so…. ajashi? well, i can’t vouch for the English spelling but the word defines an older gentleman of a fatherly status.
In my first week back in Busan I’ve been trying to briskly transition into a new routine without simultaneously detonating Nicole’s head into a thousand pieces. One way that I have always managed to do this is by alleviating a mass of combustible energies in the form of a gym workout. Now, I’m quite picky when it comes to gyms. I know i’ll be spending some time there so I have certain criteria. Not the type of criteria that makes me a prima-dona gym rat…I don’t need fancy equipment….I don’t require super absorbent towels, a bidet, a wealth of flattering mirrors, baby powder or anything that resembles a pilates room (Sorry Aunt Helen). What I need is a friendly crew, some weights and a locker. My choices thus far have been riddled with the aforementioned garbagio and at a price that almost makes me wish I was the type to pop my collar and wear a matching do-rag whilst hitting the glutes machine.
Having kept you focused through this rant, I will continue to my point. After visiting 3 gyms to which I was not impressed, I decided to go for a hike. Nature always offers up a raw intensity that’s never quite replicated by a squeaky pair of dumbbells. My hike took me to the Hwangryeong Park. Within its grounds high above the city; a soccer field, rock climbing wall, and of course, an outdoor gym. The difference however is that this outdoor gym is not the usual Korean fare. Fully functional gym equipment and a handful a free weights all available for use anytime… at no charge. The catch, hiking 40 minutes on a 60 degree incline to get there. This is where the power of the ajashi is appreciated.
My hike happened to take place on a balmy 90 degree day in the moist Busan air that enabled me to transform quite nicely into a human sprinkler early on and to the disgust of my non sweaty Korean counterparts who greeted me curiously once I arrived at the gym area.
Working off about 12 pounds via sweat is a rough way to start a workout but that doesn’t seem to stop the gents that I met at the top. So, I followed suit….used my towel often, and had myself a workout with a skyscrapers view of Busan.
Once finished, and 40 minutes later downhill, I felt like hell but a part of me loved it. I don’t know if this is a routine I can see myself keeping up on a daily basis but its an option. And so my search for a gym continues but I will again answer the call of the ajashi…….and my butt will look so freakin good…omg.
i work out?
adam
More from Korea
More from Korea
Intentionally and incrementally. Most families who live this way did not leap from conventional to adventurous overnight. They built remote work capacity, paid down debt, tested longer trips, and had increasingly honest conversations about what they actually want from their lives. The leap feels bigger from outside than from inside.
Different for every family. For some it is long-term travel. For others it is weekend adventures close to home. What connects them is intentionality about how time is spent and a preference for experiences over accumulation. The version that fits your family is the right one.
By finding stability within the adventure rather than treating them as opposites. Routines, rituals, and family rhythms travel with you. Familiar foods, bedtime routines, and predictable family dynamics provide stability even when the location changes. Kids need consistency in relationships more than consistency in geography.
That people are fundamentally similar across cultures in what they want for their families. That comfort zone is a smaller circle than it feels from inside. That the things worth having in life require effort and discomfort to get. And that time together doing hard interesting things is the most reliable source of family closeness.
By getting clear on why you made the choices you made and returning to that clarity when the outside noise gets loud. Most families living unconventionally describe an initial period of explaining themselves that gradually gives way to just living the life. The explaining becomes less necessary as the results become visible.
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