lean in

Lean In is a women's empowerment foundation established following the release of Sheryl Sandberg's book Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead. I haven't read this book yet, but I have genuinely enjoyed reading some of the content on the Lean In website. (Check out the 'Letters from Dad'.)

One of the projects started by Lean In is 'What Would You Do If You Weren't Afraid?', which is based on the following premise...

Studies show that even after college, women are less ambitious than their male peers. They avoid leadership roles. They are afraid to speak up. 

Why do women harbor such fear? Why are they afraid to raise their hands? 

...and it got me thinking.  What would I do if I wasn't afraid?

At first I thought "I'm not afraid", and in the conventional sense, I'm not. But then I realised that there are subtle fears shaping my life. For example, I would love to travel more, but with only 4 weeks annual leave a year, I would probably have to quit my job to truly pursue that goal. And while I really like my job, which is the main reason I haven't just packed and left, I'm also afraid that a prolonged period of travel could negatively effect my future career prospects.

So here is brief list of some of things I would do if I wasn't afraid.

1. Travel the world for 12 months or so

2. Talk to my parents more openly

3. Believe that I can (do anything)

Which then leads me to the question... what would you do if you weren't afraid?

- Dani

explore the unknown

The Weekend Walkabout Challenge has kicked off!

Week 1 was all about exploring the unknown. Having chosen a park I'd never been to before, in a region I'd never visited before, I'd say the unknown was certainly explored.

Despite my desktop research about the various walks in the You Yangs Regional Park, on the day I decided to 'wing it'. By which I mean, I parked at a random location and chose a spontaneous route from there on.

Please note I would not use this approach in a park without clear walking tracks and signage.

With one hydration backpack (filled with icy water), one phone, a few dog treats and one dog, I set off.

From the Big Rock picnic area we headed towards The Saddle along Rockwell Rd. Now at this point I have to admit, I didn't chose the best walk. At least 2-3 km of our walk was along a dirt road and walking along a dirt road isn't particularly interesting. Ah well, it was nice being spontaneous.

Once we reached The Saddle, things got a little bit more interesting. There were a number a smaller, more interesting paths to choose from. There was the East walk, West walk and Saddleback track.

Intrigued by the Bunjil geoglyph, we took the Saddleback track, which was predominantly a dirt track heading straight down.

I dislike walking downhill at the best of times. Add an impatient young canine and it was bordering on painful. Luckily we managed to reach the bottom without too much skidding and sliding, and it was a pleasant walk from there to the geoglyph.

The geoglyph was somewhat interesting, but does not need to be seen up close. If you want to see it in its entirety, I recommend walking to the lookout on the Flinders Peak track. (Of course, I didn't know this til later.)

Now it was time to head back up the hill. At this point I was planning to head straight back to our starting point, but... when we reached Turntable picnic area and I saw groups of people heading up to Flinders Peak I thought "challenge accepted".

At this point we'd been walking for 1.5 hours, but I was there, in the moment, with energy to burn. So 450 steps and steep gradients seemed a logical thing to do. Besides, you can't go somewhere and not reach the top, right?

So Maple and I bounded up the Flinders Peak track at a cracking speed. I was feeling fit and energised. Despite all the extra weight I was carrying (being overweight and all), I felt like my old-self again. The sporty, adventurous lass that I used to be. It was great.

The view at the top was pretty good, but the feeling of accomplishment, of having pushed myself and risen to the occasion, was even better.

But that wasn't enough for Miss Maple. She stepped it up a notch on the way back down from the peak and I ended up running the rest of the way. (Who would have thought it?!)

Eventually, 2.5 hours after we'd started, we were back at Big Rock picnic area. Tired, a little sore, but grinning stupidly.

Using the app, MapMyHike, I was able to track where I walked, how fast I walked and the elevation throughout my walk. Pretty nifty.

So there you have it, 11.37 km hiked over two and a half hours (during which I burned over 1500 calories). A fantastic adventure, so much better than spending the day pottering around the house.

I strongly recommend any of the walks at the You Yangs. There is enough variety to suit most fitness levels. And if you are very fit, you can always run instead.

Now I am thrilled about next weekend. What better way to challenge myself than the 1000 steps Kokoda Walk!

- Dani

Tokyo

This post is about my time in Tokyo, Japan. It was such a fantastic experience and I feel that if I don't write it down somewhere 'permanent' then I might start forgetting the details. So I hope you don't mind if I share this adventure with you.

***

Japan, land of the rising sun, home of samurais, ninjas and geishas, of temples, towers and (super fast) trains. While Japan has never been at the top of my 'go to' list, I've had a fascination with the country and culture since I was taught Japanese in primary school. 

I can't really remember how it happened, but at some point Dan and I decided that we wanted to go to Japan. So Japan leapt ahead of South America and India (at the top of my current 'travel list'), and we booked flights, accommodation, etc.

Sensei Zucchini (Zucchini wasn't actually her name, but we were young and it sounded similar) was the first person to introduce me to Japan. She was my primary school's Japanese teacher and I was probably 8 years old. Over the next couple of years, Sensei Zucchini taught us Japanese characters, simple words and how to pick up popcorn with chopsticks.

While I didn't have to write any Japanese or pick up popcorn with chopsticks (they use their hands just like us), this introduction proved invaluable. My accent was understandable and our awareness of their culture/traditions helped avoid embarrassment.

There is potential for this post to turn into a bit of thesis, so I'll try to keep things as brief as possible.

Our first day involved: Napping on the train ride from the airport for Tokyo station; exploring Shinjuku by day; exploring Shinkjuku by night; eating dinner in Shibuya; visiting Meiji Shrine during the crazy festivities of Shogatsu; oh and how could I forget, counting down (from 60 - wha?) to the New Year at the most packed bar I've ever been to in my life.

Shinjuku

Meiji Shrine

The end of a ridiculously long count down at a gaijin bar in Shinjuku

Yes, Dan and I arrived in Tokyo on New Years Eve. Most people in Japan go to temples (or a j-pop concert if you're in Tokyo), and there is very in little in the way of big public events (i.e., no fireworks). But we found a gajin (foreigner) bar and it became one of the most uncomfortable moments in my life. It was physically impossible to move from one area of the bar to another. At one point a Japanese lady seemed glued against Dan while we tried to make an exit. It was so packed, she literally got dragged along by the people trying to leave. But I would never take back that experience... it was certainly a memorable night.

Shinjuku on NYE

The rest of our adventures in Tokyo completely won me over. I'm going to say it - I love Tokyo.

From the madness of the shopping districts, to the tranquillity of some of the temples/parks (though the temples have more of a festival feel near the New Year), to the laid-back, jovial atmosphere in the 'pubs'. Tokyo seemed to have everything.

Ameyoko shopping street, Ueno

Roppongi Hills

Yakitori bar in Ueno

Wasabi for sale at Tsukiji Fish Market

Meiji Shine

Ramen at Ippudo

Photos from our visit to a Maid Cafe in Akihabara

Ueno Park

I feel incredibly lucky that Dan and I had a chance to see 'quiet Tokyo' and 'bustling Tokyo'. Let me explain. Around the New Year Japanese people celebrate Shogatsu and during this period many people gather with their families, often outside the major cities. So during our first 3 days in Tokyo, quite a few restaurants were closed, streets were desolate and crowds were at a minimum. Upon our return to Toyko, before our flight back home, we encountered packed trains, crowded markets and activity on every corner. Tokyo was alive and vibrant - it was energising.

A very quiet Ginza on New Years Day

Lively Shibuya

View from our hotel room, Hanzomon

Before my visit, most people told me "you don't need long in Tokyo", but I entirely disagree. If you only want to see temples and museums, then Tokyo might not have as much to offer as say... Kyoto. But there is more to Japan than 'the old world'. Each little area of Tokyo has something different to offer and we didn't even see 10% of it. Furthermore, there are so many day trips you can do from Tokyo.

Dan and I could have spent to the entire two weeks based in Tokyo. But we didn't.
Hopefully there will be a next time.

- Dani