Sometimes, in your lunch break, you’re in the mood to do something way more adventurous than eating lunch at your desk or hopping to the nearest coffee shop for a vanilla latte. We’re here to shower you with ideas so you know what to do during these rare moments of enlightenment.

Here’s our list of cool, weird and extraordinary things to do during your lunch break, so you can restart your mind at midday.

#1 Visit a museum or a gallery.

#2 Go to the movies.

#3 Organize a small reunion with a college friend whom you haven’t seen for years.

#4 Challenge your liver with a wine-tasting session (only to be attempted if you have a very cool boss).

#5 Visit a festival.

#6 Go to a faraway neighborhood to have lunch at a particular restaurant.

#7 Join a free tour of your city and learn new facts about where you live.

#8 Sweat it out in the gym.

#9 Go into a shop you would never enter and take a look around. Ask the shop assistant about what they sell and delve into details. This is a tiny exercise to help you expand your world.

#10 Join an art class and create something with your own hands.

#11 Meditate in a quite place.

#12 Go to church.

#13 Go for a walk amid nature – it’ll do wonders for your mental health.

#14 Go to the beach.

#15 Ride your bike (and listen to this perfectly themed playlist of cycling songs).

#16 Take a careful look at the menu and order something you would normally skip.

#17 Volunteer.

#18 Every weekday, go to a different place to eat, but order the same meal (like, pizza Margherita or Cesar salad). Rate every dish from 1 to 10 and then go back to the place where you had the best one to congratulate the staff.

Pin it for later to tick off every completed point:

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Spend a day playing in the snow

The first snowflakes hit the ground so slowly and peacefully that somehow, amid all those thoughts of the traffic chaos the snow may cause or how wet your feet are going to get on your way home, you remember the old days when none of it mattered. When temperatures were just random numbers you overheard on the TV during the brief 15 minutes when you were actually at home on a snow day – just to slightly unfreeze your hands, change out of your wet clothes, grab a snack and listen to your parents’ lectures before heading outside again to fulfill your mission: to make the best of the day and fully enjoy the snow. And who said the mission is over?

This winter we challenge you to spend a whole day playing out in the snow. And if living in the moment without a ‘to-do’ list feels too unstructured, here are some suggestions:

• Recreate your favorite movie scene with snowmen.
• Start a snowball fight.
• Find things to use as an alternative to a sleigh – a pool float, an old jacket or a plastic bottle. Or perhaps even a friend?

Lose your heart to the snow | Brigitte Tohm/Unsplash

Master the art of making mulled wine

After spending the day as your inner child, what better way to switch back to adulthood than enjoying a glass of hot mulled wine? And trust us, it tastes even better if you make it yourself. Here’s how:

Do something small for someone else

December is the month of coziness and hygge, which makes you just want to do good and be kind. And of course, the best acts of kindness are the small, spontaneous, everyday ones. Let this be a month of small acts of kindness:

• Buy a homeless person a meal.
• Cook a treat for your colleagues.
• Compliment a stranger on the subway.
• Give a small DIY gift to a not-so-close friend, just because.

… but don’t forget that the best gift is you: your time, your kindness and your presence. Make sure you spend enough quality time with your loved ones this December.

The best gift is you: your time, your kindness, your presence. | Dakota Corbin/ Unsplash

Celebrate Christmas in an unusual place

I’m not saying that staying home and watching Home Alone for the hundredth time is a bad idea, but why not use Christmas to do something unusual that you’ve never done before? Have you, for example, ever had a snow picnic or built an igloo? Check here for more unusual ideas about how to spend Christmas.

Have you spent Christmas in a forest cabin before? | Ian Keefe/ Unsplash

Combine at least 5 New Year’s Eve traditions from around the world for your party

The 31st of December is a chance to take stock of what has happened in the past year and make wishes for the new one to be better. Some nations, however, don’t only wish for it – they do everything possible to ensure that their luck changes on the first day of the year, which often leads to some fun traditions. These traditions might or might not work, but incorporating them into your New Year’s celebrations will surely result in a memorable party. Here are a few ideas:

• Russia: when the countdown starts, quickly write your wishes on a small piece of paper, then burn it and drink the ashes with your drink before midnight.
• Colombia: bring an empty suitcase with you and walk around the block with it at midnight. It is believed that this inexplicable tradition will bring you plenty of great adventures in the new year.
• Switzerland: drop ice cream on the floor for luck in the new year.
• Denmark: climb onto a chair or sofa and literally jump into the new year at midnight.
• Philippines: wear polka dots, eat only round food and toss coins for prosperity.

Pin it for later:

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A couples escape, a family holiday or a cliche-free solo trip – here’s a selection of our favorite quirky Christmas getaway ideas for a not-so-ordinary holiday season.

Because if you don’t bring the Christmas spirit in your heart, you won’t find it on your travels, even if you venture as far as Lapland.

Plus, if the legend is true, Santa will find you wherever you are.

This list will guide you through all the cool and unusual things you can do this Christmas that turns out to be one of the best Christmas gifts for your friend with whom you are going on a trip during the holidays.

#1 Spend the night at a Bedouin desert camp

Sand, heat, camels: this image is the antithesis of every stereotypical Christmas card. So if you’re looking to do something different, why not head straight to the nearest desert? It doesn’t need to be a rough experience – you can stay in a luxury tent.

A luxury tent at Wadi Rum Desert, Jordan | Christian Piatt/Flickr

#2 Enjoy the glorious van life

This article says it all in a very inspirational way:

#3 Go skiing in a Santa costume

Cover yourself in a dollar-store Santa costume and stir up a little holiday confusion on the slopes of your favorite ski resort.

#4 Build an igloo and have a festive dinner inside

If you have kids, make them build the igloo while you prepare the dinner. Bring candles, warm blankets and woolen socks for everyone.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Filippo Scrivani (@filipposcrivani)

#5 Go on a Christmas road trip

We’re not suggesting just any old road trip; for this challenge, you need to decorate the car. Head somewhere that’s open on Christmas Day, like a nature park or the historical center of a nearby city.

#6 Go boating or kayaking

Book a ticket on the nearest available cruise and sail the holiday season away. Or, if you’d rather travel under your own steam, swap the cruise ship for a kayak.

#7 Just go somewhere colorful

Head to Guatemala, Colombia, Venice, Thailand or anywhere with colors more vivid than a photoshopped image.

Guatemala | Ronald Cuyan/Unsplash

#8 Soak in a warm mineral pool (especially if it’s snowing outside)

There is nothing like immersing yourself in an open-air mineral pool in the winter. You’ll feel like you’re cheating nature as you watch snowflakes falling from above while you soak in warm mineral water, not caring about tiny details like weather forecasts or temperatures more suited to polar bears… Bring hot drinks with you.

#9 Spend the day in the company of animals

Don’t get me wrong, humans are okay… but I prefer animals because (other than parrots), I’ve yet to hear one assault my ears with “‘Tis the season to be jolly” for the 1,056,669th time in a row. In fact, I respect animals’ ability to detach from the holiday craze. Find some furry friends at a farm, a nature park or a zoo – whatever you have at hand will do.

A puffin in Iceland who doesn’t know a single Christmas carol | Jonatan Pie/Unsplash

#10 Fly to the cheapest foreign country available

Check your favorite airlines’ websites or a flight comparison website to see where you can escape at the last minute… and just do it. Life is short – you should make more silly decisions.

#11 Go surfing

Surfing is a cliche if you are Australian, and an unconventional treat if you are not.

Surfing on Christmas Day? | Conner Murphy

#12 Rediscover yourself at a retreat

Why not head on a silence retreat, a meditation retreat or a nature getaway during the holidays? When the materialistic world becomes too overwhelming, it’s time to run away from it all and sit in silence to rediscover your inner self.

#13 Go skinny-dipping

This challenge is not for the faint of heart if you live close to one of the poles… but it’s still worth it if you want a Christmas to remember.

#14 Embark on a refreshing bicycle ride

If the weather isn’t too frightful, hop on your bike and enjoy a long, serene ride, making sure to occasionally glimpse through the windows of the houses you pass to see what other people do on Christmas Day. The best part about this is that the streets will be empty. Like, zombie-apocalypse empty. Have you checked out our bicycle-themed playlist to keep you company during your ride?

Santa, is that you? | Robert Couse-Baker

#15 Return to your pagan roots

Christmas is rooted in Christianity, but Christianity is rooted further back in time. Add a pagan flavor to the holiday season by using your days off to visit an ancient monument. It could be a megalith, a stone circle, a tomb or whatever ancient landmark you have nearby.

#16 Organize a snow picnic

Wrap yourself in warm clothes, pack some baked goodies and flasks full of tea and coffee (and rum, and whiskey…), and head out for a picnic in the crisp air. It’s a good idea to pack extra blankets and spare gloves. Here’s our full guide how to organize a winter picnic in the snow.

A picnic is always a good idea, no matter the weather | picseli

#17 Change the season

If you have spent your whole life celebrating snowy, white Christmases scented with the smell of chestnuts roasting on the open fire, then a little change will be more than refreshing. Head to another climatic zone and see what the change of scenery has to offer.

Change the season this Christmas | Thomas Kelley

#18 Travel to a neighboring city to eat at an exotic restaurant

As there is no Christmas in China, Bangladesh or Thailand, restaurants serving these national dishes will probably be open. Choose a nearby city and check which international restaurants there have the highest rating on Google, Facebook or TripAdvisor.

#19 Book a remote cabin in the forest

The more remote, the better. Keep it warm and cozy, staying by the fireplace and preparing your own mulled wine. Take advantage of the fact that you are close to nature and practice the Japanese art of ‘forest-bathing’: shinrin-yoku.

Go somewhere remote | Paul Itkin

#20 Climb somewhere high for a gorgeous view

Depending on your preferences, this may be a skyscraper, a mountain peak or a just a tree.

#21 Eat your Christmas lunch on a plane, train, etc.

Most public transportation continues running even on Christmas Day. Even if you are not forced to be on a plane or train on Christmas Day, you can arrange a journey for yourself and make the most of the trip. Bring some cookies and special cinnamon latte with you if you’re worried about missing the holiday spirit.

Pin it for later, because the Christmas craze may eventually become too overwhelming and you may want to escape:

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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:

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Celebrate the national day of a country – your own or another

You can start this by celebrating Independence Day on the 4^th of July, even if you’re not American. The celebration of different countries’ national days is a great way to honor foreign cultures and countries without actually traveling there. You can visit a friend from that particular country, organize a themed dinner with food from the country, go to a themed bar or restaurant, or have a movie marathon with movies made in or about that country. Some of the national days you can celebrate in July are:

• 4^th July – Independence Day (United States)
• 14^th July – Bastille Day (France)
• 20^th July – Declaration of Independence from Spain (Colombia)
• 21^st July – Belgian National Day
• 23^rd July – Revolution Day (Egypt)

Organize a trip for a friend

… or have a friend organize a trip for you. Let them know only the departure date and what clothes they should bring; everything else should be a surprise. Give them the tickets, the maps and a list of challenges they should complete on the day they depart.

You can choose to send them to a place they wouldn’t normally go (be prepared for some revenge in this case) or somewhere you know they’ve always wanted to go but for some reason haven’t been able to. We’re sure you can find a suitable place that is still affordable and worth visiting.

Go to an outdoor cinema

Nothing quite compares to the atmosphere of those warm summer nights in the city, and a night at an outdoor cinema is one way to make things even better. Fresh air, a few friends, a nice movie, popcorn, drinks and voilà! – you have the perfect recipe for an after-work chill session. If you have a backyard (or even just a balcony), you can get creative and organize your own open-air movie night.

Gather herbs and wild berries

It’s finally summer now and the last thing we want to think about are those cold winter days that seem so far away. But, as we’ve always learned from Game of Thrones, winter is coming and you’d better be prepared. One fun way to do this while it’s still warm is to gather herbs for your own personal blend of tea, or wild berries that you can use to make homemade jam. If you can’t identify herbs, download a mobile app that can do it for you, or hire a guide who can teach you how to do it.

When you get around to making your homemade jam, you can label the jars with not only the name of the berries, but also the place and the date when they were gathered, as well as a funny story that happened while you were gathering them. That way you will have not only some delicious jams, but also some heart-warming memories.

Rooftop challenge

If you’ve been following this website for a while, you might have noticed our obsession with sunrises. There is a reason for that – they are always absolutely stunning, and they offer the perfect opportunity to escape from the stresses of modern life for a while. Try this challenge and you will soon be obsessed, too.

So here it is: search the city for rooftop bars that offer early morning events and go to as many as possible. You can also do this by creating your own events on the rooftops of your friends’ buildings or any other rooftop you have access to. Compare them and choose the best one, then throw a party on the last day of the month to celebrate your newfound knowledge of the city’s rooftops. Make sure you’re prepared for a big night so you can greet the first sunrise of August; then, and only then, will you be ready for our August challenges!

Don’t forget to take with you things like tick clothes, wound dressing, food.

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So what does it mean?

Gökotta is an untranslatable Swedish word, which essentially means “to rise at dawn in order to go out and listen to the birds sing”.

What is the origin of the tradition?

In some parts of Sweden, there is a tradition of going out into the wild on Ascension Day (40 days after Easter) to listen to the birds, and in particular the cuckoo, sing their songs for the first time in spring. Even churches in many parts of the country agree to hold their Ascension morning service in the open so believers can hear the cuckoo sing.

Why should you do it?

It has long been known that having a positive and energetic morning is the most important step toward crafting a peaceful and productive day, though it might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you hear that obnoxious alarm clock in the morning.

The other aspect of the concept – immersing yourself in nature – is yet another booster for mental and physical well-being.

And if that’s not enough, think of it as a way to get closer to Swedish culture without having to actually go to Sweden.

Want an extra challenge?

Have you already incorporated gökotta into your routine? We still have one more challenge for you: go camping near the city on a work day and start the following morning by using the birdsong as your alarm clock (here’s how we did it last summer). When you arrive at work, all your colleagues will be wondering where your good mood has come from.

More sunrise ideas

You’ve already made it out of bed, realized how different life is under the soft light of sunrise and want some more creative suggestions for how to celebrate the dawning of the day. Take some inspiration from our list of sunrise challenges and give yourself an energizing start to the day.

Read more: 10 sunrise ideas to start the day with a smile

Discover more untranslatable words: like aylyak in Bulgaria or dolce far niente in Italy. 

The post The Swedish concept of gökotta – listen to the morning birdsong appeared first on 203Challenges.

We’ve selected 8 creative and inspiring travel challenges that will turn your trips into personal adventures. Our source of inspiration is a book – “203 Travel Challenges. Travel the world. Explore Your Inner Self”.

Traveling is something personal, so take the ingredients of the following challenges, stir them, move them and change them to create your own challenges to spice up your trips.

1. Jump into a warm, open-air mineral pool while it’s snowing

There are plenty of warm, mineral pools in the open air around the world. However pleasant they may be in the summer, there is nothing like getting into one in the winter, when snowflakes are falling from the sky and you are soaking in warm, mineral water, not caring about tiny details like weather forecasts or an air temperature more suited to polar bears…

How to do it: Don’t forget to take a towel to dry yourself off as quickly as possible as you climb out of the pool. Also take your favorite warm drink in a thermos for pure bliss (coffee, cappuccino, tea and rum, etc.).

2. Night Challenge

There are many attractions which stay open even when it’s dark outside. There are also events created to make your night more interesting. It’s a different world when you trade the light of the sun for the light of the moon and the stars.

A couple of ideas for night events: European Night of Museums (every year on a Saturday, around 18th May – the International Day of Museums), European Literature Night (in May – celebrities read excerpts from European works of art), European Theatre Night (in November). European Researchers’ Night – research centers and museums open doors to show their achievements (every year in late September). Open-air cinema to enjoy a movie under the stars.

A couple of ideas for attractions open during the night: Every summer from May until October the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, is open until midnight on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays (reservation necessary). In New York the Brooklyn Museum has free admission until 11 p.m. the first Saturday of each month (except September); the Top of the Rock observation deck at Rockefeller Center offers 70th floor views of Manhattan until midnight (last elevator up is at 11 p.m.), and the Empire State Building’s observation deck is open until 2 a.m. In Bangkok, Thailand, every district has its own night market where you can find all kinds of food, goods and fun activities, at the same time immersing yourself the best way possible into local life. Try the biggest market, Rot Fai, or the bohemian JJ Green Night Market.

For seasoned travelers: Take a night walk through the mountains. Under the only light of the moon or a headlamp – with an experienced guide or along trails you know like the back of your hand. Night walks are an experience that is hard to forget.

3. Go out of range for 24 hours

Go out of range, see the sunrise, read a book, talk to people. 

You are constantly online. You follow the events on the social networks and sometimes it’s as if the real world has disappeared. We challenge you to go for at least 24 hours to a place where electronic devices are out of range. We challenge you to feel that you are here and you are here now, instead of drifting through virtual space.

For seasoned travelers: Deliberately turn off all your devices for a day. Get out of range for a week.

4. See a shooting star and make a wish come true

Seeing a shooting star to make a wish may seem to you like pure chance. The truth is, you can help chance come your way by being in the right place at the right time. Every year, around 12 August, the sky night fills with hundreds of shooting stars (or meteorites to be exact). The reason is the annual meteor stream called Perseids.

Fun fact… The meteors are called Perseids because when we look at the sky it seems like they come from the constellation Perseus. In fact, the shooting stars we see in the sky are part of the comet Swift-Tuttle.

How to do it: The Perseids peak around 12 August (look up the date for the year) when hundreds of meteorites can be seen every hour.

A couple more ideas: There are other meteor streams throughout the year (Geminids in mid-December, Lyrids in mid-April, Quadrantids in late December – early January) when you can see a shooting star.

5. Bathe in a waterfall

Enjoy a free shower from nature. If you try to find pictures of the waterfalls listed below, without a shadow of a doubt you will want to shower there next time.

A couple of ideas:

Skogafoss (Iceland), Havasu (Grand Canyon, USA + more ideas for waterfalls you can bathe in the USA), Ouzoud (Morocco), Skradinski buk (Croatia), Kempty (India). Or just visit the nearest waterfall to you.

6. Celebrate the International Picnic Day

On International Picnic Day (every year on 18 June), enjoy one of the best ways to be close to nature. The importance of picnics dates back to the Victorian Age when young men and women could spend time together in the open. Back in the day, they would bring fancy meals, sandwiches, sweets and crackers. Nowadays picnics require far less effort, but they can be a good reason finally to go somewhere you’ve been meaning to, but haven’t had the chance.

How to make it more interesting: You can give the picnic a theme – everyone to wear red, to bring only Italian cuisine, tea and board games, a candlelit picnic, etc. To make it more fun, you can throw in a kite, slackline, hacky sack, badminton or a frisbee.

Fun fact… According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the biggest picnic in the world was organized in Lisbon, Portugal, on 20 June 2009 with more than 20 000 participants.

7. See a shipwreck – without going underwater

It’s human nature – we are drawn to tragedy and decay. We roam around abandoned villages, enter buildings carrying legends of ghosts and dive to reach sunken ships. If diving is not your passion, we challenge you to visit one of the most famous shipwrecks in the world… without having to dive.

A couple of ideas:

Zakynthos, Greece – At Navagio Beach, you will see the remains of a vessel washed ashore. You can take a peek from the high rocks or reach it by boat.

Muynak, Uzbekistan – Outside the town of Muynak (or Moynaq) in Uzbekistan, in the direction of the Aral Sea, you will witness a sinister view along the road – the skeletons of ships and fishing boats abandoned long ago in the desert. Up until about 30 years ago Muynak was a sea harbor, but today it is in the middle of the desert, 50 km (30 miles) from the coast, after the rivers were diverted for irrigation purposes, and so the road leading to the Aral Sea turned into a ship graveyard.

Sydney, Australia – Homebush Bay in Sydney has become the final resting place of no longer operating ships. Some of them were swallowed by mangroves, growing over the rusty decks.

8. You want a raise? Take a holiday!

It is a proven fact that employees who use more of their vacation days achieve better results at work and have a higher chance of being promoted. Many people don’t use all of their vacation days as they fear that their long absence might show their bosses that the work can be managed without them. A study, however, shows that employees, who take all of their vacation days, show better results at work. Statistics in the USA and Canada reveal that for every 10 days off from work, the employee’s results improve by an average of 8%.

*

If you have used boat that you want to sell, you can use platforms like Grays.

The post 8 creative travel challenges to inspire your next trip appeared first on 203Challenges.

#1 Go far away from the city at night to gaze at the stars

City lights prevent you from seeing the sky in all its splendor. Go a few miles out of town and you will see so many more constellations. Take a blanket to lie on the ground comfortably. Download a constellation identifying app (like Sky Map, for example). Find Mars, Venus, Saturn, the Zodiac constellations.

#2 Bathe in a waterfall

Enjoy together a free shower from nature.

#3 Lost and found couples challenge

Go on a vacation with your loved one in a faraway city. Once you arrive, split up and try to find each other. The biggest question is how you will play the game: whether you will do what you usually do so that your partner can find you; or you will look for activities you think your partner will be doing? Romantic cities with compact city centers (like Vienna, Bratislava, and Amsterdam) are a good option.

Lost and found couples | Photo: Tord Sollie/Unsplash

#4 Climb a new peak and open a bottle of wine there

Hike up in the mountains and feel like deities looking over their lands. Celebrate reaching the top with a bottle of champagne and share it with your special one. This is an achievement worthy of a proper celebration!

#5 Create your own romantic travel challenge – the crazier, the better

The world is full of crazy people who fulfill their own crazy challenges. Create your own freaky idea and set to accomplishing it together. It could be anything from walking every street in your town to visiting every national park in the country or eating ice cream in front of every castle in Europe.

#6 For thrill junkies: go bungee jumping together

Sharing moments of thrill makes the bond between you stronger.

#7 Jump in the snow after taking a sauna

Spice up your spa day with something many Scandinavians do. Cooling down after a sauna is as important as heating up. It shouldn’t happen too abruptly but if you go to Finland in the winter, you’ll see people jumping into the ice-cold water of a lake or rolling in the snow after a sauna. Not that it’s strictly considered normal, but it’s not an uncommon sight, either. After this shock to your body, don’t forget to pat yourself down with the birch twigs that can be found in every Finnish sauna.

#8 A monthly date on a bench

Choose a favorite bench at a beautiful place that fills you with energy (it could be in the mountains, in a park, in a favorite town). Sit on it together every month. Take 12 photos and make a collage of them. Notice how everything around you changes and how you have changed.

Monthly date on a bench | Photo: Gary Bending/Unsplash

#9 Have a bottle of local wine with a view

“Years, lovers and glasses of wine; these things must not be counted”, said someone and we completely agree.

Not every date needs to be in a fancy restaurant. Keep this date simple and local; buy a bottle of local wine. Find a place with a view (of the sea, mountain tops, over the city) and share the bottle with your loved one. No hurrying, no talking required.

#10 Have a drink at an ice bar

Put on your snowboots and fluffy headphones and order a drink at a bar where you won’t need ice with your drink… Some of the world’s best ice bars are in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden, at Hotel de Glace (Quebec, Canada), Chillout Bar (Dubai), Bar Minus 5 (New York, USA), Aurora Ice Bar (Alaska, USA), Xtracold Ice Bar (Amsterdam, the Netherlands), Ice Club Roma (Rome, Italy).

#11 The random stop date

Set out at least once on a journey with only one point on your itinerary – the starting point. Sometimes it’s good to leave things to fate. And fate always has interesting ideas about who and what to introduce you to.

Here’s a complete guide to spontaneous travel with specific ideas by car, by train, etc.

#12 Soak in a warm, open-air mineral pool while it’s snowing

Find the nearest warm, mineral pool in the open air and visit it in winter, when snowflakes are falling from the sky. Take your favorite warm drink in a thermos for pure bliss (coffee, cappuccino, tea and rum, etc.). Read the full idea here.

#13 Join a night sky watch

Find the nearest astronomical observatory and check possible dates for a night sky watch through a telescope. Some observatories host special events, such as dinners under the sky.

#14 Organize a completely free or almost free trip

#15 Celebrate a traditional holiday in a non-traditional way

Traditions are to be changed from time to time. Bring something different into your life (and that of your loved one) by turning a classical holiday upside down. It will certainly be a holiday you will remember for years to come. Here are our guides with 21 unusual Christmas travel ideas and DIY: a cheap and unusual Easter travel idea.

#16 Sunrise and a morning picnic

Get in your car and drive at night. Go to the beach or another beautiful place to watch the sunrise. Watch the sun coming up with your loved one. Have a picnic in the morning and then take a short nap on the blanket.

>>> Discover more fun and unusual picnic ideas.

Photo: ©Maria Angelova/203challenges

#17 Sign up for a crazy marathon together

What a better way to make people closer than difficulties? These crazy marathons held around the world have enough difficulties to make you lean on each other and to make you feel you’ve accomplished something really big.

When two people are participating in the competition, you can work together in one direction, encourage each other, and help each other. This is the real purpose and meaning. You can customize love marathon or half marathon medals for the competition you participated in this time, keep them at home, and they will be a sweet memory to see in the future.

#18 The slow return trip date

Choose a destination and go there as quickly as possible. But on the way back home choose the slowest possible transport and way of returning. Swap the several-hour flight for a several-day exciting road trip. Stop, change transport, take detours, postpone your arrival – even if only by five minutes. Enjoy every place, every encounter and your time together.

#19 Organize a surprise trip for your better half

The birthday boy/girl may think they have plans for the special day until you kidnap them in an unknown direction… Here’s our foolproof 30-minute guide to organizing a surprise birthday trip.

Photo: ©Maria Angelova/203challenges

#20 Get lost on purpose

Getting lost in an unknown city is the best way to find interesting things and experiences, to meet interesting people (who are rarely among the crowds of tourists) and come across unexpected treasures. Choose a random remote part of the city you are visiting and get lost together.

#21 Close your eyes, turn the map of your country three times and then point to a place

Оpen your eyes and discover your destination for next weekend. Well, if you live in Canada or the USA, you may want to take a map of the state/province or county.

#22 Go to the rooftop of a building in your own city and see the city from above

When in a foreign place, tourists are ready to pay significant amounts of money to go up the Empire State Building or other observation decks upon skyscrapers. They don’t do it in their own town, though, where the pleasure is most probably free. Even if there are no skyscrapers around, find a tall building where a friend of yours works or lives, go to its rooftop and have a drink while enjoying the view.

#23 Cycling

Cycling is a wonderful date idea that allows couples to explore new places and enjoy the beauty of nature. You can choose a scenic route that takes you through picturesque landscapes, beautiful parks, or charming towns. Moreover, riding a bike is a fantastic date idea for couples with children because it provides an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors, get some exercise, and spend quality time together as a family. If your child is too young to ride their own bike, you can bring a bike seat (for instance, this one https://threo.co.uk/product/front-mounted-child-bike-seat). It is not only fun but also healthy and great for bonding. So, gear up and hit the road for a memorable cycling date with your loved ones!”

#24 Go to the concert of a favorite band abroad

Tickets for a concert of your favorite band are a perfect romantic gift but they are even better if you add plane tickets to them. For music fans it’s a double win – they listen to their favorite artists live and visit new places. Check regularly the websites of your favorite bands for concert dates in countries you’d like to go to anyway.

#25 Have breakfast at home. Have lunch 200 miles away. Have dinner abroad.

One of my all-time favorites.

#26 Go to the airport and buy a ticket for the cheapest destination of the day

Go to the airport with your luggage packed. You can go together with your friends. The destination is not important. Spend the weekend there.

#27 Ski or snowboard only in your underwear

Or even without.

#28 Go skinny-dipping in the nearest lake

Just because.

The post 28 unusual and adventurous date ideas for travel loving couples appeared first on 203Challenges.

If you don’t have the time, money, or guts for great adventures to unknown worlds, we challenge you to start off with something small. Go out of your comfort zone with one of the mini-adventures in the list below. And don’t forget that as you are walking out of your comfort zone, you are also expanding it.

1. Go out with someone new. It doesn’t matter if it’s a romantic date or just a new friend, it will put your ego in line. This experience can be as exciting as bungee jumping. You have nobody to travel with this weekend? Place a public ad on social media – you might receive some surprising replies (personally tested!).

2. Pitch a tent in your backyard. In some parts of the world, there is an entire modern movement called gamping (garden + camping). The idea is that people who cannot go camping in the wilderness, for whatever reason, could pitch a tent in their own backyard. Changing up your surroundings, your bed, where you wake up, can inject an unexpected amount of inspiration into your everyday life.

3. Dine alone, in a new place. Find an interesting eatery and enjoy a slow meal with a good dessert. You get some bonus points for sampling a new type of cuisine.

4. Discover new places in your neighborhood. Put on a pair of comfortable shoes and set off in a direction you’ve never been before. Just walk around, without a plan, and see what happens. Take your camera and shoot a set of photos of the most unexpected findings. The last time I did it, I came across a house with a gallery-like yard full of weird statues, just two blocks away from my own home.

5. Get dirty. Find your favorite way of getting dirty, muddy, and dusty. Sign up for mud running challenge, make a mud cake, or plant new flowers in your garden. You don’t have a garden? Do it in a friend’s garden.

6. Visit a local landmark. It is easy to underestimate the museums in your own town, as well as the parks and the other ‘tourist’ attractions, because you know that you can always go there. Swap ‘always’ with ‘right now’ and choose a local landmark to visit this weekend.

7. Get wet. Don’t run inside as soon as it starts to rain. Enjoy every drop of water, as you did when you were a child. Jump with both feet into a puddle.

8. Pretend to be a photographer. Get your camera or phone and go to a favorite place with an idea in mind – flowers, architecture, interesting details, food, older people, dogs… Take as many photos as you want.

Pin it to your travel board:

The post 8 mini-adventures to take you out of your comfort zone 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:

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