Next in my trying new things series: archery! I tried archery for the first time a few years ago and have come back to it here and there at Renaissance Faires and similar events over the years. Archery is a ton of fun. I’d say it’s one of those things that’s easy to learn the basics but hard to master in my experience. An archery lesson often starts with identifying your dominant arm, which for me is my right arm. The key items involved in archery are: a bow (right handed or left handed), arrows, a quiver to hold the arrows, a target, and often an arm guard (to protect you when the string of the bow snaps back).
The most important part of archery? Safety! Never go to retrieve your arrows while others are still shooting. Always wait for the all clear that all arrows have been dispensed and no one is actively shooting. There is a lot of technique involved in archery but the basic idea is to have a firm stance, a clear gaze, pull your arm straight back, and release cleanly. Beyond these basic steps the next challenge is learning accuracy and precision. Accuracy is hitting the target and precision is consistently hitting the same spot (preferably the target). Archery often ends with a final challenge of popping a balloon on the target which is hard but a lot of fun! Most recently I did archery with my partner at Cass Winery in Paso Robles and declared victory as the first one to pop the balloon! Archery is so much fun and very accessible for people of all ages and fitness levels.
Millennial's Delight 