Take more adventures with the kids
When you have young kids it’s very easy to not take all the adventures you want to take. When a simple trip to the supermarket leaves your nervous system more zapped than a hungover ride on a chicken bus, just the thought of taking your kids on a camping trip or loading them onto an international flight can trigger a bout of pre-TSD.
But kids will surprise you. And mine often do. Despite the challenges we have going about our day-to-day, their general behavior, moods and overall vibe has always been better when we’re on the road. Every family bike ride is ‘the best day ever’. Every flight we’ve had to take with them has been the most exciting day of their lives (if not the most stressful of ours). And on one father-daughter camping trip in particular I found myself fighting back tears because I had never seen my daughter so happy, calm and curious. Like I somehow just met her for the very first time. I’m going to aim for a bit more of that in 2025.
Take more microadventures
I love big adventures: weeks-long road trips, where-the-fuck-am-I overnight bus rides, what-did-I-just-eat street market explorations. You name it. But mini adventures are just as fun.
Life has been busier the last few years—having kids will do that to you—but taking the time to take smaller trips in 2025 is high on my list of things to do. I bought a gravel bike a couple of years ago, and while I’ve held off loading it up with all the camping and cooking gear up to now (I know a financial black hole when I see one), next year I want to head off on one-night adventures whenever I get the chance. The idea of loading up the bike, walking out of my front door, and ending up wherever I end up screams a certain type of freedom to me. And that’s a feeling I’m keen to chase a little more of.
Be more grateful for everyday life
I’ve always found it fascinating how we become the most obsessive photographers that have ever walked the earth when we go on adventures, but rarely orient ourselves to capturing our everyday lives with the same gusto. I think it stems from this idea that our travels are fleeting and time-bound, while our lives and routines at home will always be there. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Our lives can change in an instant. We can lose people, lose jobs, lose livelihoods, move away, get promoted, get sick—there’s an infinite gauntlet of surprises (good and bad) waiting for us every single day, any of which could yank us into the complete unknown. And yet we plod on as if tomorrow is promised. I reckon that’s a bit daft. There’s a quote from Robert M. Pirsig in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (my all-time #1 book) that goes: “It’s the sides of the mountain that sustain life, not the top. Here’s where things grow.” All I’m saying is, I’m going to try and spend more time appreciating the sides of the mountain next year.
Based in Melbourne, Australia, Ollie will–At any given moment—do almost anything for a taco and a cold beer. Read his stories on Adventure.com here
