The August Bank Holiday is here. That final long weekend where half of Britain packs the car and heads somewhere we're absolutely convinced nobody else will have thought of.
Unfortunately, they have.
Summer is starting to wind down, the kids will soon be back at school and the evenings are getting shorter. So if you've been talking about getting out and doing something, this is as good a weekend as any.
And it doesn't need to be a full expedition.
There's probably a reservoir you've driven past a hundred times, a trail you've never followed or a road you've always wondered about.
Sometimes, take it.
That's OFF ROUTE. ON PURPOSE. Not deliberately getting lost, that would be a fairly questionable brand strategy, but occasionally choosing something different.
Getting everyone out of the house
For me, getting outdoors usually means my wife, our three children and me.
Which means someone will be hungry seven minutes after leaving home, despite having just eaten. Someone will suddenly need the toilet after insisting they didn't five minutes earlier, and we'll somehow pack £500 worth of gear while forgetting something that costs £2.
Standard family day out. But that's part of it.
And while we're making plans with the kids, it's worth remembering our parents too. We're watching our children get older, but Mum and Dad aren't getting any younger either.
Give them a call. Pop round. Have a brew. Check they're alright.
It doesn't all need to involve climbing a mountain.
What UNROUTED means to me
There are three founders behind UNROUTED and we each bring something different to what we're building.
At its heart, UNROUTED is about the outdoors, the gear we take with us and technology that can improve the experience. Products that make things easier, more comfortable, keep us warmer and help us stay outside for longer.
But being involved in building it has also made me look at the idea of OFF ROUTE. ON PURPOSE. slightly differently on a personal level.
Sometimes it's simply about breaking the routine. Work. Emails. School runs. Jobs around the house. Repeat. Get outside and actually do something.
This weekend is slightly different for me
This Sunday marks the anniversary of losing one of my closest friends to suicide.
I'm not going to go deeply into that here. This isn't what UNROUTED was created around and I certainly don't want my mate becoming part of a marketing story.
But it would feel strange writing this particular article without mentioning him.
Because it does make you think about all the times we say:
We'll catch up.
We'll sort something.
We'll do it next weekend.
Most of the time, there is another weekend. Unfortunately, sometimes there isn't.
That doesn't mean living life constantly thinking about the worst-case scenario. Quite the opposite.
Two bits of advice
My dad once told me:
No amount of worry changes tomorrow's outcome.
That's always stuck with me.
Worrying about something that hasn't happened won't change it. Deal with what you can control and get on with today.
Then there's my boss.
I was once debating whether to do something and doing what most of us are very good at: massively overthinking it.
His response:
Do it. You're living dead if you don't do stuff.
Slightly less elegant than my dad's advice. But equally effective.
He wasn't saying do something stupid. He was basically saying stop endlessly thinking about doing things and occasionally actually do them.
I think there's a lot in that.
So, what are you doing this weekend?
Maybe it's camping. Maybe it's walking. Maybe it's getting on the water.
Maybe it's taking the kids somewhere different, going to see your parents or finally meeting the mate you've been saying you'll meet for the last six months.
It doesn't have to be expensive, impressive or worthy of Instagram.
And because this is Britain, there's a reasonable chance it'll rain.
Take a coat.
This Sunday I'll remember my mate. I'll think about the good times, probably laugh at some of the stupid stuff he used to do and inevitably wish we'd had a few more.
Then I'll get on with making new memories with the people around me.
That's probably the point. Worry less about tomorrow. Do more today. OFF ROUTE. ON PURPOSE.
