Last summer, like many people, I became a devotee of the town farmers market, my only hope for attempting to eat locally harvested food. Every Tuesday, I headed to the common with my reusable grocery bags and stocked up on organic vegetables, regional cheeses, the freshest seafood, and grass-fed meat from a farm down the road. If it’s possible to have a love affair with food, I was having one—guiltlessly cheating on my grocery store. Sadly, by late October, the affair was over, and I returned to the old reliable supermarket.

But one feature of my locavore’s mentality stuck with me—my attempt at staying local with fitness adventures. As the weather turned colder and we face the downer that comes from 5 p.m. darkness, we can still restore our bodies and spirits when the thrill of a local heirloom tomato has gone. We might not all be able to eat locally throughout the year, but we can escape locally. 2008 was the year of staying put—reigning in travel to save money, save oil, save the earth. But a staycation is so sedentary, so static. A local adventure—whether it’s a hike, a new class, or a new sport—is what you make it. The only rule is that you chuck the rules and think outside your box.

Seeking out local adventure is great for women on so many levels. It’s affordable. It’s an escape from the everyday routine, which seems to become more of a drag when the leaves fall and we spend more time indoors. It’s better for the planet, easing the impact of our carbon footprints. And exploring new domains is good for us mentally, helping us to continue to grow as adults.

My local escapes had a few requirements to keep things adventurous, from the logical (do it alone) to the silly (one run required several rickety wooden bridges). For example, on one outing, I went running on the Appalachian Trail, where I knew I’d have to think hard to avoid getting lost and force myself to deal with some tougher terrain. I created my own prerequisites, but every adventurer needs her own list of specific requirements to customize an escape to her interests and level of risk. (It goes without saying that you should do your homework before you take off for parts unknown: research what you need to bring and pack accordingly.)

Here are some ideas to get you thinking about options for your own local adventure in body, mind, and spirit:

1. Go foreign—without a passport. Obviously, hiking the same old path your dog has marked a million times negates the notion of an adventure. You gotta go somewhere new. Search for local options online, and ask friends in nearby towns where they like to go because chances are that their local routine differs from yours. If the spot is somewhere you’ve been before, you won’t experience the kind of stimulation that an adventure provides. In fact, research has shown that novel experiences promote brain function down to the extent that nerve cells multiply through exploration and physical activity. You don’t need somewhere so foreign it brings the threat of malaria, but the intrigue of new terrain is a must to be invigorating.

2. Be a novice. Don’t be afraid to do something ineptly. Countless first attempts at activities don’t mean you’re an uncommitted dilettante. Rather, experimenting with new activities shows you who you are. I’ve tried fencing, belly dancing, sailing, and Argentinean tango over the years and found that accepting myself as a beginner has been the key to growing as a person, not to mention having a lot of fun. Centers for adult education are fantastic resources for identifying a new adventure.

3. Be a bit uncomfortable. This tip relates to being a novice, but takes it a step further. Challenging your limits is the essence of adventure. Nobody wants to return from a trip that is deliciously restful—who ever wants to get out of a hammock? If you push yourself slightly further than is comfortable, you’ll be more ready to return to the regular routine. You don’t have to deliberately sprain your ankle, but a blister from a long hike or a bit of a new ache from a kayak rental shows your body felt the adventure as much as your spirit did. To paraphrase Yvon Chouinard, cofounder of Patagonia, it’s not an adventure until it’s uncomfortable. Consider it cross-training for your soul.

4. Disconnect. This could be the hardest task, but to really experience what you’re doing, go someplace where “no network is available.” Tweet your travels the next time you snowshoe the path; we can be far more engaged with what we’re doing when we’re doing it, instead of talking about it in fewer than 140 characters. Disconnecting from our routines, especially online distractions, is key to the escape. Similarly, when we’re too hung up on our plan, we can miss opportunities for diversions. Be open to changing tack on your adventure—venture down an interesting trail or join the surf class when you try beach running for the first time. Sometimes, disconnecting from habits and plans is the best way to reconnect with ourselves.

5. Document it. The meaning of your adventure is multiplied exponentially by having a camera and a pen. We’re not all diarists or bloggers, but sometimes knowing the depth of your adventure comes after the day is done, when you have time to reflect on it just a little. You don’t need to craft a poem or even write a linear report of your trip, but jotting down a few notes or thoughts you had while you were out there may be something you’ll appreciate later. If nothing else, it could help you remember where you took that wrong turn on your bike for the next time you travel the route.

Being a locavore need not be limited to what we eat; it should extend to where we carry our bodies. Adventure travel can happen anywhere the sidewalk ends, and it can be the answer to the predictability of the everyday routine. Like a lot of women, I often feel the need to get out of my home office and my comfort zone, and some local exploring of parts unknown can be a one-day, one-off, one-person adventure without a passport. Be creative, be open, and be free to explore!

KRISTINA PINTO was an academic in gender and psychology and is now a mother, runner, and writer currently working on a book about how running enhances motherhood. She also blogs for the Competitor Group at Marathon Mama »

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