Planning your own unicorn adventure has got to be the most exciting thing about trying to find unicorns.
I like to take as much time as possible to plan my adventure in detail.
I’ll usually be thinking about things like where I’m going to go, what is the habitat like, what disguise will the local unicorns probably favour (or, indeed, if there is a particular time of day that I think I might surprise them out-of-disguise), what I should take with me and what the weather is going to be like on the day.
If you’ve already done a bit of reading, you’ll know that unicorns are masters of disguise; and so you’re already well equipped to plan a successful adventure.
Once again, the things that you’ll be looking out for when you’re trying to find clues as to where the unicorns are lurking are:
- Sparkle. Unicorns can’t help but sparkle, and searching for them on a nice sunny day will give you a great advantage due to this trait.
- Random animals. If there’s an animal out of place, the odds are high that it’s a unicorn-in-disguise. Seen a flamingo in the duck pond? I’ll bet you that’s a unicorn-in-disguise.
- Rainbows. A sure sign that there’s magic about, rainbows are a great clue to watch out for.
So then, let’s get on with planning your own unicorn adventure.
Where’s the best place to find a unicorn?
To be honest, any place is a good place to find a unicorn.
Gone are the days of endless Enchanted Forests and Forbidden Swamps. Nowadays the unicorns are pretty varied in the places that they like to live, which is good news really as Forbidden Swamps are not very nice places to spend the day looking for a unicorn.
If you think of somewhere that you would quite happily spend the day lazing around; maybe lying on the grass for a bit, having a little run around and possibly playing in some water, then that’s a really good place to look for a unicorn.
How about a pretty park with grass and a playground, a little forest with picnic benches and a nature trail or a shaded valley with a burbling stream and long reeds? All of these would be excellent places to go for your unicorn adventure.
When are unicorns out and about?
Unicorns don’t really like coming out during the early morning or after it gets dark. At these times, they much prefer to be curled up in a nice bed of moss. However, there are some unicorns that are very partial to midnight snacks, so it might be possible to catch a glimpse of these creatures well after the sun has set - although they almost always keep themselves in disguised at night.
I find that going on a unicorn adventure is much more enjoyable if you go at a time that suits you. Finding a unicorn can take a VERY long time, and so you want to go when you can make the most of your day looking for clues, as well as enjoying yourself too.
Remember that unicorns love to be near children, so having fun and playing with your friends might even persuade them to come a little bit closer.
What equipment do I need to find a unicorn?
That is a very good question, and one that can only really be answered by yourself. Finding a unicorn is a very personal mission, and so there will be certain items that you feel almost instinctively that you must take with you.
For my own part I feel incredibly strongly that I could not be without a hat, a notebook and pencil, a book on bird spotting, and my favourite teddy (currently a soft, brown moose called Marvin). What you decide to take along with you might be entirely different.
I recently asked one of our young apprentices what he liked to take on his unicorn adventures with him and he very kindly sent me some pictures of what he likes to take with him on his most extreme unicorn finding missions.
A sturdy backback
Preferably with several compartments of differing sizes, he likes to feel that he can take plenty with him should he need to.
A strong case or tin
Great for transporting more precious items of his kit, he also uses the tin for collecting any delicate unicorn clues that he finds on his adventure.
On this occasion he has packed inside the tin: a separate bag for more clues or snacks, a magnifying glass, a couple of unicorn friends, a night-vision scope and some fairy dust in a jar.
Random extra supplies
Our apprentice says that he can’t advocate enough the necessity for being prepared for all eventualities. He advises that if you lay your hands on something that you think you may need, even though your bag may already be packed, then throw it in for good measure.
For this adventure he has added: a magic wand, a unicorn beanie baby, a compass, a unicorn squishy, binoculars and case, a note pad and feather pen, and a metal detector.
He also says that he will take plenty of snacks, water and a blanket, but that he would more than likely make his assistant carry this substantially heavier backpack.
Top tips for planning your first unicorn adventure
Now that you’ve got a good idea on what goes in to planning a successful unicorn finding adventure, all that’s left to do is get planning your own.
My top tips for planning your first ever adventure are:
- Stay close to home. There’s no need to make the journey unnecessarily complicated. Staying in your local area will give you the advantage of knowing the landscape, as well as giving you ample opportunity to send for supplies should the adventure take longer than expected.
- Pick a good assistant. It’s always good to take an assistant along with you, but ensure that you choose wisely. It’s no good choosing an assistant who will moan constantly about having to carry bags or who is terrible at keeping quiet. I have taken Snuggles (my cat) along on a few occasions, and I can categorically state that he is the most useless assistant.
- Go when it’s sunny. Unicorns can be found in all weather but, for your first mission I would suggest going on a day when the forecast looks to be good.
And finally …
All that’s left is to wish you a great adventure!
Remember to keep your eyes open for clues and see this adventure as the first step towards the long and sometimes tricky business of finding a unicorn.