We spend a lot of time believing that in order to find wonder you need to be in some far-off place with an Instagram worthy backdrop. Or be on an epic vacation with focused time set aside. But, what if wonder wasn’t something you had to wait for? What if wonder is all around us and we’re just too busy to notice? What if you only had an hour?
Years ago, I bought this book, Microadventures by Alastair Humphreys, after hearing about it on the 1000 Hours Outside podcast. The concept is simple, but freeing—you don’t necessarily need a grand vacation or have to pay an exorbitant amount of money to have an adventure. It can be on a Wednesday evening in your backyard or go somewhere you normally wouldn’t between work and bedtime. Leave the dishes in the sink and just go. He would call these microadventures.
So, if you only had an hour could you find wonder in your life? Could you pop over to a place you never go to and explore something you’ve never seen before? Could you stay up an hour later and just go look at the stars? Could you just say “yes” to that thing your kid is asking you to do? Could you toss your dinner plans out the window and just go somewhere spontaneously? Could you have a moment of micro wonder and adventure?
Wonder in an Hour is intentionally stepping away from the daily routine long enough to notice something beautiful, unexpected, different, or inspiring. It doesn’t require money or a vacation. It only requires the willingness to observe.
This is the first in a series of articles to come where I will be exploring how just one hour changes our view, shifts our experience, and cultivates more curiosity and wonder in life.
Beyond the joy of experiencing wonder, a growing body of research suggests these moments matter. Researchers studying awe—a complex emotion characterized by a blend of wonder, deep respect, and often a touch of reverence— found that these experiences are associated with benefits of improved social well-being, decrease in stress, and increase curiosity.
The good news is that you don’t have to wait for your next vacation. With a little intention moments of awe and wonder can be incorporated into your everyday life. Here are 10 simple ways to cultivate wonder in an hour:
1) See the Sunset Somewhere New:
There is something magical about a sunset that gets into the quiet of our heart. Sunsets are beautiful, radiant in colors, and share a story day over day. The details are never the same, they’re all different—nearly calling you to come and observe.
If you’re in Las Vegas- See the sunset on the Moenkopi Loop in Red Rock Canyon. Just as the ocean humbles you and puts life’s problems/opportunities in perspective, so does watching a beautiful sunset against mountains in the vastness of the desert. If it’s cold out, have hot chocolate in a thermos to have back at the car. Extra Good.
If you’re anywhere, just find an open field, park, or high hill.
2) Discover and See Something Someone Created:
Exploring someone else’s works or a place in time is full of mystery and wonder in and of itself. Cultivate curiosity by posing questions and discovering where that takes you.
If you’re in Las Vegas- Visit the interpretive art of 7 Magic Mountains. The boulders alone are majestic, but the colors and arrangement both give you something to ponder. Or visit a nearby Ghost Town like Goodsprings or Nelson.
If you’re anywhere else see an old mill, ruins of a homestead, something historical, or see a public art structure.
3) Explore a New Hiking Trail:
Experiencing a new hiking trail for the first time is kind of like reading a book for the first time. You kind of anticipate what’s coming, but you’re not quite sure. Sometimes there is a surprise and sometimes there is not. Regardless, the act of exploring itself promotes curiosity and wonderment that will leave you wanting to go again.
In Las Vegas our favorite trails that cultivate wonder can be found here.
If anywhere else, just go and explore! That spontaneous sense of exploring leads to curiosity and gives way to shared conversations or moments of solitude away from the daily grind and off your devices.
4) Find a Place to Enjoy the Passing Moments:
Buy ice cream and take it to a park. Leave your phones in the car and allow for connection or shared moments of silence to just observe and be present. And of course, enjoy the ice cream 😊
5) Have a Picnic in a Nice Setting Outside:
If you’re in Las Vegas our favorite picnics have been in Spring Mountain Ranch, Red Rock Canyon, Valley of Fire, Calico Basin, and just our local park.
If you’re anywhere else, go to a local park, state park, or somewhere with a nice view on a blanket. Leave your phone in the car and break bread.
Eating outside in nature without devices creates a space for eye contact, connection, and real conversations. Arthur Brooks (social scientist and professor at Havard University) recently spoke about this on the Modern Wisdom podcast #1109. He discussed how sharing meals for hundreds of years has fostered kin bonds by sitting around a campfire looking into each other’s eyes. He says that’s how humans are wired. The neurochemistry happens when you’re engaged with one another without a device as a third wheel. Maybe that’s why a simple picnic can create so much shared wonder!
6) Cook Your Whole Dinner Outside (chop, mix, cook, do it all outside):
This inspiration comes from 1000 hours outside podcast, see here. I’ve recall someone sharing on her podcast that food even tastes better when cooked and eaten outside. Take the challenge and be the judge.
7) Go See the Sunrise Somewhere New:
Similar to seeing a sunset, go find a field, desert scape, rooftop, or hill that you can observe the event. Be in awe of how this happens every day. Remind yourself that like the waves of the ocean that come in and go out, while we’re all at work and doing other things, so does the sunrise and sunset. It happens every day while someone is watching or not.
As a bonus for getting up to see the sunrise, according to National Institute of Environmental Sciences, morning light helps to regulate our biological clock, improving alertness during the day and preparing the body for better sleep at night. The pursuit of wonderment can be two fold, both for the actual act of finding wonder, but also for health and well-being.
8) Go and Look at the Stars:
What is more inspiring than looking at the stars? I think this quite literally encapsulates my definition of wonderment. Be humbled by the vastness of space and realization of how small and connected we all are.
If you’re in Las Vegas you could go to a star party at Red Rock Canyon (though I do think you have to register ahead of time. Check this opportunity out through Save Red Rock)
If you’re anywhere else, you could just stay up after dark and go outside. Or drive out to an open area and observe. You could bring red glow sticks for the kids. The memories off the beaten path always become part of your core memories.
9) Go Somewhere Nearby and Change Your Scenery:
Feel the mental reset as you remove yourself from one setting and put it in another. Your perspective changes by taking a mental break and change of scenery. Nature provides. It’s almost a therapy.
If you’re in Las Vegas Head to Lee Canyon or Kyle Canyon for the day. Enjoy the beautiful trees and cooler air in the summer. Admire nature and get out of your own head. Explore something new.
If you’re anywhere else, visit a pond, lake, beach, river, or whatever it is that is a change in scenery to your day-to-day routine. See if this intention brings you wonder or new perspectives/ideas.
10) Take the Adventure of All Time and Cultivate Wonder by Reading a Book for an Hour (that you might not otherwise read).
Let Go and Step Inside of Another Story, World, or Timeline.
If you think back on your life and about all the moments of wonder and inspiration, how often did you experience that? For me, it was few and far between.
We often think those experiences only happen in a certain set of circumstances and that they happen to us—like, “how lucky was I to be in that one extraordinary place to have felt or witnessed that one thing”?! But, what if we flip the script and create it? Create those circumstances where wonder already exists.
What if we just allow ourselves an hour to notice more? Perhaps wonder isn’t something that we experience by happenstance, but maybe it’s something we seek. And maybe it’s something we practice. Perhaps all we need is one intentional hour to invite it in. This week, don’t wait for a vacation. Don’t wait for the weekend. Find your hour.
Happy Trails!