Beau Miles, an Australian filmmaker and author of "The Backyard Adventurer," shares his insights on finding adventure in everyday life. He challenges listeners to redefine adventure, revealing his quirky exploits like walking and kayaking a 90-kilometer commute and reviving an abandoned railroad with a shovel. Beau humorously discusses a bean-based diet adventure and his innovative 'Mile an Hour' challenge, where he pairs productivity with fitness. Discover how embracing creativity and intentional risk can transform mundane routines into exciting escapades!
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Walking to Work
Beau Miles walked to work, a 90km commute, over two days, foraging for food and water.
He slept by a petrol station and arrived disheveled, giving his students a raw view of adventure.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Embrace Weird Ideas
To create an adventure, choose a weird idea and execute it.
Remove conveniences and embrace the challenge for a more engaging experience.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Kayaking to Work
Beau Miles kayaked his 90km commute to work, which unexpectedly took four days.
He carried minimal supplies, relying on foraging and a few planned stops for food.
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The Backyard Adventurer by Beau Miles explores the concept of adventure in one's own backyard, emphasizing the importance of curiosity and experimentation. Through his experiences, Miles shows how ordinary environments can become extraordinary adventures, highlighting themes of sustainability and personal growth.
Tortilla flat
John Steinbeck
Set in Monterey, California, 'Tortilla Flat' follows the adventures of a group of paisanos, men of mixed Spanish, Mexican, and Indian descent, as they navigate life, friendship, and the pursuit of wine. The novel is Steinbeck's first major success and explores themes of camaraderie and the beauty of simple living. It was inspired by the Arthurian legends, comparing the characters to the Knights of the Round Table.
A lot of people feel like they've seen and done everything there is to see and do in their local area. They're bored of their daily routine, and contemplate going off on some grand adventure in a exotic locale.
My guest would say that you don't actually have to wait until your next big trip nor go far afield to mix things up, and that adventure can be found right where you are, in your ordinary routines, the everyday landscape of your life, and even DIY projects, if you decide to approach them in a different way.
His name is Beau Miles and he's an Australian filmmaker who documents his own small-scale adventures on YouTube, as well as the author of The Backyard Adventurer. Today on the show, Beau shares his experiments in proving anything can be infused with the challenge, intrigue, and fun which mark adventure, if you add in some intentional risk, difficulty, and simple what-the-heck quirkiness. He tells us about some of the close-to-home adventures he's executed, including walking and kayaking his 90-kilometer commute to work, reconnecting an old, long closed-down rail line by running its often hidden, overgrown path with a shovel in his hand, and making a paddle with scavenged wood. We then talk about how he created a gastronomical adventure for himself by eating his body weight in beans, and even turned tackling his to-do list into an adventure by pairing the crossing off of its entries with running a marathon in 24 hours. Along the way, Beau shares how backyard adventures help you better get to know your local area, how he deals with the police who sometimes check in on what he's up to, and how the next time you get some odd idea, you ought to just go for it, mate.
The Art of Manliness 
