Pass the Snacks Adventures

Another year has come to an end, and what a year it’s been! One of the great things about the outdoors is that our enjoyment isn’t limited to the contemporaneous experience. We can always relive the highlights through reflection.

We’ve put together some questions to help you recall your adventures and look ahead to next year. Whether you’re chatting with family or friends, thinking about the year on a walk, or putting aside some quiet time to journal, we hope you’ll find these prompts inspiring.

Year in Review

• Let’s start with a little Rose, Thorn, Bud (RTB). What was the highlight (rose) and roughest moment (thorn) of the year, and what are you looking forward to (bud)?
• Now let’s do a quick MET audit (it’s better than it sounds—we promise!). MET stands for Money, Energy, Time. Where did most of your outdoor adventure-related money go? How about your physical, mental, and emotional energy? And finally, what did you spend the most time doing? Were you satisfied with these allocations?
• If the equivalent of Spotify Wrapped existed for your year of travel, outdoor activities, or culinary experiences, what would it look like?
  • What would your top five “genres” (aka activities) be?
  • What would be your travel/adventure/food age?
  • Who did you spend the most time with in the outdoors?
• Which cities, counties, states, or countries did you travel to? Were they new to you or are they old favorites?
• You don’t always need to travel far to have new experiences. What were the experiences you had close to home that made you see the world around you in a fresh way?
• And of course, we have to know: What were your go-to snacks of the year?

Personal Reflection & Growth

• Everything doesn’t always go according to plan. What’s one misadventure you had this year? Does it make a good story now, or do you plan to banish it to the Adventure Upside-Down, never to be spoken of again?
• When did you step out of your comfort zone this year, and what (if anything) did you learn?
• What new skills did you learn this year? How have they opened up new possibilities?
• There are so many things out of our control when it comes to outdoor adventures (e.g. the weather, snowfall, trail closures) but one thing that we do have control over is our mindset. How did you show up throughout the year, and is this how you want to show up next year?

Silly & Fun

• Would you rather…
  • …permanently have hiking poles attached to your hands or have a ski goggle burn on your face that never disappears?
  • …own a mountain resort with lots of fresh pow or a beach with ideal surfing conditions?
  • …be able to hop in an air balloon whenever you want or scuba dive to your heart’s desire?
• What is your ideal trail mix recipe?
  • There are two types of people: the one who picks out the best ingredient in the trail mix and the one who shames the pickers and accepts the randomness of the open-hand pour. Which one are you?
• Do you have a trail name? If not, until someone christens you, find your temporary one with one of the following formulas:
  • The last thing you ate + the name of the last trail you were on
  • The name of the protagonist in the last movie you watched + the name of the body of water you were born closest to
  • Your first celebrity crush + your favorite outdoor brand
• If you could have five properties around the world to serve as base camps for adventures, where would they be? What would they look like?
• You can make three citizens’ arrests a year. How would you have used that power out on the trails this year?

Looking Ahead

• List the activities that bring you joy. How can you make more space for them next year? What do you want to do less of next year?
• Now, let’s keep it real. Life is busy and it can be difficult to fit everything in. What is the top adventure you want to have next year in the outdoors?
• Which outdoor skills would you like to learn next year? Some ideas are basic bike maintenance, building a fire, belaying, wilderness first aid, nature journaling, honing your cross country ski technique, tying common knots, or reading a compass.
• We benefit from high-quality trails and other outdoor infrastructure. What are some ways to give back through trail crews or other activities?

How did these questions go for you? Which citizens’ arrests would you make? Let us know in the comments!