summer challenges

i glide into the easy ways of summer with energy for self-renewal and petite life tweaks.  for summer 2013, our family will embark upon a few mini-quests to hopefully help us live more justly, sustainably, and simply.  we often ask, “i wonder if we could _______?”  no, it would be too hard.  no, it would change our lives too drastically.  no, it would cut us off from things and people we love.  but these conversations have led us to these mini-quests.  what if we tried them for just a short period of time?  most of these challenges are not sustainable for us in the long run.  but we hope to gain some insight and small change from committing ourselves to them for a short stint.  for these challenges, a week equals five days.  forgive my loose use of the term “week” from here on out.
 
we have a few we’re already eager to try, but I’m looking for suggestions.  can you think of any week-long experiments that might make us more just, simple, sustainable, self-aware, hallowed people?  here’s what we’ve got so far:

-          up and down with the sun week

inspired by Thoreau at Walden Pond, this week we will rise with the sun and sleep with the sun.  the goal of this week is to allow our bodies to rest more and synchronize with the natural cycles of light.  in short, more sleep. 

-          bulk bin/backyard week

my personal favorite, this week we will eat only what can be obtained in our backyard or bought from the bulk bins at our local co-op grocery store. fortunately, this grocery store has extensive and well-stocked bulk bins.  we’re planning this one for the height of our backyard garden production.

-          car-free week

5 days, no driving.  chock-full of well-planned kids’ activities, good books, outside projects, and a well-stocked pantry, we will hunker down and stay home (with the exception of emergencies, of course).  we have delightful friends and neighbors nearby; short walks should help us maintain congeniality within our own walls.

-          internet-free week

not quite “unplugged,” but what will happen when we take out Craig’s List, Ravelry, and frenetic email-checking?  i’ll let you know!

 

i’m looking for input.  can you suggest other mini-quests?  changes to these?  what will i miss the most?  what will be the challenges?  outcomes?  would you like to try any of these with us?

stay tuned for more detailed posts as we embark on these ventures.  i’ll share the dates, pre-week prep, goals, and reflections.