Last weekend was the Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and today (24th June) is Midsummer Day. There’s a certain magic about being outside in late evening in summer, whether sitting round a campfire with friends (old or new), walking through a campsite with bats flying past and an owl hooting somewhere, or an evening walk along the lake shore. For me, there seems to be a sense that time has stretched in those moments, a sense of openness, space and possibility.
Maybe part of that sense of time stretching comes from the memories of being younger, when staying up late in summer was easier for quite a few reasons (not least that my body is now much less tolerant of lack of sleep!) In this season of life I can’t go on the sort of adventures that were possible twenty years ago. Having said that, I like Alastair Humphreys’ idea of ‘Microadventures’ as a way of getting outside in a way that is realistic, recognising that adventure doesn’t have to mean expeditions to far off countries (as exciting as that would be). I have found that heading outdoors with a picnic on a Friday evening for a couple of hours is possible at the moment. The challenge for this summer is to make it adventurous in a way that works for me and my family.
Returning to the campfire, even if adventure appears to have been smothered by life, where embers remain they can be rekindled and rebuilt.