As I think I have mentioned before, Hubby and I agreed to do this column because it would force us to have a date night at least once a month. After 21 years of marriage, you sometimes can get in a rut, and, well, we didn’t want that to happen.
We have been having so much fun sharing with readers our wacky adventures, and we hope we can continue to do it for a while! But we forgot one little minor detail. Hubby’s job requires him to travel for weeks at a time in some cases. While I was going to write about our virtual phone date we had while he was away, I suddenly realized that saying “virtual phone date” could lead to others imagining something way different, and this is a G-rated (maybe PG at the most) column. And while us watching House Hunters via Facetime and making witty comments about the buyers is amusing to us, it really doesn’t make for a good column.
Thankfully, that is when I remembered about my neighbors, Sean and Rebecca, and this cool book they recently bought! (No, this is not going to be a book review; just keep reading!) Like Hubby and I and so many others, Sean and Rebecca have been sticking close to home these past seven (cue a sigh) months. Wanting to venture out but still a bit uncomfortable doing their usual, go-to dinner and drinks, Sean suggested they try something from a book he bought called The Adventure Challenge: Couples Edition.
The book is filled with 50 date challenges that will allow “you and your significant other to grow your relationship through adventures and experiences you will never forget.” But, unlike other date-suggestion lists, this one has a catch. Your date adventure is a mystery until you scratch off a challenge. Yes, you read correctly! It’s a book filled with scratch-off, lottery-type tickets telling you what you are going to do. And the rules say, once it’s scratched … you have to do it! Don’t worry, there is a key, so you know beforehand if the challenge is indoor or outdoor, the approximate amount of time the date will be, the cost (you can modify any date to meet your budget), and whether this is a dancing or walking-shoes type of adventure.
Speaking of adventures, the book’s website says they can range from cooking a delicious apple pie (blindfolded) to getting dressed up and then painting portraits of each other while sipping wine! Or in Sean and Rebecca’s case, creating and becoming totally new people!
Their challenge was to go to a thrift store, purchase an outfit for each other, wear those outfits (no matter how crazy), give each other new names to use for the rest of the date, go to a public place, and do an activity dressed and acting as these new people. So, meet Archibald and Skipper!
Archibald and Skipper got to try out the new Goodwill Lake Nona location. After donning their new looks, they went to Congo River Golf, where they were able to safely social distance and enjoy the tranquil waterfalls, mysterious caves, tropical rainforests, and challenging mini-golf holes. The loser (which happened to be Skipper, aka Rebecca) bought ice cream afterwards. The two said it was the most fun they have had in a long time and that they can’t wait to scratch off another date sometime soon. I wonder if Archibald and Skipper will join them?
After hearing all about this date, Hubby and I decided to order the book, too. We can’t wait to share our crazy experiences with you. The Adventure Challenge Book: Couples Edition cost $39.99 and is available online: https://www.theadventurechallenge.com/collections/products/products/couples-edition-book. They also make a challenge book for families and another for friends.
Photos Courtesy of Sean and Rebecca Monchecourt
