Well, I’m nearly halfway through my year of adventuring and I’ve learned alot! For my next adventure, I’ve decided to have a go at running a webinar about the benefits of living adventurously. This will be my very first webinar and today’s adventure has been all about doing the necessary technical groundwork 🙂 .
I am just going outside and may be some time.
JT
The world of romantic fiction can get pretty intense, so today I’m taking a bit of a break and trying something new. With the aid of a pocket guide to trees, I’m going to attempt to identify 3 different species of tree in a nearby street.
The aim wasn’t to identify a species I already know (to be honest, I don’t know that many!) but rather to venture into unknown territory. The experience has shown me how little I know about my immediate surroundings and I think I’d like to know more. I’ve place images of the trees I identified below today’s video.
Here’s how I got on ~
Hawthorn
Larch
Lime
I am just going outside and may be some time.
JT
For today’s adventure, I am visiting a local area of interest for the very first time : the Dark Hedges. The weather wasn’t ideal for filming and my video camera couldn’t really pick up the eerie beauty and unusual atmosphere.
I did manage to take some pictures though and , whilst I was taking them, I realised how much I have slowed down over the last 4 months of adventuring. There is something very slow and present about the writing I am doing at the moment ; there is something very slow and present about taking photographs. I seem to be noticing much more … about much more 🙂 .
I have posted some of my photographs, which I took with my phone, below the video. (I am really enjoying “playing” with Instagram at the moment too!) The main image was taken by my son : he’s a keen photographer.
I am just going outside and may be some time.
JT
Today’s adventure sees me stepping into a whole new world : Pinterest! I also start making my preparations for my romantic fiction adventure 🙂 .
If you’re a “Pinner” , you’ll find me and my Pin Boards here 😛
I am just going outside and may be some time.
JT
Today an unexpected opportunity for adventure presented itself 🙂 . I was supposed to be interviewing my brilliant friend Tiffany Kay about her new book but she got poorly. I sat down and decided to listen for a call to adventure (I haven’t tried this before!) and sure enough some words came straight to mind : “quantum jumping“.
I’ve only recently heard about this personal development technique. It sounds a bit mind-boggling at first when Burt Goldman (the developer of this process) talks about visiting your own doppelgänger in a parallel universe but I found the idea enticing. I would have the opportunity to visit another version of me, in another universe ~ a version of me who had already succeeded at something I’d like to be successful at in my own universe!
Whether you believe in the theories of multiverse or whether you simply trust the imaginative and wise capability of your own unconscious mind (and see Burt’s invitation as a metaphorical process), I would recommend giving quantum jumping a go.
You can find out how I got on with the process in today’s video ~
I am just going outside and may be some time.
JT
You might actually know me well enough by now to raise your eyebrows at the thought of me reading a Mills and Boon romance. Well, as the saying goes, “don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.”
I’ve never read one of these books before and wondered what the experience might offer me. Watch today’s video to find out whether it was all hearts and flowers for me (or not….. 😛 )
I am just going outside and may be some time.
JT
Today I woke up with a cosmic adventure in mind! For my 105th adventure, I watched the live-streaming of the total lunar eclipse. At 08.45am UK time, I watched the eclipse pass into the “totality” phase. This morning I saw my first “live” blood moon. This morning I saw red hot dragon’s breath enveloping the moon. This morning I shared the celebrations, and awe, of those watching live in the Griffith observatory in California. This morning I welcomed our moon safely back home. This morning I felt connected to this small, wondrous corner of our universe. This morning I felt connected to all the people watching this celestial event. This morning I felt connected to it all. (I have the feeling that my adventuring is waking me up to the aliveness of my experiences. In fact, I am feeling more alive!)
You can hear more about my experiences, and my thoughts on the benefits of adventuring, in today’s video. You can also watch a time-lapse version of today’s eclipse on CNN here. I have also popped a copy of an Adventure Report from 2012 (talking about the Venus transit) below the video ~ I think it may make you smile 🙂 .
Adventure Report June 2012 ~ Stalking The Venus Transit
Can anyone remember all that kerfuffle at the beginning of June 2012 about the Venus transit? Sky-watchers around the world were excited about witnessing a cosmic spectacle : this was an extremely rare opportunity since only six Venus transits have been observed since the invention of the telescope more than 400 years ago.
Transits happen when a planet crosses between Earth and the sun. After 2012, we won’t see another transit of Venus until 2117. If you are reading this, it means that the transit on the 5/6th June 2012 was your last chance! And that’s what I thought when I heard about it – this is my chance to witness something that I’ll never have the chance to witness again. And the really magic thing about the whole transit was this : the very last place on Earth it would be visible would be Northern Ireland (where I live!).
Morphing myself rapidly into a cosmic geek, I trawled the internet for information. I found out where the transit would be visible, I made sure I knew precisely at what time the sun would rise (the time at which the transit would be visible), I researched how to view the transit safely and I got myself rather excited about the prospect of getting up at 3:45am.
When the alarm went off, I felt like Indiana Jones. With adventure practically boiling in my blood, I leapt (okay, it may have looked like crawling to the untrained eye) into our van, hauling my half-asleep partner with me. Wooly hats firmly on, flasks of tea brewed and all cosmic tracking equipment stowed safely, we set off for Murlough Bay (one of the recommended viewing sights).
As we drove towards the coast, we could see the glimmer of dawn in the sky. Nervous anticipation built the closer we got to the sea ~ a Starsky and Hutch-style evacuation of the van ensued as we hurried not to miss our chance. Ian put up the projector screen and unpacked a set of 1950s binoculars. We were to hold up the large end of the binoculars to the sun and watch the transit on the screen.
Secretly I was thrilled about the fact that no-one else was there ~ that we had this beautiful place all to ourselves. Eventually the glimmer of light grew into the glare of dawn : it was the most awe-inspiring sight you could imagine. Still waters, a clear view over to the Mull of Kintyre, Ailsa Craig and right around to Islay and the Paps of Jura. Scotland looked a pebble’s throw away and the force of the cosmos felt like it was growing under my feet.
Eyes fixed firmly on the projector screen, we saw nothing .No transit. Just the passing of a few clouds. And yet there was no disappointment. Why? Because I felt that I had fully seized the day; I had embraced the moment that the day had presented and I had enjoyed the excitement of the whole experience. I had felt like an intrepid explorer.
We packed away our equipment and stored this experience with all the other “glad we gave it a go”experiences.
Funny thing is ~ it turned out we were 24 hours early for the cosmic event! We would never have seen it on the day we went : we did get up and do the same thing the next day but it was white-out conditions with nothing to be seen at all (and not half as exciting as the previous day’s experience).
The lesson this adventure taught me was this : it’s not just important to seize special opportunities ~ it’s important to seize every opportunity, to seize every day. In the act of seizing, you can experience life in its fullest force (regardless of what is happening). Venus transits maybe special but they are not a patch on the possibility that every day brings to us humans. Every day holds life-affirming adventure for all of us : now go and find it J
Information For Cosmic Explorers
How to make your own projector ; Keep up with eclipse news
I am just going outside and may be some time 🙂 .
JT
When we think of the words Customer Service Department, often the word “complaint” comes straight to mind! For today’s adventure, I decided to buck the trend and call the store manager of a local supermarket to let him know how brilliant one of his staff is.
Watch today’s video to find out what happened ~
I am just going outside and may be some time.
JT
Today I give power napping a whirl! There seem to be lots of benefits associated with this practice ~ and with 9 months of adventuring ahead, it’s probably a handy addition to my survival kits 🙂 .
Find out how I got on here :
I am just going outside and may be some time.
JT
Wow – what an adventure I’ve had today 🙂 🙂 ! Over the last couple of days, I’ve been learning about Google Hangouts On Air so that i could give today’s adventure a whirl : my very first live broadcast.
My inspiring friend, Leslie Marsh, agreed to be interviewed live about her journey through and beyond cancer. We had a few technical glitches on our first attempt but it didn’t prevent us from having another go : we struck it lucky on our second attempt.
This was all brilliant practice for a bigger adventure later this month. From the 16th April, I’ll be undertaking a series of adventures involving the making of a live daily TV show. You’ll be able to watch live here !
You can watch the play-back of today’s interview here ~
You can keep connected with Leslie on Facebook here and you can find her website here.
I am just going outside and may be some time.
JT
Humans Resourced 