Pop-Ups Tour 2015 was an incredible journey, filled with playful adventures and unforgettable moments. Looking back, we reflect on the experiences that made Pop-Ups Tour 2015 so special.
Since arriving back in the UK, things have been go go go. Morgan and I are both working towards a PhD in Playwork. Sadly, being on the road does not often lend itself to the most ideal study environment. So we’ve been studying hard in the last couple of weeks. And whenever we have had a few moments of free time, we have reflected on our adventure around the world.
Highlights are plentiful, from:
- meeting friends in person for the first time, to;
- reuniting with friends we haven’t seen for a long while.
My travel journal
In my travel journey, there is a vast collection of phrases and moments that capture playful moments for us as we travelled literally around the world. I call them “Amazing Moments” which include: the epic pool noodle battle, when the tug-of-war rope snapped, the red fabric swing, the purple tree swing, when the tyres kept on rolling, when the small boys all ganged up on the big boy, dressing as a robot to avoid wearing sunscreen, the big tarp parachute…. the list goes on! There are so many amazing moments of play that we have encountered on our journey, and we are grateful to have been part of every single moment.
We are so thankful to have been able to go on this trip. Morgan and I would have never dreamt of doing this, and it wouldn’t have been possible without our amazing hosts from all 6 countries that we visited. Thank you so much! We have learned so much from every community that invited us in, and hope that their play advocacy will continue to thrive. There are so many more reflections and stories to share so look out for more from us soon!
Our adventures took us to incredible places, including Costa Rica, where we witnessed the power of community play firsthand. Read more about our experiences in Costa Rica. The journey also took us to Ithaca, NY, where we experienced the inspiring Ithaca Play Symposium. Discover more about our time there in Ithaca, NY, USA. Throughout our journey, we’ve asked a crucial question at every workshop: how do you play? For a deeper look into how we encourage play among adults, check out Pop-Ups On Tour 2015 – Playworkers Gotta Play.
As we continued our world tour, the experience of connecting with different communities and advocating for play reminded us of the importance of building relationships. To learn more about our journey and how we engage communities, check out our post about our journey in Hong Kong. Our time in Singapore was a whirlwind, with pop-ups and workshops that left a lasting impression on the local community. As we reached the end of the 2015 world tour, we reflected on the journey and the communities we had connected with around the globe.
