1. Do something unusual in your lunch break (visit a museum or indulge in a wine-tasting session). >>> Discover 16 more ideas in our list of fun and unusual lunch break ideas.

2. Send a kind card to someone for a random silly holiday (something along the lines of “ARRRRRR, we be wishin’ ye a jolly National Talk Like a Pirate Day!!!”).

3. Cook a recipe from a country you’ve never visited.

4. Plan a mini-adventure.

5. Read a travel book and then visit the places described in it.

BONUS CHALLENGE: Have a glass of very special, very young French wine on Beaujolais Nouveau Day (the third Thursday of November).

Or pin/print this list to always have it close for reference:

The post 5 fun travel ideas to keep you warm this November appeared first on 203Challenges.

Here is your monthly dose of travel challenges for September:

Go on a wine-tasting tour

There is something about people who know their wine. They’re like the ‘cool kids’ of adulthood; they can blow your mind with their in-depth knowledge of the nectar of the vines and get you wondering whether they grew up in a royal family that drank Domaine de la Romanée-Conti instead of water. Now is the time to enhance your understanding of what they’re actually talking about, so that you can join in their next wine-heavy conversation.

Even if you don’t get hooked, you can use the fancy words you learn to shock your not-so-wine-specialist friends by describing that $5 box of wine as “sun-drenched and raisiny with spice and meaty notes, a spicy palate and a balanced-dry finish” next time you’re drinking cheap wine in the park.

Besides, wine-tasting is a good excuse for a day of guilt-free drinking.

DIY – a travel money jar

From today, make a promise to yourself to put at least one dollar in a jar every single day until this time next year, to be used as funding for a future trip. Now repeat after me: “I will not take money from this jar for anything else”. Wait, I will put that in bold:

”I will not take money from this jar for anything else”.

Option 1: After one year you’ll have enough money to head on a short trip. You know that you’ll have at least $365 to work with, so you can start planning and budgeting straight away.

Option 2: This could be how you start saving money for the trip of your dreams. In this case, it’s a good idea to decorate the jar with photos or maps of that destination – it’s proven that people tend to stay more focused on their dreams and actually turn them into a reality when they are constantly exposed to them.

Practice people-watching

You’ve seen that one creep who sits all alone in a café just watching people pass by. This is your challenge to become that person, although we encourage you to do it in the least creepy way possible.

That means not staring for too long, no eye-contact (unless it comes with a little friendly smile, where appropriate) and never judging or making fun of anyone or anything you see.

When you get over the initial feeling of discomfort, people-watching becomes an entertaining activity that helps you get into the rhythm of the city. It’s perfect for solo-traveling and is also a source of inspiration for all creative jobs or hobbies.

Swap hobbies with a friend

Who knows – you might get hooked on your friend’s hobby and that might be the beginning of a new era in your friendship. You probably have at least one friend who spends their free time doing some awesome stuff you always say you will try next time – steal it from them for a few days. And then there is that one friend who likes to do things you can never find excitement in – knitting, for example, might never feed your hunger for thrill and adventure, but hey, you can end up with a free pair of self-knitted socks and save a few dollars for the travel jar.

Now, excuse me, I will go play a game of League of Legends while my roommate writes the next article.

Pin it for later:

The post Travel inspiration – 4 September challenges appeared first on 203Challenges.

1. On a clear night, walk out of your home in your warmest clothes and with a cup of hot chocolate in your hands. Drink it under the stars with someone special.

2. Visit a big bookshop and leave notes to future readers in your favorite books.

3. Send a paper postcard to a friend. No special occasion required.

4. Watch a new travel movie.

5.  Steal a healthy practice from the Japanese: Try shinrin-yoku (translated as forest bathing) by going for a long walk in the forest without your phone.

***

Inspired by the book “203 Travel Challenges. Travel the World. Discover Your Inner Self”.ch

Read more fall challenges.

The post 5 travel challenges for October (to keep you warm and inspired) appeared first on 203Challenges.

Sleeping under the stars is the best way to get new energy and ideas for work. You can do it after you finish work and go back to the office the next day on time. If you find the idea adventurous and absurd – it’s only because not everybody does it. But I guarantee you will have а broad grin spread across your face the next morning. I live in a busy capital and I practice this weekday escaping every summer.  

THIS MIDWEEK ESCAPE IDEA IS PERFECT FOR:

> seasons: summer, late spring, early autumn

> types of travelers: couples, friends, solo

How to do it in 10 easy steps

Here is our usual scenario: 

#1 Choose the closest mountain, forest, hill, camping site or another wild location you love. It’s important to choose a place that is within a reasonable distance from your office (personally I prefer it to be no more than an hour drive away). 

#2 After work on a summer Tuesday take the bus to the the closest wild place where you can put up a tent. If there is no public transportation, go by car or by bike.

#3 Set up the tent before dusk. It’s proven that sleeping in a tent gets your biological clock back to normal.

#4 For a boost of courage and to keep bears at bay, take a vodka/whisky shot or whatever medicine you have against bears.

#5 Start a fire and grill some sausages. Alternatively, take a look at my favorite camping recipes ready for under 10 minutes. 

#6 [Optional] Some locals from the near village come to visit, you have a drink together and they leave, and you go to sleep in you bed under the stars.

#7 Get up at 7 am, have breakfast and pack your stuff. If you have a Sherpa around, give them your bags. If not, carry them yourself, awaiting better times.

What a glorious place to be on a weekday morning!

#8 Take the bus back to the city and take a quick shower.

#9 Enter the office on time, a broad grin on your face.

#10  Everything works out even better if you happen to have a shower at your workplace. If you happen to be camping near a waterfall, you can take your morning shower there. 🙂

Here you can read a detailed story of how I swapped my bed for a hammock last summer (all done on weekdays).

All photos: © Maria Angelova/ 203challenges

The post How to organize a midweek nature escape in 10 easy steps appeared first on 203Challenges.