Sticker Hide and Seek

It was a day of many minor adventurous challenges, I said 'Hi' to lots of people on the way in to work, mixing it up with lots of 'Good Morning's too. I hope this is allowed? 'Good Morning' somehow seemed less confrontational, and a few people said Good Morning back! Even when people 'looked at me funny' it still felt good to try to smile and be friendly at 7am on a rainy Monday morning.

In my lunch hour I hid lots of 'make your own sticker' kits on the second floor of Borders bookshop. If you want one you have to go and play sticker hide and seek amongst the books! Each envelope contains, a blank sticker, a pen (assorted colours), an IWAA sticker (I hope this will be stuck somewhere also) and instructions to 'draw or write something on the sticker and then put it on a poster'.

I was hurriedly filling all the envelopes as I munched on my sandwich, cutting up the instructions with a little pair of scissors in the cafe. It might all look a bit amateurish, but I don't think this matters too much. I just hope that someone will find one of these little packs of goodies and think 'Hmm... what should I draw? And where should I stick it?' I'm not sure that it's genuinely an adventure, but I hope that it is fun; if so that's no bad thing.

I printed out the instructions for this this morning in the office. I was waiting for them to turn up on the printer, praying that no one else would use the printer at that time and see. When the printout didn't materialize I suddenly realised what I'd done - by accident set them to print on the marketing department printer! Panicking I had to rush to that department hoping my marketing colleagues wouldn't find out that I was encouraging people to create homemade stickers in the name of adventure! Sometimes their job involves tube poster ads, and they might have been cross that I was getting people to deface tube posters. I don't know what I'd have done if they'd found them, I would have been so embarrassed! But I got away with it.

Another challenge today was the chocolate bar mission. I know I said I'd do that last night. I did buy a bar of chocolate from our local shop last night, and I was ready to put a 'Just for who wants it' bit of paper on it, only the street was quiet and I wanted to see someone find the chocolate. So I just ate it. Sorry.

Today I bought another bar, it was Galaxy, and I left this on the train on the way home. No one picked it up before I got off at Tooting Bec, but I hope someone will find it and enjoy it. Someone 'who wants it', as my note said.

To round off this day of many challenges I smiled on the tube all the way from Tooting Bec to Tottenham Court road, and all the way from Oxford Circus to Tooting Bec on my way home. It wasn't really an attempt to repeat my smiling challenge, I was just in a very good mood. I'd tell you more but it's secret. I think before I started IWAA if I was in a good mood wouldn't show it, people usually hide how they feel especially on tube train journeys. But my smiling challenge the other day made me think, 'why not?' Why not just smile if you're happy? And I smiled my genuine smile on the tube today and a few people did catch my eye and smile back. It was a good feeling, and it was a good day. I hope yours was too. And if it was, why not show it!

What's it all about?

Life is confusing sometimes, isn't it? And obviously so is this website. It's called 'I want an adventure', and I do! I do! I do! And so do lots of you. Unfortunately finding adventures isn't as easy as I first thought. Accepting that we all want adventure is a great start I think, and I believe that if we keep the faith adventures will start to happen because of this blog, a few yellow stickers, and most importantly people who claim, 'I want an adventure too! This thought cheers me up even when that life confusion stuff happens.

Perhaps you wanted an adventures as an anti-life-confusion device too? I think this reason is as good as any. Climbing a mountain, rescuing people, solving mysteries, doing something completely out of character, or even silly, any simple challenge can put problems in the background for a while; and if you're lucky even create an environment for change. I really struggled with that line I'll admit. I nearly even wrote 'personal growth' which would have been really wanky. Apologies, this post is getting a bit heavy, I'm nearly done now.

So... the bottom line, I'm feeling a bit low at the moment about life-confusion stuff, and this makes me think more than ever 'I want an adventure!'

Tomorrow I'll be hiding those blank stickers, in Borders, Oxford Street, London. Although I just checked my emails and there's one from someone in the Netherlands... The Netherlands? People in the Netherlands want adventures too!!! Forget life confusion, I'm smiling so much now!

'I live in the Netherlands, but I would love to have an adventure!!'

'Do you have to live in London to be part of IWAA? ' Of course not!

Her great email even said, 'As for the Hi-challenge, I used to do that when I was younger! It's really exciting! Almost everybody said hi back!'

And another nice email too, somebody wrote in to say, 'Heyy I want an adventure!! yesterday I have had a little adventure.. I buyed a chocolate bar at school and put a bit of paper on it; "Just for who wants it" then I've put it on a table in a corridor of our school. Ten minutes later I passed the table and saw two boys saying; ''huh?? aaahh chocolate there is a bit of paper on it''they were laughing. It was very funny.'

Yet another idea for the adventure database!

In fact, due to life-confusion I want an adventure ASAP. I'm going to buy a bar of chocolate in a minute and put a bit of paper on it. 'Just for who wants it' It should be fun! And I'll try the 'Hi' challenge tomorrow as well, as recommended by would-be adventurers in the Netherlands.

You see, life felt confusing, but not any more. All you need is an adventure.

A Very Bad Photo, sorry

The winking faces were still there on the Magic Up Escalator at Oxford Circus. I tried to take a photo, but escalator's move, and my camera's never coped very well with moving things. If you want to see this wonderful escalator properly you'll have to visit it yourself, and maybe even draw a sticker of your own to decorate a poster there?

You could add more chewing gum to the faces if you prefer, but as I've already explained I don't really like chewing gum. Well for chewing I like it fine, but when you stick it on posters it goes kind of grey after a while. I don't like that. Who likes grey?

These hand drawn winking stickers have given me an idea. At Borders bookshop next week I will be placing special stickers in books. Blank ones. I may even throw in a pen too! This means people who are not committed to the whole IWAA concept, but who still like the idea of a bit of stickering, can get involved too! I wonder what people will draw on those blank stickers? And where they'll stick them?

Some good news (especially for those who doubt the IWAA concept) it seems that 3 people who responded to my emails are now a little closer to finding an adventure; simply thanks to a little bit of stickering, which was actually some sort of an adventure to me, so lets call that 4 people! I know that's not a lot of people in the scheme of things, but I really enjoyed the stickering, and as a side effect of a fun thing to do it is kind of nice.

I have a very long IWAA 'To Do' list and I have a few days off work next week, so hopefully I'll make some progress with the ideas I've had for this website, and for the amazing people who've replied to those yellow stickers.

I had an interesting response to my smiling challenge today, someone wrote in to say 'A similar idea -- if you are walking down the street you can say "Hi" to everyone that passes. (They do this in the countryside all the time.)'

Of course I now have to try this! To make life easier I'll probably do this on a day off when I'm in or around Tooting, as there would be an awful lot of people to say 'Hi' too on Oxford Street. Mind you, Tooting High Road can get pretty busy...

Smiling

I must take a photo of those smiley winkey face stickers on that up escalator at Oxford Circus tube. They were gone yesterday, but were back again today. And there was some fresh chewing gum on a few poster's faces too. I'll take a snap for you tomorrow, hope everything's still there!

I tried smiling all the way from Oxford Circus to Tooting Bec on Monday night. I found it very difficult. I'd manage a few genuinely good smiles, but often when no one was looking. People really do avoid eye contact at all costs on the tube. I of course challenged a few people to look at me by smiling very directly at them. It worked to some extent, a Japanese couple smiled back at me quite cheerfully, perhaps they didn't know the 'no smiling on tubes' etiquette? But most people steadfastly ignored me, and I don't blame them. I probably looked like an idiot.

So it was frustrating, and a bit demoralising. Which isn't what smiling's supposed to be about. It's supposed to be fun! I tried my best to think of funny things, and when this worked it was good, but then those thoughts would fade, and I'd just be left with a fake grin on my face. A fake grin somehow defeats the object of this excercise. I wanted genuine smiles all the way home. Perhaps I simply wasn't in the mood?

I tried at least, and perhaps the people who gave me bemused looks had their day brightened by wondering why some idiot was smiling on a packed Northern Line train on a Monday night.

As we approached Tooting Bec I was feeling belligerant, and in full view of everyone I stickered gerbil's nose (not a real one, that would be cruel.) This made me smile at least.

The magic of the Up Escalator at Oxford Circus

I was back in the office today after a few days off sick, and there were delays on the Northern Line too, so I was feeling very 'Monday morning-ish'. I'd only managed to stick one sticker on the way to work, which wasn't very good at all. Although it was on Wallace, and I like him. But as I travelled on the Up escalator at Oxford circus I started to smile at what I saw, this was the escalator of chewing gum nose fame. The chewing gum nose posters had been replaced at the end of last month, most posters seem to be replaced monthly... (Useful info for would-be-stickerers out there.)

As I travelled upwards I saw that almost every poster on the Up escalator had a chewing gum mouth now! Or, and this was even stranger, some had a cheeky little hand drawn, smiling, winking face stickers! What was this all about? I had no idea, but it certainly made me smile to see so much stickering silliness all centered on one special Up Escalator.

I was pleased to see there was still an IWAA sticker on this escalator too, although one edge was slightly prised away from the poster. The sticker hadn't been removed, but I felt as if the mystery escalator stickerer's message might have been, 'I could remove this sticker if I wanted, but I will let it stay for now.' Thank you, mystery stickerer, if you're reading this!

I am certainly going to go to the office via Oxford Circus tomorrow, rather than taking the Northern Line to Tottenham Court Road. I love the magic of that Up Escalator!

I'm still trying to work out those winks, and chewing gum mouths, what does it all mean? It must mean something surely? Was the chewing gum on the mouth supposed to say 'There's room for a sticker on my nose?' And those winks, well they were excellent! I like winks, er.. why not?

So I was still smiling, and feeling almost giggly as I headed down Oxford Street. And as I smiled my big smile I remembered that I was supposed to do my smiling mission on the way to work! I really had completely forgotten. I'd been preoccupied with a bit of a personal dilemma instead, ok, as you seem like nice people I'll share. I was wondering whether or not I was ready to start dating again. I felt strongly that the answer was 'No, I'm not'. But the question had been asked... and it was asked by someone I liked a lot, someone who always makes me smile... So I'd told him yes. And it was all still sinking in. So you see, I had a different sort of 'smiling adventure' to think about as I headed to work this morning.

Don't worry though, I will smile myself silly all the way home, and I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow.

I hid stickers in books at Borders, Oxford Street if anyone wants some. They're hidden in these books for no particular reason.I was in a bit of a rush in my lunch hour and looking for largish books that were unlikely to be disturbed.

The stickers are in the following books (relevant section of the store in brackets) -

Sex Lives of the Romans (Humour)
English Puddings, sweet and savoury, by Mary Norrak (Jamie Oliver)
The Cat Detective, signed. (Cats)
Louis Theroux, signed. (Travel)

Just find the stickers and stick them on poster noses, It's easy. And you never know, you may even make an escalator turn magic.

I'm not dead!

But I have been ill for the last few days, and this is why the site hasn't been updated. So nothing very adventurous was accomplished at all by me in the last few days, the nearest I came to adventure was this weird dream I had about floating in a big bowl of soup... Don't worry, I'll spare you the details. And you'll be pleased to hear the nasty lumps of potato spared me also, although it was close for a while and they were very scarey. Anyway, where were we? Ah yes, no website updates, and no hidden stickers, and no :) mission either. :(

I have been thinking about all this, and realised that I have gathered together (in my email inbox) quite a lot of people who all want an adventure, and I'm sure they feel by now that writing to me hasn't brought them any closer to getting one. I'm unhappy about this, and I also feel sort of responsible for all these disappointed would-be-adventurers. I don't want to let anyone down. I was hoping my adventure database idea would work, and it might still... But if it doesn't, if it has to be up to me to personally find suitable adventures for people, then so be it! I say this as I have already committed to giving one slightly impatient would-be adventurer a mission. And nothing wrong with him for demanding his adventure dues, keenness is a fine trait for an adventurer.

As I am being a bit slow with things (although I have been ill in bed the last few days, so cut me a bit of slack...) I have decided that one adventure I can arrange for everyone is an online one, a sort of online blogs treasure hunt. I know, it's not going to involve much of an adrenaline rush, there's no danger involved when you're just clicking your mouse, but treat this as an easy training mission, my would-be-adventurer friends.

However, to set this up I need some help from you. (I'll be emailing everyone about this too) I need you to send me something that says to you, 'adventure'. It doesn't matter too much exactly what, it could be a picture, a colour, some words of text, an essay, a song, the name of a film, anything... just something that means 'adventure' to you. I know what I'd send 'me', it's something a bit silly, but 'adventure' means that to me, it might not to you. You need to send it to me by email ideally, but I do also accept submissions hidden in books at Borders bookshop, Oxford Street.

Some stickers should be hidden on Monday by the way, let me know if you want some in a particular book. And next time I use a tube I will smile myself silly. By saying this am I dooming myself to another relapse?

Smile yourself silly!

Still no stickers hidden as I wasn't in the office again today, I am feeling better though and I expect I'll be at work tomorrow.

I got a great suggestion in an email from NLAV, 'Here's an idea for you... not really an adventure, more just something to do. Next time you're on public transport, look around you. Notice how many people are smiling (odds are it will be 0). Start smiling, as big as you can manage without looking fake. Just smile everywhere you go. It will make you feel better, and might brighten up someone's day. If someone smiles at you, smile harder.

If you get the giggles, don't worry about it. I just think too many people look sad/angry/in a hurry/tired on the tube and train these days.'

This idea seems so appropriate today; last time I used the tube it was on Tuesday morning, I was heading to work, feeling ill, and I probably should have stayed in bed. I fainted at Clapham North station. None of my fellow passengers said a word, or offered any help. So smiling at people on the tube doesn't feel at all natural right now, scowling I could manage very easily.

I'll find this a tough challenge for many reasons, jumping in the Thames, dropping stickers from a shopping center balcony, those I could do, a quick adrenaline boost and a silly adventure's accomplished, but prolonged smiling... well, isn't that going to be embarrassing?

I guess I'll find out tomorrow! Why don't you try it too?

Stickering Mission Disaster

Actually that title's a bit OTT. What happened is that I got ill and spent all day in bed, so no stickers could be hidden today. I thought about hiding them under my bedclothes but guessed this would make them too hard to find, plus I really didn't want lots of would-be-adventurers rooting around under my duvet when I was trying to get some rest. I hope I'll be better tomorrow, and I hope to let you know where the stickers are hidden then.

Stickering tomorrow?

First things first, I need more stickering volunteers. As it's convenient for my place of work I have decided that Borders Bookshop on Oxford street will be the designated sticker hiding location tomorrow. I'll let you know which books the stickers are hidden in, when I've found some books to hide them in. All you have to do is locate the stickers and stick them on poster noses. Easy.

Second things second. This is the email I sent to the Tube Poster Advertising people, if the response is positive I hopefully won't need any of you guys stickering for me soon. We'll see.

Dear Sir or Madame,

I'm interested in advertising on the tube network, actually just at one outpost of your mighty network, specifically Tooting Bec tube station on the Northern Line. This is between Balham and Tooting Broadway.

It's my favourite tube station as I think magic things happen there. Like today I saw a man trying to save 4200 wild tigers. He had a poster and a collecting tin, and I put a pound in, I hope that helped. But the story of Tooting Bec tube station magic is long, and I know you have a busy day ahead of you, so I won't waste your time with frivolities.

I like monkeys, do you? They're cheeky and full of fun, and I think both of these are admirable qualities. Qualities sadly lacking in most of our everyday lives. I hope you're full of fun too? Although I hope you're not cheeky, I'd like a courteous reply to this email if possible.

I'm writing regarding tube poster advertising rates. I saw a monkey recently on a tube poster at Tooting Bec. You may know this poster, you may even be the person responsible for taking payment for that specific poster. I would say 'funny old world' if that were true! It was an art poster, for an exhibition, and I stuck a sticker on this monkey's nose, this was a sticker that asked people if they wanted an adventure. I want an adventure! Do you? That's what the sticker said too. You see I'm trying to find an adventure, and to help other people find adventures. Let me know if you want one, I can help.

I realise you may not approve of me stickering up your monkey poster's nose with unpaid for ads, although I'm sure you'll agree it was for a good cause. But the reason I'm writing to you is so that we can come to a business agreement. My monkey poster is no longer at Tooting Bec, and my replacement monkeys are regularly, and quite cruelly, removed by station staff. However I am willing to pay (if the right price can be agreed) to return my monkey poster (with I want an adventure nose) to Tooting Bec tube station.

So I would like a quote, please, for advertising on the tube network. I am considering various advertisorial options, and my needs are as follows. I'll break them into categories for your ease of calculation. I know it's a busy day for you, and don't want to waste your time.

Here are my advertising requirements. (I probably can't afford some of these options, but no harm in asking.)

a) A 10"x8" monkey with 'I want an adventure' nose at Tooting Bec tube station. I should point out that he is happy to share poster space with other advertisers. he's done this before and has already had a happy working relationship with Mama Mia and the League of Gentleman.

b) 'I want an adventure' stickers to be placed on poster noses, 500, various tube lines. (Actually don't bother with the Northern Line I've done much of this myself.)

c) Stickers on all poster noses in the tube network.(Not the DLR, this is not a proper tube, don't try to fob me off.) I realise it may be hard for you to accurately calculate my ad expenditure unless you know how many noses there are on all your posters. I don't know if you keep that sort of data? But from my own extensive research I can advise that 78% of posters have noses of some description. I hope this is of some help to you.

I look forward to receiving your quotes for my advertising needs in due course, and hope to do business with your excellent organisation in the fullness of time.

Yours faithfully and adventurously,

J

PS. I have to be anonymous, and if I accept your quote I will be unable to pay by cheque or card. I trust payment by cash at a secret location will suffice? I'm trusting you here, as you seem like a reputable company.

Mini-Adventures for everyone

My poor little monkey has been removed from his Tooting Bec tube station home yet again, but I was cheered up to see two IWAA stickers signed by 'NLAV'. Thanks my fellow would-be-adventurer!

And I have a plan with my monkey, I'm going to write to the people responsible for tube poster adverts about the situation, and see what they say. Perhaps they like adventures too and will offer me a discount rate for my little monkey to stay in his Tooting Bec home? And he's only about a 100th of normal poster size, and he doesn't mind sharing a poster, I'm sure some arrangement can be reached with the Postering authorities.

Seeing NLAV's signed stickers gave me an idea, instead of just saying 'I want an adventure! Do you?' How about if my stickers offered immediate mini-adventure ideas to the public? This would be a much more immediate way to get the public adventuring. Most of the ideas in my adventure database are quite complex, but I have some plans for adventures that anyone can easily try, and I hope they will. Let me know if you have any ideas too.

The Adventure Database

I've recently received a few excellent 'I want an adventure!' emails, including some brilliant adventure ideas. I might even have to create a proper database because the bit of paper next to my PC's getting a bit full up, and sometimes I can't read my own handwriting.

Of course I have to decide what to do with this adventure database now that it's coming together. Database and adventure, do you think those words sit strangely together? I do. Makes me think 'I don't want an admin job in adventure distribution', but I most certainly do want lots of people to have adventures. Ho hum.

No, I don't know what 'ho hum means' either.

I do feel 'ho hum' though, do you? Wonder if hohum.com is available?

No, better not go there.

I asked for Mocha no cream, this has cream!

Sorry, where was I?

Starbucks in Borders Oxford Street actually, and it turned out that the bit of white paper sticking out of the hard back Delia Smith wasn't my untouched stickers, but was a lovely 'Thank you' note from INAV!

As I wandered down Oxford Street, still in my 'ho hum' frame of mind I thought of a few more adventure ideas.

Silly ones again I'm afraid. I know there are some serious adventurers looking for excitement and hoping an email to IWAA will provide it, but I'm sadly lacking in 'serious' adventure ideas at present. Maybe when my adventure database is a bit bigger I can be of more help? If anyone has any suggestions, you know what to do! I'm sure that when I start to use 'Excel' though even the silly adventures ideas will start to look a bit more serious and professional.

I saw a couple of those 'Golf Sale' billboards on Oxford street, even one with a McDonalds sign. Don't start me on their sandwiches again..!

I thought, 'how about if someone stands on Oxford Street with a placard saying 'Adventure' plus an arrow too of course. Only it doesn't matter which way the arrow points. That's the idea you see.

I also passed that animal rights stall that's usually there on Oxford Street, trying to collect signatures for their petition. I hate that stall. Don't get me wrong, I totally support their aims. I'm against vivisection, I hate factory farming. I'm a vegetarian, a proper one, I don't eat fish either. Although I'm not a vegan, that would be too nutty. Quite literally.

I care about animals, which is why I can't stand that stall. I simply can't bear to look at their huge posters of tortured animals. I have to hurry past with my eyes closed, because I knew that if I looked I might start to cry. Sorry if you're one of the people I bump.

Due to the eye closing I still haven't signed the petition, much as I'd like to. Sometimes I walk past with my daughter, she's only 5. I try to stop her seeing the pictures too. I'm dreading the day she asks, 'Why hasn't that rabbit got any skin on it's head mummy?' or 'Is that real blood all over that kitten?' or 'Why has that monkey got metal in it's brain?' You get the idea.

I'd just have to say 'I don't know I can't see a thing myself. Sorry, didn't see you there! 'scuse me.'

Maybe my daughter will see it, and have nightmares because of it, but it will all be worth it because she'll grow up, become a politician, and abolish vivisection? Or maybe the petition will get lots of signatures, and vivisection will be abolished, in which case it will be well worth making me want to cry in my lunch hour.

Alternatively it could be that the sensitive people hurry past without signing, and the rest don't get shocked and don't sign in any case. And what if the kids stop having nightmares, but seeing these horrific images every Saturday get desensitized to animals in pain? And then grow up to think it's ok to put metal in monkey's brains, and take skin off rabbit's heads.

So... where was I? Starbucks... And, yes, adventures. I'd like to set up an Animal Rights stand on Oxford Street too. Only mine would have posters of happy, cuddly animals, and maybe flowers too. I would compete with the scarey anti-vivisectionists stall, and hope that my stall with cute puppies wearing ribbons would get many more signatures than the tortured-animal-picture stall.

Two more to add to the database. Keep those ideas coming!

Lunch hour adventures

I had planned to have an adventure in my lunch hour today, but I felt very unadventurous when I got up this morning. I'd decided to invite a bunch of people to a pub quiz last night, a few were friends, but some were 'acquaintances I wanted to be friends with'. Everyone seemed to enjoy it, it was a fun night, all the better because organising something like this wasn't the sort of thing an unadventurous me would have done a few months ago. I didn't regret it even when I got up this morning after only a couple of hours sleep, starting work in that still-drunk but heading for a hangover inbetween state, and with vague and unpleasant recollections of getting up in the night for a perfunctory puke.

Another, less positive change, is that six months ago I wouldn't have thought of lying to my boss. This morning at 6am I switched off my alarm and decided 'I'm working from home today'. Of course I knew no one would believe my 'alarm didn't go off story,' especially the colleagues who'd been at the pub with me last night. But I didn't care.

In some ways I was worried about this new unconscientious me. I used to take pride in trying to be be the hardest worker in the office, the best at my job. Now my head is so full of adventures that I find it hard to be enthusiastic about the dull work routines, I've done the job so long I don't need to use my brain anymore, so I keep thinking 'this is boring' and checking my IWAA inbox.

I'm still professional enough to care about my work though, so this lack of concentration does upset me. I've arranged to talk to my manager tomorrow, I know he hasn't noticed an effect on my work, and it is a very recent development, but I thought it better to say something myself before it gets noticed and he starts calling me into the office. Of course I won't mention adventures, or stickers, but I may suggest I need more of a challenge. Is a career adventure possible perhaps?

But back to my lunch hour adventure, as I said I was working from home today, and I'd actually decided not to take a lunch break at all, but to finish early so that I could be with my daughter. So a lunch hour adventure seemed to be an impossibility, but then, at the end of the day, just as I was waiting for my daughter to get home from school, I was browsing a web forum and came across a link to an odd web site - writeaprisoner.com Of course the forum post was drawing attention to the ridiculousness of this unintentionally funny site.

"I long for affection and intimate attention from an intelligent, mature, and exciting man." Incarcerated For: Murder

But then I clicked on a link, and there he was. I found Caleb Ellis

Caleb said, 'Im intrigued by a woman with an adventurous spirit, even if its a silent spirit!

If my words spark some degree of interest and you have a desire to do some exploring, write me, and I will respond.'

I didn't look at any more prisoners, this strange website didn't seem so funny any more. It was officially my 'lunch hour break' now, and I had apparently stumbled across my lunch hour adventure!

I don't know if writing to prisoners really does qualify as an 'adventure', but it is certainly something odd that I wouldn't normally do. You've probably noticed that most of my 'adventures' can be described in this same way. So I decided to write to Caleb, and of course to tell him all about IWAA.

Incarcerated For: Aiding and Abetting Murder

I hope he writes back, it sounds like he's had an interesting life. Perhaps he knows what an adventure is? And I wonder, if I can have a lunch hour adventure at my own desk, perhaps even a prisoner could find adventure too? I feel bored and unchallenged by my dull office job, but if anyone locked up for most of the day for years and years could find adventure too I'd know that IWAA was doing something very special. I just hope Caleb's suggestion for my adventure database doesn't involve people getting hurt.

Ho Hum

I spent my lunch hour partaking in a bit of stickering. Only 3 sticker's stuck, so naturally I'm feeling a bit down. It's surprising how hard it is to find poster noses on your average shopping street. I'll have to make a better effort on my way home.

At the weekend the Tooting Bec monkey was seriously injured, someone had torn his poor little paper head. As I headed to work today I had an elastoplast with me ready to patch him up, but I found that he'd been removed completely. There was another sticker on his film poster home, this said 'Hello from...' then there was a scrawled signature and a web address. www.color... something. I didn't note the web address properly, just noticed the American spelling of 'color'. A train was fast approaching, and I was late for work already, so I was busy Pritt-sticking areplacement poster monkey's behind. I always have a spare monkey in my bag, don't you know!

I fear for my new little monkey's chances though. Any IWAA adventures at Tooting Bec are being removed almost as fast as I put them up. But it will be interesting to see if that 'www.american-spelling-of-color...' sticker survives. Do I have some anti-adventure adversary at Tooting Bec, or is this just paranoia and it's over-zealous station staff?

No one's yet taken the hidden stickers from under the sandwich shop board in the side road next to the Plaza Shopping Center. At least they're still there. I'd imagine the staff might see them if they bring the board in at night, but if so they haven't removed my blu-tacked envelope. Who'd have thought that adventuring would involve so many adhesive products? I now always travel with blu-tac, sellotape, pritt stick and of course my sticky-backed yellow stickers.

I felt I had to go to Borders to check the other envelope of stickers, but the stickers in the hardback Delia Smith book were still there too. I didn't bother going to John Lewis, the swimming float's are hard enough to find in themselves (you'll need Sports, 5th floor, near table tennis, if you're interested) so I could hardly expect these most well hidden of my stickers to have been found.

I really felt the need of another adventure, if only to take my mind off all these stickering dissapointments. I've decided I'll find an adventure for tomorrow lunch hour. So if any one has any suggestions for a central London lunch hour adventure do please let me know. It's not quite a week since my 'Yellow Traffic Light' challenge, I headed through the Plaza for the first time since this sticker throwing mission. The security people must have seen me on CCTV camera, were they watching out for me ready to pounce on me as a notorious sticker-litterer? But I got through the Plaza without incident, and there was no sign of any stickers now of course. It didn't matter, that was then, this is now. And once again I know I want an adventure!

What's in an adventurer's inbox?

Here are some excerpts from some of the emails I've received as a reaction to IWAA.

'I want an adventure!'

'sounds cool..i am mega bored and need something to do...and an adventure..hey anything wild and whacy man...'

'my life is far from dull recently (I have crashed a car and fallen off a roof, etc.) but if you could give me another adventure, that would be really great.'

'This thing is shaping up to be amazingly good fun... and possibly fulfilling in some way. I look forward to continuing it.'

Adventure Ideas

'I want to go to the Antartica by Boxing day 2005 and I will trek across South America making my way through Chile and crossing over to the Antartica. I am looking for a companion (I don't speak Spanish)'

'My ideas of being adventurous range from visiting antarctica to going
cheeserolling or taking part in a flash mob. Finding interest in the relatively mundane, like the silly things dreamed up by folks at the BBC in recent years - hitchhiking round ireland with a fridge, finding countless namesakes etc. Or a hunt, like the hunting of the snark or the jabberwock or where the wild things are. Or hunting down the best laksa in London or
the best pizza in venice. Or a treasure hunt with clues (Da Vinci Code style).

'We could have an adventure where we just walk around London stopping to smell any flowers that we come across! And that could be done on your own, or in groups... only not if you suffer from hayfever.'

'if your up for the challenge, climbing Ben Nevis, let me know. It takes about two hours to get to the summit.'

'bit tied down with work at the moment, but are you up for some nsa fun??'

'Maybe we could go up to the gates of Downing Street and jump up and down in circles singing "Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb" until moved on by the police? Or spend a day pitching a tent on various pavements (Oxford Street, Trafalgar Square...) until moved on by the police. Or just doing as many things as possible that will get us moved on by the police, but not arrested.'

What is an adventure?

'I suppose an adventure is something that you struggle with, that gives you a sense of extraordinary achievement. Something undeniably "good", but also different... something different to ordinary life.'

'I guess the underlying pull is the unknown, even if that is the
unknown in your own head or neighborhood.'

'Your site is forcing me to think about what an adventure is, and what I want to get out of one, which is good. I haven't really thought about things for a while, I've just been bumbling along in life without spending the time to stop and smell the roses.'

And...

'there once was a person named finn
who used to collect spam in a tin
on saturday she came across a sticker
underground near to where a couple would bicker
on close inspection it read iwantanadventure.com
so she decided to stop collecting tins from then on
instead she thought of rhymes
which she thought could make dimes
alas no money came into her cap
because her lyrics were utterly crap...'

I've received some great emails, and also some quite strange ones but those are good too. Please email me if you want an adventure, or have adventure ideas, or think you actually know what an adventure is!

I must admit that I've been a little disappointed that IWAA hasn't been easy so far, it hasn't gone to plan in that no one's actually out there adventuring quite yet. But I am working on it! I does sometimes feel like I have an inbox full of people turning to me to give them adventures. How many times do I have to tell you? I don't even know what an adventure is! But I am going to do my best to find out.

I probably need to stop having such a fixed idea of what this website is all about, I should just embrace the challenges, do my best, have fun and see where it leads. Who knows, maybe this is even what adventure means?

The stickers are hidden...

On Monday the stickers will be hidden in the following London locations -

- Under a pile of Metro newspapers at Tooting Bec tube station.

- Beneath the 'Subway' sandwich board at the sandwich shop on the side road next to the 'Plaza' shopping center.

- In a Delia Smith hardback cookery book at Borders, Oxford Street.

- Behind the swimming floats in John Lewis Sports department.

If you find the stickers remember to stick them on poster noses. Or sandwiches (but not real ones.)

He lives again!

I returned my little monkey to his home at Tooting Bec tube station today as planned. Stickering him on a poster was slightly trickier than usual, as unlike my IWAA stickers he didn't come with an adhesive backing. I used a Pritt stick, and secretly coated him with this while he was hidden in a carrier bag. I don't think my activities looked too suspicious to the other passengers on the platform. In any case I don't think there's any law against glueing monkeys backsides.

I hope whoever's been removing my yellow stickers doesn't remove him too. I used 'Power Pritt' rather than 'regular' to make this a more challenging proposition. But if they do it's an easy matter to print myself another little monkey. And the Power Pritt was in a 'buy one get one free' offer, so I am prepared for anything.

As stickering is such good fun, and I want to share this mini-adventure with others on Monday I will hide sets of stickers at three secret London locations. Secret until tomorrow, when these will be revealed on this website.

Sadly only three people will be able to enjoy this stickering min-adventure. Or even one person if they get to all the stickers very fast. Or zero if no one's interested in stickering...

We'll see.

If you don't get the stickers you could always do as I did and print out a monkey (or other animal) on your PC and sticker these instead. I think it would be nice if tube poster's were decorated with the occasional jungle beast. Tiger's would be good. I believe there are only 4200 Wild Tigers left in the world, perhaps a good adventure could be to stick 4200 Tigers on tube posters? If you accept this challenge I recommend you get yourself to Woolworth's quickly while the Power Pritt's on 2 for 1.