31 Days of Adventure: Week 3

Week 3 of the 31 Days of Adventure was a major fail for me. Other than Monday, which I had off from work, I basically was unable to complete any of the prompts on the day of, or at all. On the other hand, the prompts got me thinking of stuff to try out, like trapeze. In late December, I told Susannah of Running Around the World that I'd try trapeze with her, and I need to make good on that Twitter promise.

Day 16 - Monday, January 16

Witness the painting of the sky

Today's adventure is in three steps:

1. Today: Scout out a nice spot to see the sunrise.
2. Tonight: Before you go to sleep, set your alarm clock extra early.
3. Tomorrow morning: Get to your spot before the sun does.

Watch the sun rise.

Where did you choose to go? What colors do you see? If this was a familiar place, was it different than usual? In what way? If it was new, what did you love about it? Why did you choose it?

The forecast was not looking good for watching a sunrise on Tuesday morning, so I took advantage of a pre-dawn drive to the ski hill (Day 1!) to catch a photo of the rising sun behind us. I've driven this route countless times and even seen the sunrise from my rear-view mirror. Today may have been the first time that I'd watch the sun rise as a passenger.

Day 17 - Tuesday, January 17

The birds and the bees and the flowers and the trees

Today's adventure takes us outside (sensing a theme yet?): Find a nearby trail to hike and notice the nature/wildlife.

Can you identify the trees? Which ones still have leaves on them? What's growing on the ground? Are the nests in any of the trees?

For the first time in 2 weeks, I didn't do any trail running on the weekend, and so I don't didn't hit any trails.

Day 18 - Wednesday, January 18
Throw away the directions

So you think you know your neighborhood? Today we invite you to explore your hometown (and beyond). Take a drive (or a bike ride) without a map. If you're with someone, take turns choosing which direction to go when you reach an intersection.

Bonus: Park when the feeling is right and go explore on foot.

Extra bonus: For a different kind of adventure, try this on a trail. (Just remember to bring a map and compass!)

There was no time to do this today, and I'd have to drive a bit before getting someplace that I'd never explored and where I wouldn't think that my safety was an issue. But, as an honorable mention, my brother and I did drive around Newark, New Jersey, one time sans map and Smartphone, hit a detour, thought we were lost, and miraculously found the interstate that we wanted. In a residential neighborhood. Of course.

Day 19 - Thursday, January 19
More than a trillion choices

Our world is full of many colors. Have you noticed lately?

Choose your favorite color for the day and head outside to take note of all the places and ways it shows up in your world. What are the different shades? Where do they appear? Be sure to look up, down and under. Take a picture of your favorite.

If you're feeling extra adventurous, take at least five pictures of your color and share them with others.

First, I had a tough time choosing a color. Green popped into my head. Then purple. Then, I interpreted the prompt as finding those colors not only outside but also in nature, and I wondered how on earth I'd find anything living in D.C. that was not currently brown. It turns out that shrubs are still green. And there are plenty of green traffic lights in the city.

Day 20 - Friday, January 20
Get your blood flowing

Today we're going to get our bodies moving.

Try a new sport or outdoor activity today (or one you haven't done in years). Run one mile. Rent snowshoes and go for a hike. Maybe there's an ice skating rink or perfect hill for sledding near you. Ever tried curling? Bicycle polo? Skijoring?

What sport have you always wondered what it might be like to try? What are you waiting for? Go try it!

I can't get my act together fast enough to wake up and say, "Hey! I'm going to try a new sport or outdoor activity today!" and actually do it.  But, I've been planning to try trapeze at TSNY once my pinched nerve disappears. Until then, it's running, yoga, pilates, and skiing for this girl!

Day 21 - Saturday, January 21
Wish upon a star

For your adventure today, set your alarm for 1:00am. Head outside and check out the constellations.

If you're in the city (or it's too cloudy) and you can't see the night sky, see how many constellations you can name. Grab a constellation book (or consult the Internet) to learn more.

Ah, urban living + cloudy skies = no constellations. I know that the only ones I can identify are the Big and Little Dippers, and Orion.

Day 22 - Sunday, January 22
Get out the play

Play outside for 30 minutes today! Need inspiration? Pretend you're a kid again and remember the outdoors is full of "natural" toys waiting to come to life with a bit of imagination. 

All work and no play make Stephanie a dull girl.

Actually, today was a crazy raw day: there were a few flakes in the morning, but otherwise it was freezing drizzle. All. Day. Long. Subpar outdoor play conditions. I'm taking a raincheck on this one.

I'm blogging weekly recaps of my 31 Days of Adventure on Mondays, but if you can't wait until next Monday, I'm tweeting my daily adventures at @usuallystephani with the hashtag #31adventures.

31 Days of Adventure is crafted by 

and

ॐ

I'm entered in a Facebook photo contest for a ski trip to snowy Whistler. Please help a mid-Atlantic girl out (I mean, come on, check out the conditions I'm skiing in!) and vote for my entry. You can a vote EVERY day until midnight, Mountain Time, February 1. Thanks!

31 Days of Adventure: Week 2

This week's 31 Days of Adventure prompts were challenging for me to accomplish the same day. I also wasn't able to accomplish at least one of the prompts this week, either. Part of this, no doubt, is because I'm too rigidly scheduled on a day-to-day basis to add in spontaneity. If you think I'm kidding, ask me how far in advance I need to schedule meetups with local friends (hint: it's not just me)! 

Day 9 - Monday, January 9

Connect the old-fashioned way

Many of us have family and friends spread all over the globe. Emails, Facebook updates, texts and blog comments are all great ways to stay connected. But think about the joy that comes from a hand-addressed letter in the snail-mailbox. When's the last time you sent a handwritten letter just to say hi?

Today, go analog and send a card (or letter) to someone far away. Or heck, send a postcard to your next door neighbor.

Find a card laying around the house. If you don't have a card, use a piece of paper, or you can get creative and make your own. Then write a nice note, address, stamp and send!

I picked up this card from NPR when I stopped by their offices in December to participate in a listener survey, and on Tuesday, I sent it off to one of my favorite NPR junkies in Oregon.

Postcard front.

Day 10 - Tuesday, January 10

Pull out a $10 word

Learn a new word  and incorporate it into a conversation with a loved one or colleague.

Bonus challenge: Strike up a conversation with a stranger and use your new word.

Extra-extra bonus: Make up your own word, teach it to someone else and use it in a sentence with a stranger.

So my first challenge was finding a new word.  Luckily, I play Scrabble with Jonathan online all the time, and he usually decimates me by 100 points. This is because he knows a billion more words than I do and has memorized the two-letter words. Speaking of two- letter words, what does "AE" mean?

Apparently it's Scottish for "one."

Now, here's where I admit that I did not teach a single person this new word. I just couldn't weave it into conversation, mostly because I had no idea who to use it in context. But, if you're reading this post, consider yourself schooled in "ae."

Heh. "There can be only ae."

Day 11 - Wednesday, January 11

Ideas that are twice as nice

Friends and loved ones can add an element of spice to any adventure.

Today, why not invite a friend to join you on a creative endeavor? Here are a few ideas to get you thinking: make a meal together, paint a picture, sing a song, read a story aloud, build a sculpture or script a screenplay.

How does including another add to your experience?

Oy. Way too hard for me to accomplish, unless downhill skiing on Sunday is a creative endeavor. Sorry kids.

Day 12 - Thursday, January 12

Listen to the voices in your head

Today's adventure is about tuning into those voices and getting to know them a little more.

* * *

Listen to the voices in your head. We all have them (right? Or is it just me?). 

Throughout the day, they tell us what we should and shouldn't eat, who we should or should't talk to, and what we should and shouldn't do with ourselves. We don't even notice them most of the time—we just carry out their orders.

Today, stop and really LISTEN to those voices with intention—as if they're coming from a friend or family member. Which messages or instructions really stand out? Are there ones that you might need to defend yourself against? If so, stick up for yourself to that voice.

And, if there's a quiet little (or not so quiet little) voice that pipes up that you identify as your creative self—consider DOING what it asks of you rather than putting it on a shelf for another time (or worse—to be forgotten).

Neither of these is mine. I'm still a few steps away
from being a full-on dirtbag skier.

Speaking of skiing, I'm a very geographically-challenged alpine skier, and the not-so-little voice in my head has been nagging about this for a while. I thought I gave in to this fix somewhat last winter, but apparently not enough....it must be because I don't yet have the prerequisite vehicle for being a dirtbag skier.

Day 13 - Friday, January 13

The gift of vulnerability

Sometimes it can seem like we're alone in the world. And that we need (or it's easier) to do everything ourselves. We're here to challenge that assumption with today's adventure: Ask for help.

It can be hard to ask others for help. (It's usually much easier to offer to help others.) What do you need help with today?

Go ahead. Be brave. And vulnerable. Ask for help.

Does asking someone to get the tomato paste from the top shelf at the grocery store count? I'm 5 feet tall. I have an okay vertical leap, but I can rarely reach the top shelf at the grocery store. 

By the way, being a damsel in distress is sometimes my M.O. Just sayin'.

Day 14 - Saturday, January 14

What do you know?

Today's adventure is about learning. And sharing. And gaining knowledge. But it's really about sharing that new knowledge with others.

Choose a topic you know nothing about (maybe you've been curious about this topic for awhile) and find information or an article about it. Read it. Then tell someone what you learned.

This past week, I've been trying to figure out whether there was a physiological difference between sprinters (runners) and the rest of us, other than more slow twitch fibers. Lucky for me, in 2009, researchers at Penn State published the results of a study where they found that a part of sprinters' Achilles tendons was shorter than the rest of the general population, causing the calf to contract more slowly and generate greater power. Or something like that. Anyway, that's what I explained to Jonathan over IM, while he was kicking my butt in Scrabble (see above). I'm not sure I really understand what the lever arm of the Achilles tendon is. If you do, please let me know.

Day 15 - Sunday, January 15

Embrace the elements

Feel the weather on your face today. Whether it's snow, rain, sun or wind, go outside and expose your cheeks to whatever the day brings. In the winter, it's easy to bundle up and bury our chins in scarves.

But today, at least for a few minutes, wake up your soul and your skin by basking in the day's weather. Be present to the weather today and pay attention. There's nothing like a little weather to keep you in the moment.

Hey, I was thrilled it was sunny and over 30˚F when I headed out for a run this morning. Just as thrilling is that I have discernable eyelashes in this photo. They're usually stubby.

I'm blogging weekly recaps of my 31 Days of Adventure on Mondays, but if you can't wait until next Monday, I'm tweeting my daily adventures at @usuallystephani with the hashtag #31adventures.

31 Days of Adventure is crafted by 

and

31 Days of Adventure: Week 1

The first full week of 31 Days of Adventure has concluded, and here's what happened:

Day 2 - Monday, January 2

Notice the little things

It's often easy to overlook the little things as we go about our days. Today's adventure invites you to pause and notice the littlest things: The way the light comes in the window. The rise and fall of your chest as you breath (or maybe the breath of whoever else is in the room). The patterns made by the trees. How do the little things add adventure to your day? What have you discovered that you missed before?

More often than not, I'm drinking a cold soy chai or water out of a pint glass that looks like this. I've never noticed that bubble in the glass before...

Day 3 - Tuesday, January 3

Remap your route

Ever feel like you’re totally stuck in a rut and doing the same thing day in and day out? For your daily adventure today, consider a different means of transportation to work (or school). Can you bike? Walk? Take a bus or carpool? Or, if you can’t do that, take a different (maybe more scenic) route and see what you discover.

Having lived and worked in the same places for a number of years, I've already taken the most direct routes between the two. But I rarely take this bus in this direction, especially on a day that much of the city's inhabitants are returning to work after the holiday break. Today, two pre-schoolers got on the bus at my stop with an adult, and another passenger decided to launch into an 8-block soliloquy on why there should be school buses for city kids.

Day 4 - Wednesday, January 4

Stretch your brain

It's often said that knowledge is power. What have you learned recently? For today's adventure, learn something new.

Today the Capital Weather Gang tweeted that although the radar for areas north/northeast of DC showed precipitation, the anticipated snow showers or flurries weren't making it to the ground. Why? Because it's "virga." Sigh.

Day 5 - Thursday, January 5

Get foodie with it

The colors and aromas of ethnic cuisines from around the world can open us up to all kinds of adventure. For today's adventure, try a new food. 

I wasn't able to get to this adventure on Thursday, but on Saturday night, I hit a local Burmese restaurant and had Ohno Kaukswe, Apollo's long lost cousin an egg noodle, broth, and coconut milk soup. It was pretty delish!

Day 6 - Friday, January 6

Rock out to a new beat

Break out of your regular playlist and listen to new music today. Check out your local venues and go see a new band. Change your Pandora station to something you've never heard of. Listen to an opera in its entirety.

Oh man. My taste in music is stuck somewhere in the 90s. Or 70s. Or somewhere in between. About all I'm good for is karaoke. After a Twitter-based plea, Amy and Deb came to the rescue. Amy recommended The Jezabels. I pulled them up on iTunes and listened to a few samples. Not bad.  Deb recommended (via Paige) African Essentials on Pandora. This is where I admit that I have never used Pandora. I'm a lost cause.

In the end, I stayed true to my NPR roots. I pulled up the music page to see what was going on. Lo! Primus on World Cafe! I don't think I've ever listened to World Cafe. So I did. 

Then I realized that even if I've never listened to World Cafe, Primus was definitely in my familiarity zone. So then I streamed The Mix: The Sounds of globalFEST.

Done. Not my usual playlist.

Day 7 - Saturday, January 7

Heighten your awareness

Today is all about adventures for the senses. Focus on all your senses today. What does the air smell like? Can you pick out particular sounds in your environment? What car is rattling? Which one has the bass booming? What color is dominating your landscape today?

It hit a whopping 68˚F today, so I actually got to wear a tank top on a run, in January. Feeling 68˚F air on my arms in early January while at "home"? A little weird for someone who has lived her entire life above the 38th parallel.

Day 8 - Sunday, January 8

Expand Your Circle

Have breakfast, lunch or dinner with someone you don’t know well. Whether it’s the colleague you’ve been meaning to get to know, or an acquaintance you made at a recent social event, take the opportunity to spend time with someone outside your normal circles.

I met some gals back in December, when the new Athleta store in Georgetown was hosting a winter running clinic. One of them organized a group run for this morning, making it pretty easy for me to have a meal with people I don't know well, or at all, for that matter. After nearly 7.5 miles, we pulled into a Mexican grill for some breakfast. YUM. I'm pretty certain that I could live on just breakfast sandwiches and good conversation.

I'm blogging weekly recaps of my 31 Days of Adventure on Mondays, but if you can't wait until next Monday, I'm tweeting my daily adventures at @usuallystephani with the hashtag #31adventures.

31 Days of Adventure is crafted by 

and

Kicking Off 31 Days of Adventure

Day 1 - January 1, 2012

Today's adventure is all about seeing things in a new and different light. Take a photo of something familiar from a new angle: up close; upside down; from above; from underneath.

What do you notice? What's interesting? Unique?

Ever since Honey I Shrank the Kids this article roughly a week ago in the Wall Street Journal about ridiculous job interview questions, I've actually thought for more than a milli-second about what it would be like to be shrunk to the height of a nickel (and stuck in a blender).

"You are shrunk to the height of a nickel 
and thrown into a blender. Your mass is 
reduced so that your density is 
the same as usual. The blades start 
moving in 60 seconds. What do you do?"

Um, right. That's apparently a question that Google job applicants are asked, should they make it to the interview phase. No, I don't work at Google. But, I was inspired to see what things looked like from the inside of a refrigerated cheese counter when I saw what was in store for Day 1 of the 31 Days of Adventure. What's most noticeable and  interesting, respectively, are the light and reflection on the glass. And that I'm now craving some cheese...

I'm blogging weekly recaps of my 31 Days of Adventure on Mondays, but if you can't wait until next Monday, I'm tweeting my daily adventures at @usuallystephani with the hashtag #31adventures.

31 Days of Adventure is crafted by 

and

Incipio: 31 Days of Adventure

Happy New Year!

Yesterday, the Next Level ski camp at Squaw next weekend with Jessica Sobolowski-Quinn, Ingrid Backstrom, and Michelle Parker – three women who absolutely rip on the slopes – was canceled. I'd been looking forward to this camp for months, but sadly, there's just zero snow at Squaw, and I don't think the cancellation was a huge surprise to anyone glued to the snow reports. Alas. Coincidentally, my dreams of skiing big lines with some rockstar women was snuffed by email a few minutes before my first email from the gals at 31 Days of Adventure. What's that cliché? One door closes and another opens or something?

I signed up for 31 Days of Adventure last week without knowing anything about it other than a few women who I follow on Twitter were doing it and an intentionally vague blurb on the website. The brainchild of Amy at Expand Outdoors and Lydia of Wander Lydia, the gist of the project is that while some adventures are larger than life, others are right in our backyards. It's a reminder that we don't need to take overnight flights to the end of the world – or to Squaw, I suppose – to feed our quests for adventure.

To that end, 31 Days of Adventure is posting an adventure a day to kick off 2012, or you can get your daily adventure in your inbox. Here's what showed up today:

Ah, a change in perspective for the New Year!