On Believing in Yourself

This story goes back a few years to when I went to Israel on Birthright with Israel Outdoors.  Unlike most people, I did not have a life-changing Israel experience. I don't know if I'd even classify it as a great experience. I actually left feeling less confident in myself and felt so alienated from Judaism that I didn't re-join the Jewish community until last spring. This is not something that I often share because there were several causes for it and I don't think it's necessarily a productive conversation, but I definitely had a tough time.

One of the real sticking points of my trip was the sunrise climb up Masada. We left at something like 5 in the morning to be on the top of the mountain for the sunrise. I was on a hiking trip, which I was assurred was not very tough, and this hike in particular was "very easy." Well, not to me it wasn't.  I wasn't in the best shape and I was wearing the wrong shoes. I didn't make it for the sunrise, and I caused two others {the ones who had to wait with me} to miss it also. Although one of them was trying to reassure me, her words of, "well, I guess we're gonna miss it," just made it so much worse. After that experience, I swore I would never go hiking again.

{Sunrise NOT from the top of Masada}

Clearly, I didn't stick to that, but all summer I've been self-conscious of being the "slow one." I'm a slow-and-steady hiker at the best of times, and I was very nervous that if I went on a sunrise hike, we just wouldn't make it, and it would be my fault. But, as I did some hiking, I noticed that I wasn't really holding anyone back, that I was more fit and we always made it to where we said we were going. I also realized that I am NOT the person that I was 5 years ago, and that I had changed not only in my abilities, but also because I no longer allow people to make me feel inferior.

{Yoga near the Matterhorn}

 So, one morning, a friend and I hiked to the top of a mountain for the sunrise. It was a glorious, clear day, and the mountains were simply breathtaking.

{Looking towards Niesen}

{Lohner, Nunnihorn and Wildstrubel at sunrise}

In honor of believing in myself and conquering fears, I greeted the sunrise.

Don't let your past determine your future.

Bucket List: Learning Chinese

After I made the decision to renew my contract in Tianjin, I realized how foolish I'd been. I'd lived in China for almost a whole year and I could speak maybe 20 words of Chinese. Ridiculous.

So, I inquired with some expat friends of mine, and found a fabulous tutor who teaches me Chinese twice a week.

I'll admit, it sounds very impressive. We've all been told that Mandarin is the hardest language to learn. But, I am here to say, it's not so bad. The tones are tricky, but easier to grasp when you hear them all the time. The grammar is a bit easier than English because you can only say things so many ways {unlike in English, where you can have all kinds of sentence structures and participles, and I don't even know}. And, I'm noticing that Chinese is a language that snowballs. You know a little, and then, all of a sudden, you know a LOT.

At this point in my Chinese journey, I can only do limited things. I can order my coffee, I can order food at restaurants, I can ask basic questions, I can buy train tickets, and I can answer typical questions from taxi drivers like, "where are you from? Why are you in China?" I can also get the gist of some signs and recognize about 200 characters. I'm on, maybe, a 1st grade reading level. But, it feels good to not be the "clueless foreigner" all the time.

Over the next few months, I'll be sharing this journey with you, and keeping you updated with my progress. Obviously, I am no expert, but I'm excited to de-bunk some of the myths about learning Chinese!

Tokyo: Shrines

Even though it seems that all I did in Tokyo was go to the Tokyo Disney Resort, I actually did a lot of exploring on my own. I tried to take a bike tour, but it was gross and rainy most of the time I was there so it wasn't an option.

That didn't stop me from walking around and seeing some of the big sites! I hit two of the most famous shrines in Tokyo, the Sensoji Shrine in Asakusa and the Meiji Shrine near Harajuku. I actually stayed in Asakusa so I walk by the Sensoji Shrine on my way to the subway {the Tokyo train system is awesome!} and I did quite a bit of roaming, eating, and shopping in this area.

I equally loved the Meiji Shrine and Harajuku. The neighborhood is young and hip {am I old for using that word?} in that there are many little boutiques and french toast shops {waffles and french toast as snacks are all the rage in Asia at the moment}. It just has a small-town vibe in a big city. And the shrine? You have to walk 10-15 minutes through a gorgeous forest to get there and the shrine itself is quite and refreshing. Whereas the Sensoji Shrine is big, and crowded, and vibrant, the Meiji Shrine is much more serene. It was breath-taking.

Here are a few more pictures of random things I saw. I will definitely be back to Japan!

Where have you gone lately? Any new places or experiences {even where you live?}.

Tokyo: Disneyland

After my 1st day at the Tokyo Disney Resort, I knew I couldn't leave without riding Space Mountain or It's a Small World. So, I returned for a second day to visit the second park in the resort. This park is just like the Magic Kingdom and the Disneyland parks around the world with it's own twist for Tokyo.

Instead of Main Street U.S.A., this one has the World Bazar, which looks and feels like Main Street, only it's covered.

Some other quirks to Tokyo Disneyland? The Haunted Mansion is themed to Nightmare Before Christmas. I've never watched that movie, but Haunted Mansion definitely didn't disappoint.

As always, you can find the Disney mainstays like Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, and It's a Small World.

And, of course, the castle.

I couldn't leave without watching a parade or two, and although I tried to stay for the fireworks show, it was cancelled due to weather.

All in all, it was a fantastic couple of days.

Tokyo: Disney Sea

When I started my journey as a Disney Cast Member 7 years ago {really that long? ack!} I was most excited about free theme park admission. Sure, there are other perks, but I grew up going to Walt Disney World for every vacation, and it is a Bucket List item to visit every Disney Park in the world. Am I obsessed? Possibly.

So, you can imagine when I planned my trip to Tokyo that I planned some time at the Tokyo Disney Resort. This was hard for me. There is so much to do in Tokyo, and so many potential day trips, and I wanted to do all of them. To compromise this, I decided to buy a one-day ticket and to start at Tokyo Disney Sea {there are two parks, Tokyo Disneyland, and Tokyo Disney Sea, and like WDW, they require separate admission. There are not park-hopper passes}. I figured, Tokyo Disneyland is JUST like the Magic Kingdom, and if I was only going for one day, I would rather experience something new.

This park is like a cross between EPCOT and Disney's Hollywood Studios. It is home to 7 lands or "ports of call" which sort of resemble the World Showcase in EPCOT. Various rides can be found in their appropriate Port of Call {The Tower of Terror and Toy Story Mania were in New York, for instance} and there were even a few imaginary ones. Mermaid's Lagoon was an underground respite from the sun, and Mysterious Island boasted attractions such as Journey to the Center of the Earth and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

I loved this park!

When you go to the Tokyo Disney Resort, you have to take a train from the city and then connect with the Disney Resort Line. You feel like you're in Disney right away with trains that look like this:

I was obviously smitten. The day kept getting better as I experience the magic of Tower of Terror, Indiana Jones, Minnie Mouse Ice Cream and Mermaid Lagoon.

And, I even ran into a few friends along the way!

Needless to say, I had so much fun that I had to extend my one-day ticket into a two-day ticket and go to Tokyo Disneyland the next day!

Bucket List: The Great Wall

Hello, friends! Long time no see! Things have been busy 'round these parts: I recently took a trip to Thailand for Spring Festival {Chinese New Year} and then my sister came to Beijing to visit.

One of the things we did while she was The Great Wall. It was awesome, y'all. I've seen a few things in my life, but the wall? Superb.

Our hotel arranged for a private car for us {not as expensive as it sounds, and well worth it if you're considering a trip to China} and together with a few of my friends we made the trek out there.

The sky was blue {not always the case here!}, the air was crisp, and it was the perfect day. And, I got to cross another thing off my Bucket List.

A perfect day. What have you crossed off your Bucket List lately?

The Day I Fell From the Sky

I've been hinting at this one for awhile {and if you follow me on Twitter, you already know} but I WENT SKYDIVING. It was SO fun!

My aunt Cindy and I went in honor of my graduation. We've both always wanted to go, and this seemed like such a good time. It was not what I expected, but wonderful nonetheless.

First, we got to put on some serious harnesses. My usual climbing harness had nothing on these!

Each tandem student was matched with an instructor who went over basic procedures and safety. Really, it boiled down to "don't touch this, do this, hold onto that," which was fine with me! Then, each team was put into a "load." While we waited for our load we thought about all of the instructions and watched other divers land.

We walked to the plane and climbed in on a ladder that looked like a spare fence that had been welded to the correct height.

The plane took off {I didn't even notice this part, I was so excited}.

We got ready.

Moved to the door. This was the only time I was unsure during this whole process. It's an awesome thing to stand at the door of an airplane and watch your aunt jump out, knowing you're next!

And jumped! My instructor {who was awesome} had to help me remember my instructions because I was so disoriented at first {probably because he did a back flip out of the plane which was also amazing!}.

We spent about 60 seconds in free fall {so they tell me. I was just having fun} which definitely doesn't feel like you're falling. It's like laying down flat over a HUGE fan, and it's pretty spectacular.

Kip pulled the parachute {which I didn't really notice except that suddenly, there was some MAJOR lifting of my boobs: note to self, wear sports bra next time!} and we were pulled upward. We spent the next 5 {???} minutes coasting to the ground.

It didn't feel like we were moving at all until we got closer to the ground. I wished I would have spoken up and told Kip that he could do whatever he wanted with the parachute. Skydivers can do some awesome things. Next time, I'll be sure to let my instructor know!

We coasted gently to the ground and landed. I did it! Can't wait to do it again!

What have you done off your bucket list, lately?