If you are subscribed to our email newsletter, you’ll get a list of seven things to do on a rainy day. (Literally or figuratively speaking. If you’re not on our newsletter, I encourage you to sign up! (The sign up form is in the top right corner of the blog to the left of the search bar.) Today, I’m going to share three more activities that you can do when you aren’t out of doors. It almost feels like a true ode to the Alps Hiking blog tagline “Enjoy the outdoors when you aren’t out of doors.”
In addition to the seven items mentioned in the blog:
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- Make a recipe book
- Make cookies
- Hold a movie festival
- Plan a vacation – as Switzerland Tourism has started saying, “Dream now – Travel Later”.
- Take an online course
- Call a loved one
- Exercise
You can do these three things on a rainy day –
1. Research Your Family History
It is completely natural and normal at one point or another to wonder “Where did I come from?” or the deeper thought of “Where did my family come from?” There is a tangible, deep connection and sense of loyalty to one’s father-land. My husband surprised me with a 23 & me DNA + Genealogy test for my birthday in November. I thought I already knew that my dad’s side was German and my mom’s side, English. I was shocked to find that I was actually 15% Swede. My brown hair didn’t even ring that bell but my buring blue eyes suddenly made more sense. After that discovery, I found that my paternal grandmother’s parents and grandparents are straight from Sweden. I’ve subsequently read my grandmother’s autobiography and have learned incredible things about her and why she is the way she is. Our conversations are more deep and rich.
Researching your family history can mean picking through old photos, recording the faces of those you recognize, reading your parent’s journals or writing in your own diary.
What a neat DNA discovery I had. I’d never had a desire to travel to Sweden like I do now. Something, that familial connection, is pulling me back. This leads me right into Newsletter item number 4 as mentioned above. I can “Dream now – Travel later.”
Fun fact: Did you know that Alpenwild offers custom genealogy tours?
2. Do Some Service Projects
“THESE are the times that try men’s souls” Thomas Paine wrote December 23, 1776. Wow! That was a long time ago and yet we still face hard times today. There are no shortages of needs and if you’re able to help, even a little, your help will go a long way. Any rainy day is a good day to do a service project. There are various resources that have opportunities to help here are some ideas to get you started:
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- Call a local homeless shelter and ask what supplies they are in need of – You could put together hygiene kits for our homeless brothers and sisters
- Clean out your closet, kitchen, house and donate quality unused items to thrift stores that provide jobs and discounted items for under-priviledged people
- Make baby hats or blankets for local hospitals – Call a local hospital to get the latest updates on current needs – With COVID-19 right now, fabric masks may be needed
Would you like some more service ideas? Operation Warm shares 25 more here.
3. Play Some Music
You know that life ebbs and flows. Whether you go with the flow or fight the current, take a moment to just be. Sit down and connect with your inner muse as you brush the dust off of an old instrument or play your favorite tunes on Pandora, Spotify or Apple Music. Feel the rhythm, tap your finger, take a mental vacation as you sit quietly or dance like no one is watching. For a moment, just even a small moment you’ll feel the exhilaration you get when you get to the peak of hike – where the views are the best and the climb was worth it.
There you have it! Three more things that’ll turn that frown upside down on a rainy day. What have you done to enjoy your rainy day (literally or figuratively (cue Coronavirus)) lately? We want to hear! Share in the comments below or tag us on social media with @alpenwild. Together, we’ll chase the blues away!
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