Microadventures
Microadventures are small adventures near your place and they can be wonderful, even if they are not special. We recommend everyone to have these microadventures, to take some time for yourself and enjoy nice places near or in your town or anywhere you like to go, to relax and calm down with the loved ones, anyone possible or just yourself. Although and especially in these difficult days, it is important for everyone to also take a deep breath.
We are two friends and live in two different countries: in Germany and United States of America. We kept in touch through our schools and decided to tell you about our microadventures, which turned out as very good breaks in this time, dealing with the pandemic.
Hi! My name is Melike Yildiz and I am 14 years old. I live in Mönchengladbach, which is in Germany near Düsseldorf. I have online school and I am at home almost all the time. We are having a hard lockdown here, because of the pandemic and we are not able to do many things. We cannot travel, so I decided to go on microadventures just near my home. This turned out to be a very good experience and I would like to tell you about it.
Hello! My name is Rustin Vanker, I am a sophomore at Lake Shore Highschool in America, and as I am sure everyone knows, this Covid pandemic definitely has not been the easiest. My family recently moved from Florida to Michigan over the summer, and though the change in climate came as quite a shock, the ability to be surrounded by my family was amazing. However, it was fairly challenging for me and my family to experience our new town and the many wonderful things it has to offer. This leads me to the introduction of an amazing concept called Microadventures. Microadventures are designed to provide a chance to escape from quarantine, while still being able to maintain the necessary safety precautions, which has become an absolute necessity for my family and me.
About us:
It was a rainy, but a great 8th January of the new year 2021.
Melike
The 14th January was a sunny day. I had homeschooling and decided to go outside and get some fresh air. Me and my mum decided to go to the ‘’Naturschutzgebiet’’ in Hardt. It is a natural reserve in Hardt, it is near the place I live. The natural reserve is a forest, with a big lake. The lake is in the middle and around it are many trees.
It is a natural reserve, so you cannot get near the lake, but you can go around this reserve. There are trees around the lake, and you can just go along the paths that are next to these trees, because the rest of the area, including the lake, is a natural reserve.
A way down to the lake leads to a viewing platform. You can see down the lake from there. Not only the lake, but you can also look at the beautiful nature and the forest of Hardt. Moreover, you are able to see the stadium of the football club Borussia Mönchengladbach.
We went along a path to this platform. On the way there are many trees on the sides. Because it was wintertime, the trees did not have leaves, so we could see down the lake very well. It was sunny, therefore lovely. We took a walk for not less than one hour. The air was really fresh, and the surrounding was quiet.
The day was stressful for my mum and me. However, we decided to go for a walk in Volksgarten, which is a public and pretty park in Mönchengladbach, my hometown. Volksgarten means something like ‘’public garden’’, so a garden for everyone. Me and my mum were in the city center and Volksgarten was not far away, for this reason we arrived fast. As we started walking in the park, a feeling of calmness came over us.
Despite the corona lockdown, the city center was loud and a bit busy. The park was calm and quiet then. It was 4°C and the rain had already stopped. Although it was cloudy, it was still nice - not many people were there. Only some people were running, a few were sitting in the playground area and some were going for a walk, like us. It had a relaxed atmosphere. Later we took a few photos, enjoyed our walk and the surrounding. This tour was a microadventure for me. Although I have been to this park very often, also when I was younger, it was a special experience for me because I could share it with my American friend.
Providing your body with culinary delights.
Have you already cooked yourself through your recipe books? Why don't you try a recipe from another country?
Jeff, Lena and Eden decided to do just this and asked for a recipe from their international partners. Here are their results.
These photos were taken during an excursion by my brother Ty and I during the third month of quarantine.
We were both dying to relieve ourselves from the loneliness so commonly found during these past few months, that we decided to go golfing. This microadventure took us only a few short minutes from our home, and was perfectly safe, for it was outside it and everyone maintained their social distancing. While golfing my brother and I had the ability to relax while staying active and having fun! This microadventure gave us the chance to practice our skills, enjoy the wonderful weather outside, and have a blast hanging out with each other! I would definitely recommend making short trips like this to get out of the house and enjoy the freedom that golfing, and other such adventures, can provide.
Rustin
In continuation, my brother and I also went skiing recently in an attempt to successfully master snowboarding. While our success was fairly limited the experience was thrilling and extremely reviving. I had the opportunity to break away from the normality of quarantine, and though it was brief, the trip showed just how damaged my mental health was. This microadventure provided a welcome change to my daily routine and was excellent in reviving my spirits. Snowboarding is an amazing way to relieve stress, reinvigorate mental health, and most importantly…
HAVE FUN!
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