4 travel challenges for all 4 weekends of June

If you have the right mindset, the beginning of summer can be like a second New Year. This June, we encourage you to make a resolution to travel more and challenge yourself more, and actually start fulfilling those resolutions, one weekend at a time.

1. Go to a festival

 It’s the beginning of the summer and you just wanna be outside, spending time with friends and enjoying the finer things in life. That’s exactly what summer festivals are all about. There are many types of festival to choose from – whether it be music, movies, arts or food, there’s nothing better than ignoring the real world for a while and just sinking into the relaxing atmosphere of a festival. Just imagine; you can immerse yourself in a place filled only with things you’re passionate about and people who share your passions.

Step up your game: go to a bizarre festival – it’s a big world and crazy festivals are lurking around every corner.

• An idea: San Vino Wine Fight Festival in Haro, La Rioja, Spain – to be held this year between 27 and 30 June. People of all ages (including the mayor of the town) gather dressed in white T-shirts, bringing jugs, bottles and water pistols. They fill these containers with red wine and then spray that wine over each other… ‘cuz, you know, why drink wine from a fine glass when you can use it to paint your friend (or a complete stranger)?

2. Find your own secret place

If I tell you about individual places here, they won’t be secret and they won’t be yours. I can, however, give you tips on how to find a secret place all for yourself:

• You don’t have to be Columbus to discover a place no one knows about. Sometimes great spots can be found just a couple of steps away from more popular ones, and yet barely anyone knows about them – those can become your magical, private hideouts.
• Once you’ve discovered a secret spot you’ve got to personalize it to make it your own, according to your own interests and needs. If you are a sportsperson, you might look for the perfect spot to practice your favorite sport. If you need some alone time just take a hammock and a book and spend the afternoon there. You can also use it as a place for friends or family meet-ups – just make them swear not to tell anyone else about your secret spot!

Step up your game: discover your hidden place on your own and then, on a special occasion, ‘kidnap’ a friend, take them there and throw a mini party for them.

3. Celebrate the summer solstice.

This is your chance to expose yourself to as much daylight as possible during the day when we get the most of it. A lot of festivals and events worldwide revolve around the longest day of the year, which has been celebrated since ancient times by people of almost every nationality.

Step up your game: be in the right place at the right time. On the morning of the summer solstice, if you stand in the center of Stonehenge facing north-east, you can see the Heel Stone – it is outside the circle and marks the point where the sun rises, creating a magnificent spectacle as it appears.

4. Get into a story.

Go to a place that can tell you a story. There are many options here – a place with an interesting legend, the scene of a famous film or the setting that inspired your favorite book. You could even follow the steps of your favorite artists or celebrities – visit their homes or their favorite places.

Step up your game:

• Create your own fictional story about the place you’re visiting.
• Make a short film about your trip.
• Draw a caricature of something interesting that happened on the road.

… and share it with your friends, or share it with us.

See also: How to Pack Your Ultimate Weekend Travel Kit