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abstractangel7
Berton
chardevore
DebbieP
eatveggiesdrinkwine
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AG
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heididino
inkstainedangel
jeindeer
jenitz
jscribe
kimkin85
kittycurry
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Lauren
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adrienne
myndevore
adventurechaser
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Stephanie
thegirlwholikestoeat
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Kimberly Hula
Hello, amazing adventurers! My recent adventure involved taking a month-long TEFL class. (Kim, I believe you know all about that?) It was pretty intense, because I also started a new full-time job at the same time! Yeah, not smart, but here’s what happened- I paid for the TEFL class while on unemployment, thinking I would start a new career field teaching English as a Second Language here in Chicago. I’ve taught ESL as a volunteer for the past year, at a school on my block, and found it to be very rewarding. So I thought, why not get certified and make it a part-time job? I’d LOVE to go overseas and teach it, but since I have young kids, that’s not really an option until they’re grown. There’s lots of social-service organizations in Chicago that help refugees though, and I thought maybe I’d get a job at one of them, helping to settle new immigrants or something. My actual background is in substance-abuse counseling, however, and a job opportunity came along that I couldn’t pass up. It was everything I’d been looking for, so even though I could have stayed on unemployment, I decided to go for it. The TEFL school had warned that their class wasn’t meant for students with other jobs, but it was too late to get a refund and I figured I could handle it.
Well, this turned out to be an adventure in sleep-deprivation, too! LoL. First, my ex-husband agreed to keep the kids for the month of July, as there was no way I’d be able to do all this and be a mom. I felt really guilty about that, but knew the kids would be happier getting to play at their dad’s house rather than deal with me being so busy. Besides, he didn’t get to see them much and it was definitely an adventure in parenting for him to suddenly have them full-time. Hehe
My schedule was: Wake up at 4:30am, leave for work at 5, work 5:30-12:30, eat lunch, teach ESL from 2-3:30, class from 4-9:30pm, home by 10, an hour of homework/typing papers or lesson plans, hopefully asleep by midnight. Sometimes I did the homework at work during the day because I was too tired to do it at night. I was so out-of-it during the days, giving myself fake energy with sugar and caffeine.
Somehow I finished the class, with just 6 hours of practicum teaching time short of receiving my certificate. I’m going to finish it when classes start up again at the school near my apt. in September. I hate to say it, but I wasn’t as dedicated as I would have been, had I not been so tired or busy with working during the mornings.
It was definitely a great experience though, and I loved making new friends and learning about how to teach English as a second language. I recommend anybody go for it- but be careful/prepared if you already have a full-time job!
Thanks for reading 🙂
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abstractangel7
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AG
Adventures #19, #20 and #21: Solo trip, DMZ, 3rd Tunnel
Since I’ve been in Korea, one of the things on my must-see list has been to visit the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), which is the border dividing North Korea from South Korea. It is the most secure border in the world!
The first adventure of this trip was to go it alone. I’ve done trips here with travel groups, but I’ve always gone along with friends. For one, it’s more fun to go to explore with friends. And two, there a certain amount of anxiety that comes with traveling with strangers. So, I signed up for the trip, and I went alone. I was with a huge group, and it was liberating to go on a trip without waiting for other people to decide to join. Many of my friends had no interest in seeing the DMZ or had already gone. And some expressed interest but were too slow to respond to my request. So I decided to just go because it was something that I really felt I needed to do. My grandfather had fought in the Korean War, and the outcome of that war was the truce and separation for the north and south.
The second adventure was visiting the DMZ. I saw the Doraksan Observatory and was able to actually see
North Korea. I saw the propaganda village, which was built by North Korea to fool people and South Korean
soliders into thinking that North Korea is a great place. It is no longer a fake village because North Korean soldiers’ families live there now. We were not allowed to take pictures past a photo line of North Korea. But I got a great view through the binoculars.
The third adventure was going into the 3rd tunnel. There are 4 tunnels that have been discovered between North and South Korea. They were built by North Koreans in order to make surprise attacks against South Korea. I had much anxiety about entering the tunnel as I am claustraphobic. But I did it! And it wasn’t as bad as I had imagined. There were many parts where I had to duck and walk hunchbacked throughout, but
it wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be. I wasn’t able to take pictures inside.-
adventurechaser
This is on my Bucket List. Thanks for sharing!
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skywatcher
Camping #9/52
This I have learned about backpacking: it costs a fair amount of money to be able to live primitively! I had a decent tent and hiking boots, but everything else had to be evaluated in terms of traveling light…whew! I had already established a route – a trail I had visited before as a day hike. The campsite I remembered was about six miles in, tucked into a grove of trees and bordered by a wide but shallow stream. And I would be spending the night on a Sunday, which meant my chances of getting the preferred site were good.
The friend who had agreed to go with me backed out at the last minute (nice), but I determined to go anyway. I left about 1 pm, carrying 1 1/2 liters of water; temperatures were in the 90’s. Not a great day to be packing it in, but I made it; after about three hours, camp was set up and I’d taken a dip in the stream. (In retrospect, I didn’t need the tent fly, but thunder early in the afternoon had caused me to err on the side of caution. You just never know…)
The water purifier is a genius invention – I had refilled all of my water bottles within 15 minutes of arriving at camp, and it tasted just fine. Dinner was reconstituted mac and cheese (not bad!) and hot tea…yes, the temps were sweltering, but I find a cup of tea to be very calming.
So…what does one do after dinner in the middle of the woods? After hanging my bear bag (containing all food), I spent most of the time wandering around the stream, cooling off and playing with the fish. Spending time in nature is like detox for the soul.
Once the sun started setting, I put on my headlamp and settled in for a little reading; I was too tired to stay up very late, though. Sounds of the night? Bullfrogs, breeze in the trees, and a whippoorwill – which I hadn’t heard since I was a kid! I had hoped to hear owls, but I guess you can’t have everything.
I broke camp by 7:30 the next morning, planning to make it back out before the heat really set in again (it had stayed relatively sweltering all night). The trek back felt harder…oh, my aching limbs!
I’ve already talked with another (more dependable) friend about a longer trip before the summer’s out, so we’ll see what happens. I can’t wait to do it again!
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AG
Adventure #18: Made travel plans
I have struggled with the idea of traveling Asia alone after I leave Korea and go back to the States. Although I came to Korea alone, I had contacts in place immediately upon arrival and quickly made friends with people in my training group. Traveling to different countries alone is different than moving to one alone where you have a job lined up and where the natives welcome foreigners. There are so many unknowns when traveling alone. I considered just going to China to walk on the Great Wall and then heading home to Chicago. I figured if I could make it to China for a few days that I wouldn’t really be alone for a long time.
I guess this actually was more about me just wanting to hurry home and settle down. I mean all of my friends are doing it, so it seemed like the next step. But then I had an epiphany. I am single. I am young despite what society tells me. I have no children or husband holding me back. Not that having a husband or children would be a bad thing. But it’s just not my life right now. So after much self-reflection, almost a year’s worth, I finally came to the conclusion that my life is happening right now, and I need to really live it. I should embrace my single life and stop being concerned with societal norms. I was actually feeling lonely and depressed for a bit thinking about how I’m alone and how everyone I know has a significant other. And then I realized that there is absolutely no reason to feel bad about being alone. And that I was only feeling bad because I’m 28 and society tells me I should be married and maybe having children. I’ve never been able to actually admit that I want to be married someday or have children. I think maybe I only thought about it because that’s just what people do. And it’s normal. Maybe someday I will want these things. Maybe someday they will just happen. But for now, I’m content with being alone. And it’s not so much that I needed society to accept that. I needed to accept that for myself.
So after contemplating possible travel destinations here in Asia and deciding to take the plunge and travel alone, a friend of mine in Korea mentioned that she was going to travel at the end of the summer to most of the countries that I wanted to visit and wanted to know if anyone was interested. So I guess this was one of those scenarios where the universe again gave me exactly what I needed when I needed it. Her and I are now going to travel to China, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia for a month. My last destination before I go home will be to stop by California and visit my best friend from high school and her husband. Then I will head to Chicago…but not to settle down. I’m going to spend some time with my family and friends and then possibly hit the road again and come back to Korea for another year.
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blueskiesinva
Good for you – follow your gut, not social mores. Introspection is a good thing; how else will we know who we are and what “fits”us as individuals? Be safe and have a wonderful time!!
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AG
Adventures #16 and #17: Busan Temple and Fish Market
I ventured down to the southern end of Korea this weekend to Busan. The goal was to at least make it to the fish market of which Busan is known for. It was wet and smelly and really awesome! I had never seen so many fish in a market. The same day I also made it to Hae Dong Yung Gong Temple which is sort of on a cliff overlooking the water. Many of the temples here look very similar, but there is always something new to discover at each one. This one had everything from Chinese Zodiac statues to mini buddha figurines.
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Kimberly Hula
Summer Swords and other like surprises
In effort to summon even more surprise, the lovely ladies of Surprise Industries cooked up yet another adventure for 52’s Boston base.
And it involved swords. And dedicated sword play.
The wonderful crew of Gymnasium filmed AND cut footage for our blog community.
Anyone up for avenging honor, et al?
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Kim
This looks like so much fun! I would have LOVED to do that! Any chance that this is ongoing?
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eatveggiesdrinkwine
A seriously awesome adventure — bravo! May I suggest a follow up adventure of performing these newfound sword play skills at a Renaissance Festival near you?
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yearof52adventures
Sure is Kim! It’s at Gymasium in West Newton. Send me an email and I’ll get you their contact info!
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yearof52adventures
As for the Ren Fair, get out of my brain! I was thinking the exact same thing!
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skywatcher
Earth Mother meets Italy #8/52
Several of the adventures on my list have nothing to do with risk or excitement – they’re just about trying something new. Today I made my own laundry soap (and will find out in a couple of days how well it works!). If anyone else is interested, I found super easy instructions at The Simple Dollar. The nice thing is that I refilled plastic detergent jugs, so that’s a little less packaging to go into the landfill!
While I was in the make-it-yourself mode (and looking at the basil plants on my back deck), I decided not only to make fresh pesto, but to try my hand at making fettuccine from scratch. No pasta machine? No problem! I rolled the dough out and used a pizza cutter to cut the noodles; then I hung the pasta over a couple of plastic coat hangers to dry. I have to say that dinner was a success – especially after adding a glass of chilled Pinot Grigio!
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eatveggiesdrinkwine
Great adventures! I’m interested to hear if your laundry soap is effective. I like the “try something new” adventure category myself.
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blueskiesinva
I’ve now used the laundry soap on several loads, and it works just as well as store-bought – in my opinion, better. The clothes seem fresher, and it isn’t from artificial fragrance…maybe the borax? Two thumbs up!
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AG
Adventure #15: Korea vs. Greece World Cup Style
I’ve never been much of a soccer fan. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever watched a soccer game. This past Saturday, Korea played Greece in a World Cup game. I was informed that Korea goes all out for soccer especially for World Cup games, so I had to join in the festivities. I ventured to a street fest, where thousands of fans gathered in front of 3 big screens to watch the game. There was a sea of red everywhere I looked on that day. Getting off the subway and out of the station was an accomplishment. It was packed. Despite some rain, I gathered with the other fans to watch the game. Everywhere you looked you saw red shirts, red ponchos, red devil ears (Red Devil is the Mascot), and even red afros. It was great. Happily, Korea won! The crowd went crazy. The camaraderie was like nothing I had never seen before.
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eatveggiesdrinkwine
How fun! America has no idea how seriously others take the World Cup (and how crazy their celebrations of the World Cup can be).
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skywatcher
Double Play: #6/52 & #7/52
Habitat for Humanity #6/52
I stopped by Habitat for Humanity’s “Women Build” display earlier this year, when I was looking for opportunities to volunteer in a meaningful way. During Memorial Day weekend, I was able to join a crew of other women in working on a quadriplex; my part involved helping install windows and window trim. I was also able to assist the crew foreman in marking chalk lines for the siding. We began the day before 9 am and worked through until about 2 pm…at which time there was a birthday party for one of the volunteers. Obviously, I picked a good day to work!
I already knew how to use a hammer, of course, but the nail gun – now that’s power! (And kind of fun…they nearly had to pry it out of my hands! ) While I was working on windows, other crews worked on framing.
I’ll be back this week to help put siding on the house, and I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve met a couple of the partner families, as well as some wonderful women, and it makes me feel good to be giving back to the community. Thanks to this website for prodding/encouraging me to get involved with something I’ve wanted to do for a long time.
Job Interview #7/52
Well, I did it: first in-person job interview of the year. This is a public forum, so I won’t go into details other than to say that I applied on a whim for a position traditionally held by a male. The interview went well, and although another candidate was ultimately chosen, I’m glad for the experience. The fact that I was even called for an interview makes me more optimistic about the future. I’ll keep plugging away!
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yearof52adventures
I have always wanted to do this! Annnnnd I suppose I will now. Thanks for the inspiration!
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eatveggiesdrinkwine
12/52: Calling my state senators & 13/52: Finishing the Flying Pig Half-Marathon
After finishing the 2009 Girls on the Run 5K with many other tiara-wearing runners (who were 25-30 years younger than me, I admit)I’m clearly so very behind on my year of 52 adventures, but considering all the other things I could be behind on–taxes, mortgage payments, reading for a class, etc.–I’m pretty fortunate that my penalty is devoting some serious time in the coming months to making up adventures! Here are two adventures from the past I’ve not yet shared…
Calling my state senators
As I was walking toward yet another food booth at University of Cincinnati’s much-anticipated annual International Festival, I was stopped by someone who asked if I had a few minutes to talk about clean energy. Of course I did, even in our pre-BP disaster days. What I did not anticipate is that this someone really wanted for me to talk to my senators, not to her, about clean energy. She asked if I would be willing to call both of them, and I agreed without hesitation. I’m embarrassed to admit that I have a phone phobia, and though I would have walked back to my office really WANTING to call my senators, I really would not have done so. She was a seasoned organizer and knew that most of the people she talked to would make that same empty promise, so she then asked if I wanted to use my phone or hers. BUSTED! I didn’t have my phone with me, so, yes, I would need to use her phone. I’d like to tell you that I had long, thoughtful conversations on clean energy with both of the people I called, but I read a short script and they thanked me for my call before hanging up. Did I make a difference? Who knows. Am I slightly less petrified to call my state senators about important issues? Yes.Finishing the 2010 Flying Pig Half-Marathon
After two years of participating in the Pig on a four-person relay team, I thought it was time to step things up. However, I did not step up my training until two months before the half-marathon. (I’m sorry, Hal Higdon … I really wanted to follow your sensible half-marathon training schedule that hung faithfully on my refrigerator door, but terrible weather and lingering sickness got in the way.) Thanks to a slightly more disciplined running friend, I spent most Friday nights in March and April wine-free so I could wake up early on Saturday mornings to train. We decided to use interval training: we ran 9 minutes and walked 3 minutes. This worked so well that we ran the half-marathon in intervals too. (Walking was a huge concession for me at first — I ran cross-country growing up, and though I was never fast, I comforted myself with the thought that at least I never walked during a race. However, I’m a convert now and plan to continue running intervals even for shorter races. That 3-minute recovery time is too fabulous to give up.) I didn’t break any records with my 2 hour 36 minute finish, but I can work to improve my time in next year’s half.-
blueskiesinva
I printed out the “sensible half-marathon training schedule”…which is now on *my* refrigerator 🙂 Thanks for the inspiration!
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yearof52adventures
WELL DONE!
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The Year of 52 Adventures 
blueskiesinva 9:30 pm on August 16, 2010 Permalink
You are AMAZING! So glad that things are a little more “normal” for you now, though!
Kapri 5:46 am on May 3, 2011 Permalink
I thank you hmulby for sharing your wisdom JJWY