I Just Tried Paintball (or "Why I'm Covered in Paint")

How much fun can you have with $37.50, a specialized weapon, a creepy mask and 500 paintballs? Turns out, quite a bit!

This past weekend, some members of The League of Adventurous Women visited Paintball-Sportsland in Frederick, Maryland where we had PERFECT weather for our four-hour blast fest.  When I say, "perfect," I mean that the day was warm enough to be comfortable but cool enough to wear a couple of layers for padding.  I've heard that being hit by a paintball can leave a welt or decent bruise.  The two shots I caught on my knuckles and the one that smacked into my elbow supported the claim. However, my vest, sweat shirt and sweat pants protected the rest of me pretty well.

Paintball mask before...

...Paintball mask after

Undoubtedly, most important part of anyone's protective gear is the creepy mask mentioned above.  Since the guns were shooting little green projectiles at about 198 miles per hour, you really could shoot your eye out and those masks turn out to be wonderful protection.

So here's how the day unfolded: My group of adventurous women joined the throng of guys (many in their teens) to pay the basic fee for rental and four hours of play time.  The rental included a gun (powered by compressed carbon dioxide), the mask, and a big bag of green balls--each encasing a blob of bright orange paint.  The play involved quite a few (I lost track) 15-minute scenarios in various locations including a "village," a "fort" and the woods.  The players (there were approximately 34 of us) were split into two opposing teams.

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Each game started with general instructions, a command to remove the "barrel plug" and safety then, "GO!" From that point on, the job was to hit as many opposing players as possible without being hit.  It was a combination of fun and adrenaline rush. Twice, I was hunkered behind a barrier while several players shot at me from different directions. Paintballs splattered all around, bounced off the ground, exploded on trees and rained paint all over me. In most games, a paintball or two hit their mark and then I'd be out for the remainder of the game.

Advancing in the village

Though the entire point is to "kill" one another, safety was stressed by the referees. Violating the rules earned you a black mark on your wrist band; three strikes and you were out for the day.

All in all, it was an exhilarating, and surprisingly exhausting, day.  At less than $10/hour, it was a bargain to boot.

Protecting the fort

Team Hoodie takes the woods

One final note: Paintball is a game and knowing that I could walk away after being "killed" by paint made me bold.  Having so many people trying to kill me made me very thankful that I don't live in a place where these rounds could be real. It also caused me to think about the men and women whose jobs routinely place them in harm's way. My thoughts are with all of you this Veteran's Day.

Be the Adventurous Woman on the Flying Trapeze!

I was one of those kids who often dreamed of flying through the neighborhood with arms outstretched and hair blowing in the wind.  I never thought I could make that dream a reality until I discovered Trapeze School New York.  This past weekend, some members of my Adventure Club and I took to the air at TSNY's Washington, DC location and had the time of our lives!

TSNY offers a choice of indoor or outdoor classes. Our group was split between the two options and found both to be enjoyable.  Our 2-hour beginning trapeze class started with the instructors cinching very snug harnesses around our middles, a 10-minute talk about the basics, and a brief demonstration. Then, it was time to climb.

I clapped and yelled when my friends took their turns on the platform but I'll admit that after chalking my hands and scaling the trembling 29-foot ladder, my enthusiasm started to wane. I had to take a breath and remind myself that I was doing this for FUN.

I stood in the middle of the platform, two ropes clipped to my harness, toes dangling off the edge, leaning out into space (Hips forward! Shoulders back!) and grasped the surprisingly heavy bar with my right hand. My left hand had a firm hold on the platform's support structure. The bar pulled me out, away from the platform so letting go of the support and grabbing the bar with two hands was a real mental effort (thanks for holding onto my harness, Scout). Bending my knees and hopping into the void was downright unnerving.

I was worried that my grip was too weak, and surprised by how physically hard it was to pull my knees up over the bar (it was a piece of cake in 4th grade) and how emotionally difficult it was to release my hands and hang upside down. It helped to have an instructor yelling commands: "KNEES UP! HANDS OFF! ARCH! LOOK AT YOUR HANDS!, HANDS ON THE BAR! KNEES DOWN! LET GO!. ( The delay between ears hearing and body doing did NOT help). What surprised me most was how rattled I felt when I finally dropped to that net and flipped to the ground. My heart was pounding and my head was spinning, BUT, it was so...so...cool!

Flight number two was a little easier, the third was easier still.  Each turn took each of us closer to our ultimate goal for the day -- being caught. Watching all the other fliers, I could see that timing was everything. Waiting for that split second of weightlessness at the top of the swing means you aren't fighting gravity when you try to change positions.  I never managed to get the timing right but at least I learned what I was supposed to do.

At the end of the 2-hour class, we had taken five turns each on the trapeze and all agreed that it was well worth the money and the time it took to get to the school. In fact, most of us signed up to fly again before we walked out the door.

If you want to be the adventurous woman on the flying trapeze, TSNY has schools in DC, New York, Boston and Los Angeles.  The cost is $55 for two hours (plus a $20 one-time registration fee).

If you want to see this flier in action (briefly), click here.

Photo credit: S. Anderson, video credit: G & D Stewart

Inner Tube Water Polo: Oh, Yes You Can!

My friend, Anne, was interviewed recently about her inner tube water polo team. She sent me a link to the TV broadcast and after watching the clip I was so inspired that I contacted my county's recreation office to press for an inner tube water polo league of our own.

What I like most about this goofy sport is that the inner tube is the great equalizer. As one of the the women in the clip states, even if you are an athlete, you aren't an athlete in an inner tube. The second best thing is that teams can compete outside during the summer and move to indoor pools the rest of the year.

Click here to see KECI-TV's story about a sport that may become near and dear to your heart.

Building a Better You

Building on a fitness and training theme, I thought some of you would be interested in knowing just where you stand -- so to speak. Here are two health challenges that will help you identify your strengths and weaknesses. Once you know what you need to work on, both provide you with the exercises and inspiration to move ahead

The President's Challenge: (Less adventurous) Reminiscent of junior high school, the President's Challenge tests aerobic ability, strength & endurance, flexibility, and body composition. You can enter all your test data online and receive instant fitness scores along with tips for improving

Outside Magazine's Fitness Challenge: (More adventurous) The magazine helps you determine your levels of core stability, long-range power, strength, rest & nutrition. Take their tests then follow their exercise suggestions to become the woman you always knew you could be. Your challenge begins on page 52 of the July issue.

July 4 Fun: Water Balloons

Next to the Pie Eating Contest, the second most popular activity at our neighborhood Fourth of July party is the water balloon toss. I'm sure you've all filled water balloons and you've all thrown them at your friends in years past but if you've never done a water balloon contest for 100, here are a few tips.

First, fill all your balloons the night before. We fill more than 400 balloons and it takes a looooong time.

Second, float your balloons in a tub of water. You can't pile a bunch of water balloons into a big container because the bottom balloons will burst. However, if you add enough water to your containers so that the balloons float, you can store quite a few without any breakage.

Third, create a BIG finale! Our contest involves your standard 4" water balloon but for the very last round, a brave few get 9" balloons. I don't make a lot of these because they're hard to store.

The competition. Each contestant needs a teammate. Teams start facing each other about an arm-length apart. When you yell, "Go!" player A tosses her water balloon to player B and then takes a step back. Player B tosses the balloon back to Player A. Player B then takes one step back. This continues until the balloon breaks. The team that keeps their balloon in play the longest, wins.

Water balloons are a guilty pleasure for most adults. They act like they're beyond this kind of thing but secretly they're dying to do it. If you have a little kid ask an adult to please be his/her partner in the contest, the adult is sure to say, "yes."

July 4 Fun: Pie Eating Contest

Every year my family celebrates America's Independence Day with a big neighborhood party and one of the highlights of the afternoon is the pie eating contest. The standard "county fair" version of this competition would involve a bunch of big eaters each with his or her own double-crust fruit pie that they would try to consume as quickly as possible without using their hands.

We've developed our own take on this American classic for a couple of reasons. First, if you have read this blog for a while, you know that I can't bake a pie. Second, I didn't want anyone choking on a piece of crust and ruining all the fun. Third, I wanted a contest for all ages.

So, here's a fool-proof recipe for some easy Fourth of July fun:

Get Ready...

Prepare an enormous vat of chocolate pudding (I mix up a bunch of boxes of Jell-o instant pudding in my biggest spaghetti pot).

Buy many tubs of Cool Whip (I use Cool Whip Lite). Make sure to thaw them before the big event.

Purchase some disposable paper bowls and a lot of paper towel.

Get set...

Pick a spot for your contest. I suggest a grassy area or any place that you can hose off after the event.

Set up a table that can take abuse and have several rolls of paper towel nearby.

Make your pies. Add 1 cup of pudding to a disposable bowl. Top with 1/4 cup of Cool Whip. Make sure that every pie is identical so the contest is fair. I make about 10 pies at a time and have a "staff" making more as we need them (we go through a lot of pies).

Go!

Call "Round 1!" We start with 10 year olds. They're brave enough to go first and will inspire the younger kids. We save the adults for the grand finale.

Place a pie in front of each contestant. Have long-haired pie eaters tie their hair back. Make everyone put their hands behind their backs and explain that the first one to completely eat their pie -- without using hands -- is the winner.

Yell, "Ready! Set! Go!"

Stand back

Finally, announce the winner, hand out paper towel (they'll need it) and call "Round 2!"




Photo credit: Mike Scanlon

This Weekend: GET OUT!

Spring is in the air, which translates to cold, wet and windy where I live, but the greening world and increasing sunlight make me want to plan for the gorgeous days to come. Recently, The Adventure Blog ran a few posts that I've been saving for a day like today. Click here for a piece on Backpacker Magazine's top US hikes. This link takes you to a piece on 10 of the best "undiscovered" treks around the world. One more for good luck, click here to learn about 10 great bike trails.

The Great Sunflower Project

There's been a lot of discussion in the last few years about the disappearance of bees. Because our food supply relies so heavily on pollination by our tiny friends, this situation is serious. The Great Sunflower Project aims to help scientists track bee populations by enlisting citizen scientists (you) and lemon queen sunflowers.

Here's the buzz (honestly, you knew that would have to creep in here somewhere). There are four easy steps:

Register yourself and describe your location here. You will receive a packet of lemon queen sunflower seeds -- organizers plan to start shipping this month -- to plant in your newly registered space.

Plant your seeds. If you don't have a garden, no problem. Lemon queen sunflowers can be grown in pots on a deck or patio.

Observe bees. Twice a month the GSP will ask you to spend a bit of time bonding with your sunflower and recording how long it takes for five bees to visit your plant. This won't take more than 30 minutes because if you don't have five bees in 30 minutes the project wants to know.

Submit your data online. Easy.

I can't think of a more pleasant way to celebrate summer and do a community service project at the same time.

Image: courtesy of Ginny Stibolt

Australian Adventure: Your Own Island and $100,000

Wow! If you're seeking employment, want to live on an island for six months, earn about $100,000(US) a year and blog about your experiences, you're in luck! As a promotion to bring tourist dollars to Australia's Queensland state, Australian tourism officials have created the "Best Job in the World." They will select one lucky person to spend six months enjoying Hamilton Island and blogging about it so the rest of the world can be jealous. All you have to do is submit a 60-second video application. The top candidates will be flown to Hamilton Island in May for the final selection. The toughest part of this job may be connecting to the site. When I first clicked in all was working properly but in the last few hours, world-wide interest has clogged the system. Be patient, you have until February 22 to apply. Your job starts July 1. Good Luck!

http://www.islandreefjob.com/

It's Time for Scuba Lessons!

If you live in a cold climate, you’re saying to yourself, “There is no way I’m going to start diving in January! That’s an adventure I’ll save for a 90 degree day.” Well, here’s another way to look at it. Learning to dive in the winter months means 1) you escape the after-the-holidays blahs, 2) you’ll be able to dive when you head to Florida or the islands for Spring Break 3) you’ll be in an indoor pool having a great time!

To get us all started, I asked Trevor Foulk, Travel & Training Director of Atlantic Edge Dive Center in Gaithersburg, Maryland (USA) to answer a few questions about scuba lessons. If this Q&A leaves you wanting more information, Trevor says you should e-mail him and he’ll do his best to help (see the bottom of this post). Now that’s service!

Trevor: It is a very, very rare person that learns to dive and thinks, “That was a waste of my time and money.” One of the most common messages I hear from students that have gone off and done their first dive trip is, “That was a life changing experience.” A lot of would-be divers have built up a barrier in their minds that getting certified is going to be hard, but it’s a lot easier than most people think.

AWB: What can a novice expect to learn at a beginning scuba class?

Trevor: In an entry level course, students will learn the basics of diving broken out into two main categories: In-water “diving skills” and classroom-based “dive theory.” The two most important in-water skills new divers learn are how to clear their masks and how to control their buoyancy underwater. As most snorkelers can attest, getting water in the mask can really be a pain. Add to that the fact that, when diving, you’re underwater with no way to simply dump the water out and you can see why clearing the mask is so important. The other key skill is buoyancy – that is, the ability to control whether you are floating or sinking. Divers want to achieve neutral buoyancy, where you are neither floating nor sinking, but rather gliding effortlessly through the water. This skill is kind of like riding a bike – it’s difficult to get at first but once you get it it’s easy to perfect. It is an important skill to learn to get the most out of your dives and also be safe.

In addition to these in-water skills, there are some technical aspects to most courses that cover nitrogen absorption in the body. These are taught in the classroom-theory section. Breathing compressed air causes the body to absorb nitrogen. There is an acceptable amount of absorption that can happen with no ill effects and we have to keep our dives within those limits. We have what we call the Recreational Dive Planner, which allows us to plan our dive times and depths to stay within safe limits of nitrogen absorption. Learning how to use it is another important aspect of the course.


AWB: What are the problems faced by most beginners?


Trevor: The problem faced by most beginners is simply acclimating to the “newness” of diving. Like the first time on skis, the first time with a golf club in your hand or the first time doing just about anything, it just takes some time getting used to having a tank on your back, fins on your feet and a mask on your face. The entry level certification course is specifically designed to acclimate new divers and put them in a position to be safe, happy divers when they get out on their first dives.


AWB: How many diving hours are required to earn a certificate?


Trevor: The amount of hours varies by dive shop. We run a fairly condensed course, which is about 4-5 hours of home study, a two-day weekend module that covers the class work and the pool work, and then another two days for the checkout dives (done in a lake or the ocean). Other courses are done over several weeks or months. This is one aspect of diving that has a very large degree of variability depending on the dive shop and the instructor that students choose. I encourage new divers to look around and find the course that most meets their needs.


AWB: If one doesn’t live near an ocean, what other options are available for diving practice?


Trevor: There are diving opportunities everywhere! When most people think of diving, they think of warm blue water with a myriad of colorful fish swimming around them, but there is much more to diving than just that. While only a lucky few get to live close to warm-water reef diving, everybody lives near some kind of diving. Throughout the country there are lakes and quarries that have been turned into diving parks with sunken attractions like boats, school buses, even planes and helicopters to explore. Most navigable lakes (like the Great Lakes) offer some outstanding wreck diving. Even lots of rivers offer cool opportunities to dive (though these are often not for beginners). There are even opportunities to dive that you would never think about, like in aquariums and other “man made” bodies of water. Our shop runs Guest Dives at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, which is a truly unique diving experience!


AWB: My readers are scattered across the country and around the world. Is there a web site that will help them find scuba schools in their areas?


Trevor: There isn’t a consolidated web site that organizes the best places to learn to dive. It’s truly a thing where new divers need to do their homework; there are so many course options, scheduling options, etc. A quick web search will yield the dive shops in the area and the next step is to visit their websites and see how they do their courses.


AWB: Is there anything that one should look for in a good diving school?


Trevor: There are a couple of things to look for when choosing a dive shop. There are many certifying agencies – PADI, NAUI, SSI, and SDI, among others – but PADI is by far the largest. All certifications are generally accepted, but last I heard PADI had more registered shops than the other agencies combined, so all else being equal a PADI shop is a good place to start (although it’s not to say instructors from the other agencies won’t offer an excellent course). Most shops require students to buy some gear (generally mask, fins and snorkel) before the course starts, while others don’t (my shop, Atlantic Edge, for example doesn’t require students to purchase any gear) so if that is important to you it’s another thing to check out. Beyond that it’s just finding the course with the schedule that meets your needs. Many people prefer the condensed schedule, but there are those that prefer the longer more detailed course, so find a shop or instructor that offers you what you need.


AWB: If you have any questions, Trevor has offered to help you find answers. You can e-mail him at trevor@atlanticedge.com

Image courtesy of Atlantic Edge Dive Center

36 Best Travel Ideas for 2009

The TimesOnline has prepared a list of 36 adventures to make sure that 2009 is anything but dull. Grab a pen and get out your datebook because the Times was nice enough to put their list in chronological order.

Beginning in January, you can pair free space on your calendar with a Mudbath in Essex (January 4), the Picasso-Cezanne exhibit in Aix-en-Provence, France (opens May 25), the oldest street fair in Ireland (August 10), or the Mevlana Dervish Festival in Turkey (Dec. 10). Click here to read the entire list.

What's that? You still have 6.5 days of vacation and 13 sick days? Well it's the TimesOnline to the rescue again. Here's their much abbreviated version of Lonely Planet's top travel spots for 2009.

Books Can Have Adventures, Too

"...BookCrossing, where books have adventures of their own."


I haven't put this to the test yet but here's the concept: Your pile of paperbacks is taking over your living area and it's time to clean house. What to do?

1. Go to BookCrossing.com, open an account and register your surplus titles.
2. As you get a registration number for each book, type in where you plan to "release it." You can "release it into the wild," which means leave it so a stranger can find it or you can do a "controlled release," which means hand it to someone you know.
3. Paste a BookCrossing label and the registration number onto the book you are about to release.
4. Release the book.

Since your book has a registration number, the person who finds it (receives it) can look it up on BookCrossing and see where it's been. When the new reader is ready to release the book again, they can go to BookCrossing and type in the new release location. You'll be able to follow your book as it travels the world with assorted readers. According to BookCrossing's homepage, they currently have 724,017 registered humans and 5,215,158 registered books all around the planet.

Start a book club

You may be wondering how a book club could be adventurous. Well, if your reading has become limited to waiting room magazines or books for baby then a novel would be an adventure. If you ALWAYS read the same author/series/genre then branching out would be an adventure. If you are shy about expressing your opinion in front of a group then discussing a controversial book would be an adventure. If your days are filled with meetings or diapers or driving or anything that doesn't involve having relaxing fun and using your mind then a book club would be an adventure.

Here's what you need to do:
1. Call a bunch of friends and ask them if they want to start a book club. If you don't find a lot of interest have your friends invite some friends.
2. Hold a meeting (food and drink are always good here) and set up your ground rules.

Ground rules? Yep, here are some basics that will help you get things rolling. How many women should participate (just a few, the whole apartment building)? How often will you meet? How will you pick your books? Where will you meet? Will food be part of every meeting? Once you've got these basic areas covered you're good to go.

Listed below are a few online links to help you get your book club off to a great start:

Amazon.com is a great place to buy books for a group. The site offers good prices and free shipping for orders over $25.

About.com has links to discussion starters for a lot of popular titles, the site also has a list of general questions that can apply to most books.

Book-Clubs-Resource.com has discussion help as well as information about every other book club issue including on-line book clubs.

For FREE advance copies of new releases, check out Random House's e-newsletter ReadItForward.com

Wanted: Adventure Book Reviewer

I've been wanting to add reviews of great adventure books to this blog but, honestly, I'm a little short on time. So, here's a low-key adventure for all you book readers who have dreamed about reviewing them. If you would like to start an "other" life as a critic who is read by women around the globe, drop me an e-mail and a paragraph about your favorite book (any book). You can reach me at Michaelle@AdventurousWomen.NET or RPMS_SHS@yahoo.com.

Dig This: You Can Drive a Bulldozer for FUN!

Admit it, you've always wanted to drive one of those huge earth-moving machines. You aren't alone. Dig This, the country's first heavy-equipment play area, gets almost 50% of it's business from adventurous women. The Steamboat, Colorado-based, company has opportunities for individuals or groups (adventure clubs!) to take control of excavators, skid loaders and bulldozers for a half day or a full day of fun.

The folks at Dig This will make sure you're well trained so don't worry about having previous experience. Prices range from $250 for a half day with the skid steer loader ("the sports car of heavy equipment") to $650 for a full day with the excavator and bulldozer and lunch.

But wait! There's more! Dig This just announced plans for a new Excavate and Exfoliate program; an adventure, lodging and spa package that combines the big toys at Dig This with the spa at the Steamboat Grand Resort Hotel. Watch this space for details....

Images courtesy of Dig This

Build a House with Habitat for Humanity

Did you know that by the end of this year, women will have built more than 1,400 homes for Habitat for Humanity? I don't mean that there was a woman here or there, I mean that the women of Women Build created those homes.

Women Build, part of Habitat for Humanity International, began in 1998 and has spent the last decade working to eliminate poverty housing. The program has a variety of hands-on ways for YOU to get involved. Training is available so a lack of construction experience is not a problem Click here to learn, work, and contribute.

I think this would be a fantastic opportunity for any adventure club.

Take a Segway Tour: it's the most fun you'll have all week!

Last weekend my adventure group spent a beautiful day touring Washington, DC on Segways and I have to say that if you haven't tried a Segway, you should put it at the top of your adventure list.

What's a Segway? Imagine you're standing on a small platform with a wheel next to each foot and bar with hand grips in front of you. A Segway has only two wheels but balances beautifully with the help of hidden gyroscopes and motors that I won't attempt to explain. The result is that you simply apply more pressure to the front of your feet to roll forward. To stop, shift the pressure to your heels. To turn, you shift your body weight to the left or right.

Our three-hour tour started in the office. We signed release forms, handed over a credit card for a damage deposit (returned in full after the tour), watched a brief safety video and then moved to an alley for a few minutes of personal instruction. I think we all spent about three block getting used to the machine's sensitive nature and speed and then suddenly we realized that we didn't have to think about what we were doing. Driving the Segway became so second nature it felt like it could read your mind.

Our tour took us down sidewalks, along the National Mall, and past all the most famous DC attractions and crowds of tourists. We stopped once to stretch our legs but honestly no one wanted to stop at all. In fact, one of my team kept saying, "I don't want to get off!"

Segways can cruise along at about 12 miles per hours making them a hot trend in law enforcement and, of course, the tourist industry. To see the Segway in action, click here. To take a guided tour on a Segway near you, click here then go to "guided tours" at the very top of the page. You'll find links for cities across the US and around the world.

I spent $70 for three hours and it was money very well spent!

Belly Dancing

Over at the Mommy-Muse Blog there is a nice post about belly dancing for women who are expecting or who have just had a baby. This is probably something you want to discuss with your doctor if you're pregnant but it does sound like a lot of fun.

Adventurous Treks: Get In Step!

When is walking an adventure? When that walk is one of the 50 best hikes on the planet.
The Adventure Blog had a nice little review of the Sunday Times' (London) article, The World’s Best Treks, from a grade-one pub stroll right up to a grade-five yeti hunt. Ranked by difficulty, the list of great hikes spans the globe with walks for novices and athletes alike.

When is walking an adventure? When that walk is one of the top 10 hikes in the US.
TrailsTV.com has posted their list -- in no particular order -- of the 10 best treks in the States.

When is walking an adventure? When it gets you to change your routine and try something new. Next time you go to Google for directions, try their WALKING option and get across town in a whole new way. Visit Google Maps for directions and look for the little drop-down menu below the destination's address box. You can choose " by car" or "walking."

Do you regularly walk your city? Want to know how your area ranks compared to the rest of the country? Check out Walk Score. This site ranks 2,508 neighborhoods in 40 U.S. cities according to their walkability.

Road Trip! All National Parks are FREE this Weekend!

The Adventure Blog is reporting that the National Park Service has declared that all 147 parks will waive their admission fees this weekend. NPS is celebrating National Public Lands Day on September 27 and honoring new U.S. citizens on the 28th.

In addition to waiving entrance fees, national parks and other public lands will host special programs and volunteer projects on Saturday to commemorate the 15th annual National Public Lands Day.

In all 50 states, volunteers can take part in projects to improve public places. Last year, more than 110,000 people helped with tasks such as planting trees, building trails, or removing invasive plants. Anyone who volunteers at a National Park Service area on National Public Lands Day will receive a free one day pass valid for future use at any site.

Grab your Adventure Club and volunteer your time, plan a girls' day out or take this opportunity to enjoy the peace and quiet of our natural treasures on your own.

For a list of National Parks by state, click here. To get to the official site of a particular park click here and type in its name. For a list of parks and sites under the National Park Service in alpha order and links to their official pages, click here.

Photo credit: William Bradfield

 Links updated 4/17/2010