#s 17 and 32

#17: Watch all 6 seasons of Parenthood

I started watching Parenthood last fall and quickly became a fan of this show. This show follows the Braverman family through the ups and downs of family life – teen pregnancy, medical problems, sibling rivalries – and handles them in a way that makes me think about how I would handle those issues if they were happening to me. Pretty instantly I related to Sarah Braverman. Like me, she’s the youngest daughter (I’m assuming? They never really mention the sibling order, except that Adam is the oldest), all of her siblings have fairly successful jobs and she has to move home to try to figure out what she wants to do with her life (I mean, different circumstances, but still…), and she has a close relationship with her dad, Zeek. I’m not going to say much about the show except that, if you haven’t watched it and are planning to, prepare to cry at almost every episode. Also, that last episode. There are no words for the amount of emotions that were pouring out of me. So many feelings!

#32: Go to a climbing gym

I’ve been wanting to find a climbing gym since I moved back to the city. To me, this seems like a great full-body work out and a lot more fun than simply going to a gym to lift some weights (although, I do love lifting weights). A friend and I found a Groupon for a Learn the Ropes class at Brooklyn Boulders, so we signed up for the class and headed over there for our 2-hour class.

The Learn the Ropes section of the gym

 

*Side note: if you plan on going to this climbing gym, the Learn the Ropes class is required to climb with the ropes. If you only want to boulder (which is climbing without being harnessed into a rope), you don’t need to take the class. You can also pass the AutoBelay “course”, which is a way to climb with a belay but without a partner – great for solo climbers!

Our class walked us through proper safety precautions and how to tie yourself into your harness (both while you’re climbing and while you’re not) and then you get to start climbing. The hardest part is when you get to the top and you have to let go, trusting that your partner has been paying attention and will let you repel slowly. (Letting go is so much more difficult on the AutoBelay, as it takes a second to catch you and you just have to trust that it will. Yikes!)

Learning the ropes

 

Part of the Learn the Ropes class is that you get a return pass, so about a week later, my friend and I headed back for a couple hours of free climbing. As I originally thought, it was a great work out – my arms and legs were screaming when we were done – and we plan to go back at least once or twice a month for ladies night.

Getting started

 

Almost to the top! (Note to self: Don’t look down, even for a photo op!)

 

 

Thanks to my climbing buddy for joining me!

Of course, it’s only fun and games until someone gets hurt:

So clumsy…took a fall off the bouldering wall.

The staff at Brooklyn Boulders is awesome – they want you to have fun and be safe while doing it. They’ll stop you to point out if you’re doing something incorrectly, but for the most part, they’ll just let you go. Thanks Brooklyn Boulders for a great climbing experience!

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