be an epic outing, but nothing stops them from doing just that and chasing that adventure, however it comes. When we hear from families whose kids have grown up, but they still love getting outside together as a family when they can, it makes us really hopeful that our son will carry this torch for the outdoors for a long time to come….

As the saying goes, life is what you make it.

Although it sounds simple enough sometimes life happens and it’s not always that easy to get outside with young children, we get that! Sometimes though, even in the thick of all the daily grind of everyday living, the need to get outside is something we all benefit from, even if it’s for a small amount if time. If we’re grouchy for no apparent reason, everything gets switched off and we haul our butts out of the door, because for us, just being outdoors resets us, clears our heads and banishes whatever funky mood we were all in.

Being outside really is magic.

What are your favourite outdoors family activities to get up? Any that you’d recommend fellow outdoor families to give a try? Let us know below!