Soooo…those who have followed the blogs within the past two months will know that the gym routine lately has been anything but….. and the art of lifting fire extinguishers and suitcases was a practice I was glad to leave behind in Japan.
Upon our arrival back to Gwangju, our first order of business was to renew my membership at MIR fitness just down the street. MIR is a cool gym for people that don’t wear matching color gym clothes, squat while on their bluetooth, and grunt like they are expelling a live chicken from their…..well you get the idea. Its a bare bones gym for a bunch of regular Korean peeps that look average, but can more than likely bench half the Kia’s in the city.
Signing back up I was somewhat surprised to recognize every single person in the gym and the recognition was reciprocated with friendly bows, excited handshakes and looks of bewilderment at my lack of hair. Remember last time I was the son of Elvis. Pretty awesome though to know that for the past 2 years in my absence, the same dedicated 60 something’s have been workin hard and lovin it.
Its a good place to start your day. At 7 am I arrived this morning and was summoned to the old folks round table for a pre-pump coffee and rice cake tasting. I mean seriously, what LA Fitness is gonna do that….its enough if the front desk bimbo looks up from her cell phone to scan you in. Sorry, maybe she’s not a bimbo but nobody needs that much foundation and eye shadow in a gym.
The other day the owners son brought me behind the desk to show me the photo of Nicole and I he had placed under the desk glass in our honor and proclaimed how happy he was to have me back if only for a little while.
Going to the gym has always been a part of my mental and physical balancing act. It keeps me loose, happy and free from the petty things in life that might drag me down otherwise. Its an added bonus to find a spot like MIR where i’m welcomed in even with my lack of language….because when i shoot a thumbs up to the 73 year old dude doing dips like an college kid….he reads me loud and clear.
can I get a spot?
-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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