Star Struck

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This past week it was Adventure Challenge time. I also dealt with one of those annoying things…a full blown summer cold. Additionally, it’s been a full week. I spent any free moments I had in a cold medicine induced sleep.

However, a beautiful thing happened. Rather than shy away from doing an adventure from my book, I randomly selected the activity, trusting completely that it would be perfect in spite of my circumstances. And you know what? It absolutely was.

This is Adventure Challenge #10, Star Struck.

The Adventure Challenge Solo Edition

As a reminder, The Adventure Challenge books contain scratch off adventures, suitable for adults, families and individuals. Each hardbound book contain 50 fun and unique challenges to experience with a partner, spouse, friends, family members or on your own.

The challenges encourage you to get off your phone and electrical devices and connect with each other…or more deeply with yourself. They are the perfect way to explore your city or the great outdoors, try something new, reconnect with your inner child or make new friends.

The keepsake book makes it easy to document the memories, with snapshots and a few words about the experience.

There’s a catch though. The challenges are hidden. You don’t know what the activity is, until you scratch it off. If you’ve followed me for very long, you KNOW I love playing games built around randomness. The Adventure Challenge books are like the games I play where I draw random slips of paper out of a jar and do the activity I select. There are no “do overs”, in those fun games I make up, or in The Adventure Challenge.

Star Struck

My instructions for Challenge #10:

“Get some one on one time with the universe.

Find a building you’re allowed to get on top of, bring a lawn chair or blanket, set up and chill out.

Gaze at the stars and take in the night sky as your mind goes to distant galaxies.”

I loved the simplicity of this challenge, during a week when that is exactly what I needed. Plus, this activity connects to me in a deeper way.

Since I don’t know anyone with a building in Joplin that allows safe rooftop access, I adapted. I chose to use the vintage picnic table in my own backyard as my viewing point, covered with a thick plaid blanket.

Setting Up the Star Struck Challenge

Star gazing in my own backyard made setting up for this activity easier. While a threat of evening thunderstorms hung over the Joplin area, I set up the picnic table anyway. A spectacular sunset revealed thunderheads building to the northwest but as darkness deepened, the towering clouds stayed north.

I draped a heavy plaid blanket over the picnic table, for comfort. And added a pillow to cradle my head with the appropriate words, “Let the adventure begin!” (Get a similar pillow HERE) A cup of hot tea and natural bug spray completed the setup. A steady breeze not only cooled the yard but kept the mosquitos from hovering around, ultimately making the spray unnecessary.

About 9:30 pm I stretched out on the table, ready to star gaze.

My Star Struck Experience

Lying back on the picnic table and looking up immediately transported me back to my childhood.

I’ve long held a profound fascination for space. As a child, I spent many a summer night lying on a blanket in my backyard in Tulsa, Oklahoma, looking up. I learned the constellations, the moon phases and the movement of the planets that way. The original Star Trek television series with Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock and Dr. McCoy snagged my interest as a result and increased my love of space, causing me to check out books about the universe, the Milky Way and other galaxies. I grew up looking up at the night sky frequently to find favorite…and familiar…constellations.

Lying in my Joplin backyard brought back those memories and a sense of nostalgia for my childhood adventures. Even with some city light pollution I immediately found the bright star Arcturus, a red giant in the constellation Bootes.

Aloud I recited the lines I learned long ago…”Arc to Arcturus…speed on to Spica”. Tipping my head back, I found the “arc” of the big dipper that points the way to Arcturus. And continuing on, I found Spica, the blue star in the constellation Virgo.

I enjoyed a quiet time of star gazing, remembering long ago summer nights and simply relaxing in my dark backyard.

Adventure Challenges

Do these adventure challenges sound like fun to you? What about the amazing life lessons and/or synchronicities that accompany each one?

Challenge books are available in solo, family and couples editions. Each book contains 50 scratch off challenges. Check out the various books and the camera/book kits HERE. Use my code GOINGBEYOND to save 10% off of your order at checkout.

You can also purchase the camera HERE, from Amazon. The instamatic photos add to the fun, plus there’s a spot to add them in the book as you document the challenges.

The perfect challenge activity came to me this week and I am so grateful. I needed that 30 minutes lying on a blanket covered picnic table in my backyard. And I deeply appreciate the connection it created with one of my favorite summer activities as a child.

I don’t think I sneezed or coughed once in that half hour! Nothing disturbed the peace and joy I found star gazing. Plus I set the intention of looking up into the night sky more often. There’s such wonder and beauty there in that vast universe.

Have you star gazed recently?

 

 

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