A Merry Little Christmas

It’s not about the day, it’s about the season. December 25^th is just one of many wonderful days to uphold countless cherished Christmas traditions. For the past several weeks I have dutifully celebrated the holiday season, from evenings of paper snowflake making and cookie decorating with my Christmas-loving coworkers to overplaying Christmas albums I had thankfully loaded onto my computer years ago. (Kenny G’s holiday albums and The Nutcracker soundtrack took center stage this year, per usual.) I have cuddled up with a kitten, a book, and a cup of holiday-flavored tea. I successfully rounded up the coworkers to join me at a concert of Handel’s Messiah. Few things are more Christmas-y than this masterpiece and the Hallelujah chorus takes me straight back to our old high school tradition. I’m celebrating to the fullest!

Like every year, I have ambitious plans for making elaborate displays of Christmas cookies to spread the Christmas cheer. This year I may actually have a decent excuse as to why it didn’t quite happen as I always envision. Since baking is not traditional to the Korean diet, most kitchens are not equipped with ovens. We are quite lucky to have a toaster oven and I’ve tried to make it work like a full-sized oven as much as possible. I have learned through several…practice batches…that I need to adjust the time and temperature in the toaster oven. I did end up baking some decent snickerdoodles, if you don’t mind an outer layer of charred cinnamon-sugar! To further complicate my cookie-baking endeavors, we don’t have an electric mixer. But it can still be done and done it was. I have the right arm of a football player to show for it! Despite my troubles, I still managed some mildly cute gift bags full of Christmas-y tea and cookies.

Christmas is not as major of a holiday as it is in the US, despite a considerable Christian population in South Korea. Certainly everywhere I look there are Christmas decorations. It seems like South Korea doesn’t miss a chance to participate in holiday consumerism. Carols are playing in every café and shop, even at the gym! What’s more motivating than exercising to Jingle Bells? However, Christmas is yet ANOTHER holiday in this country largely geared toward couples. Santa Claus does stop at some Korean apartments (sorry, no chimneys!) but it seems he comes bearing fewer gifts than he does in America. Most people have the day off from work, though many shops remained open. Small family gatherings are common, but they aren’t nearly as much of a to-do as they are in America.

Having experienced a few highs and lows during Thanksgiving, I didn’t know what to expect as the actual day rolled around. A great friend gave me some wise advice that I have been taking to heart this season. She said, “Don't get the holiday blues-- you have infinite holidays in Arlington, but probably only one in Seoul!” While infinite might be stretching it ever so slightly, the sentiment was right on the money. I intended to let this advice set the tone for the season.

It really began to feel like Christmas late on Christmas Eve when Bethany surprised me with the most artsy handmade Christmas card, mix CD, and bibimbap cookbook. It was such a lovely and unexpected gift. It got me so excited for Christmas that I couldn’t fall asleep until well after two…and I wasn’t even expecting a visit from Santa in the morning! I woke up to a white Christmas, despite no indication of snow on my weather report…a Christmas miracle you might say. My Christmas Day began and ended with phone calls back home. Due to the time difference I enjoyed my Christmas morning celebrating Christmas Eve with my aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandmother as I sipped a mint mocha at a café down the street. In stark contrast to my peaceful, coffee-sipping morning, it sounded a little rambunctious over there, but nonetheless a good time and I surely wish I could have been there! Later that evening I returned to the same café to open presents on Christmas ‘morning’ with my parents. I love how I can always here the excitement in my Dad's voice when I talk to him.

A little last minute Christmas shopping and cooking was in order before heading to the Christmas party hosted by my coworkers. A good friend who lives outside of Seoul came to our festivities as my guest. The food was great (by request I made the spinach ‘dip’ again, as well as Oreo truffles and a soju cocktail). The wine flowed. The conversation was joyous. I got to watch 28-year-old men be engrossed by Lego assembly. The games were merry (I dominated in Apples to Apples…not a familiar feeling, actually). And the white elephant exchange was a riot. I hadn’t participated in one in such a long time but I found it much more spirited than traditional gift giving. I contributed Uniqlo's ‘heattech’ ladies spandex with distinct butt pockets along with a re-gifted store-bought pastry. Other highlights included a stuffed possum, hats, chocolate and beer. As for the lowlights, salt and a bag of potatoes. And those were actually two separate gifts! I was quite happy to open a bottle of wine that was unfortunately stolen from me shortly after. But by the luck of the draw, I was able to steal it back on its third and final steal, permanently securing it in my possession!

This Christmas was unlike any other I have experienced but I really did enjoy myself. I came in with no expectations and left as merry as ever. Christmas is so much about who you spend it with and I was lucky to spend it with some great people. I was concerned I would feel like I was being left out of the holiday festivities at home. Instead of missing out, I sort of felt I just skipped Christmas this year since I didn't participate in my usual traditions. Christmas away from home was something that I knew I would have to give up upon deciding to spend the year in Seoul, but no matter how much of a bummer, it has been well worth the trade.

Now Christmas is officially ‘over’…except that it’s not! I’m not finished celebrating. If you’re one who finds this annoying…I don’t care! The carols are still ringing and you can’t stop me. Thursday evening I’m hosting my Korean friends for a big Christmas dinner. It’ll be fun to make a big deal out of Christmas all over again and ensure they have celebrated properly. 

 Someone has a been having a great Christmas...

Merry Christmas from Banjo and our astroturf-coated Christmas pole!

 Christmas decorations! I'm a little proud...

Christmas cookie decorating

 I know you're jealous...

WILS Christmas Party with a special appearance from Janta! (Jewish Santa...)

 It looks fun...but it was essentially babysitting for free...

 ...okay, REALLY proud of my Christmas decorations

 The best Christmas card I've ever received! And you can't even see the back.

 Oreo truffles! Crack for Oreo addicts like me.

 White elephant fun

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Kimchi: The Inescapable Banchan

You can’t blog about Korea without talking about kimchi, the national dish of Korea. It’s the inescapable banchan (side dish) and it’s served with every Korean meal: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Kimchi is comprised of fermented vegetables, most commonly cabbage or daikon radishes. It is seasoned with the infamous gochugaru (hot red pepper powder), giving it varying degrees of spiciness.

Cold kimchi has a distinctive flavor, sometimes a bit sour and tingly on my tongue. I never crave kimchi yet eating Korean food feels entirely incomplete without it.

Kimchi developed in 7^th century Korea as a way to preserve vegetables and vitamin C during the winter months. Now there are said to be over 100 types. A different kimchi for each season. A specialized kimchi in each region of the country.

Kimchi is great for digestive health. During fermentation, lactic acid bacteria develops, a ‘good’ bacteria. Lactic acid bacteria helps keep intestinal bacteria in balance. The longer kimchi sits, the more it ferments. The more it ferments, the more sour and strong the taste…and the healthier it is. Some dishes actually require this older, extra-fermenty shin kimchi.

While often served cold as a side dish, there are an array of main dishes that are kimchi-based. I have developed a bit of a taste for a few cooked kimchi dishes in the past four months. These include kimchi jjigae (kimchi soup), kimchi bokkeumbap (kimchi fried rice), and kimchi jeon (kimchi pancake). But when I think of kimchi I think of it as the cold side dish. This is probably the healthiest way to eat kimchi since I would guess that the healthy enzymes are depleted in the cooking process.

Last month I had the opportunity to make some kimchi when I shamelessly invited myself to a kimchi-making event. After observing the seasoned ajuma (older lady) concoct the red pepper paste, I put on plastic gloves and got down with some cabbage. Each leaf in the head of cabbage had to be lifted and slathered with the paste. I learned alongside three-, four-, five- and six-year-old Korean kindergarteners but my kimchi-making station wasn’t any less of a messy disaster. The directions were all in Korean but if I were to give instructions I would tell you to stroke the kimchi as if you were petting a cat.

So. Then I was sent home with two full heads of cabbage-soon-to-be-kimchi. I was told to let it sit at least a week for ferment. But then I was supposed to…eat it? What to do with so much kimchi! And I don’t particularly like eating plain, cold kimchi. Equipped with the “if you can read, you can cook” mentality, I took my first jaunt into Korean cooking.

 The ajuma preparing the red pepper concoction

Obedient children...I wish I was more familiar with this type.

The hats.

Before it got messy

I am most proud of my kimchi jjigae. 

It was full of kimchi, vegetables, mushrooms, and tofu.

Nothing but healthy, spicy goodness!

I also experimented with kimchi bokkeumbap.

Fried rice is a Chinese influence but very much co-opted into the culture here. It is commonly served with a fried egg sunny-side up. The flavor of the kimchi was much more detectable in this dish than in the jjigae.

My final experiment was kimchi jeon.

I have had other kinds of jeon in restaurants (delicious!) but my first kimchi jeon came out of my very own kitchen. I suppose this means I can’t compare it, but whether or not it tasted like it was supposed to I rather enjoyed it.

Election Day

Update: Park Geun-hye will be the next president of South Korea!

It’s election day in South Korea. Most schools and business are off (of course we aren’t though…ah joys of working in the academy world.) In South Korea, the president serves a single five-year term won through a first-past-the-post system (aka the most votes wins.) Perhaps it is a bit of a personal question, but I have been shameless in using the innocent foreigner card to ask Korean friends about the election and who they will support. Sometimes they are rather forthcoming. Other times they shush me and tell me it’s a secret…but with a little gentle prodding give it up anyway.

There are two major candidates, Park Geun-hye, a female candidate from the incumbent conservative party, and Moon Jae-in, a male candidate from the liberal party. It’s been a tight presidential race the past several months, perhaps a slight lead going toward Park. And it hasn’t been without its fair share of mudslinging.

Interestingly, Park is the daughter of a past iron-fisted Korean dictator. She has had to publicly apologize for abuses committed during her father’s rule, even though is he is esteemed throughout Korea for developing the Korean economy. Moon is a human rights lawyer and former student activist actually jailed for opposing Park’s dictatorship in the 1970s. Park would be the first female president and pledges to close the wide gender income equality gap. A third independent but left-leaning contender dropped out in the past couple of months in support of Moon to avoid splitting the left-leaning vote.

According to my most unscientific sample, younger people are more likely to support Moon while the older generation leans toward Park. The swing voters are people are the people in the 40-50 age range. I have tried to distinguish the candidates’ policy differences by asking my adult students and Korean friends. I’ve been told the candidates’ positions are quite similar but rather have opposing philosophies…this I’m still deciphering. The occasional language barrier make news articles my most reliable source.

Nearly every Korean I have talked with seemed pleased by Obama’s reelection in November. Despite this, some Koreans who like Obama still prefer Park in the South Korean election. My understanding is that the American conservative party is much farther to the right than in Korea…but the possibility of hypocrisy has also crossed my mind. I don’t know enough to make any definitive statements.

Moon proposes to shorten the compulsory military time for men from 21 months to 18 months, which opponents claim will significantly weaken South Korean military strength. Both candidates promise to crack down on domestic abuse, which is traditionally considered to be a family issue. Both candidates want to regulate the big chaebols (big conglomerates that dominate the Korean economy: Samsung, Hyundai, LG, Lotte, SK) though Moon seems to prefer more stringent conditions. Reducing monthly bills and tuition is also on his agenda. Park pledges to increase monthly pensions for the elderly. People I have talked to feel that there are many campaign promises being made that the candidates will not be able to follow through with. When it comes down to it, certain promises might not be financially possible.

BBC wrote that “economic issues have dominated the election build-up, including tough competition to find employment for young people. Both candidates have promised to boost social welfare spending, amid rising income inequality and concern over the dominance of big business.” North Korea has not been as central to the election as you might think. The current president, Lee Myung-bak, took a hard-lined stance toward North Korea, discontinuing investment and aid until compliance with nuclear weapon policy was reached. This was a drastic swing from the 1998-2008 ‘sunshine policy’ of previous presidents where “billions of dollars of South Korean investment, aid and goods flowed into the North to encourage it to shed its isolation and hostility, and to try to reduce the economic gap between the two Koreas and the cost of reunification in the future” according to the New York Times.

Candidates Moon and Park both pledge a more moderate stance, since President Lee’s position toward North Korea has not curbed nuclear weapon proliferation and North Korea remains highly penalized by his policy. However, Moon wants to keep diplomatic channels open making his policy more in line with the sunshine policy than Park’s stance is.

The results tonight!

Human Connections

I’ve had some introspective thoughts about relationships lately. Meaningful friendships are essential to my happiness in every corner of the world. I knew that no matter how much I would love Seoul, to enjoy living overseas I would need to be in good company.

Making acquaintances has never been difficult for me but developing those deeper relationships has been less common. Instantly clicking with someone is a rare but amazing experience. It happens when I least expect it. I may not speak with these types of friends regularly but I have enriching conversations when I do. Being away from my closest friends has not been overly difficult (sorry!) but it has certainly renewed my appreciation for them. Staying in touch is one of my biggest goals for the year.

I didn’t know a soul (ha…) when I got here. I’m fortunate to have coworkers who I regularly enjoy spending time with and who live close by. But it is the case that almost all of them have been here at least a year and have their own comfortable lifestyle…which doesn’t always include random exploring with me! Our academy is small and it has been important for me to also have friends outside of work.

In three months time, I have met tons of interesting people and have gotten to know a few fairly well. The expat community is Seoul networks very well and I've taken full advantage of this. Meeting people has been beyond easy. The small talk is surprisingly enjoyable as it seems foreigners are a self-selected group of adventurous people.

Some days more than others I miss having a best friend here. Someone you effortlessly get along with. Someone who shares a majority of interests. Someone who makes all the adventures particularly meaningful. Someone to also enjoy doing nothing at all with. There are also moments I really miss being part of a couple. I know a few married couples who are joint-adventuring here in Seoul and sometimes seeing them together makes me a little weak inside. I have more personal development to do before I can even think about marriage, but I will admit I’m occasionally jealous of their shared lives.

It wasn’t being away from family that was particularly difficult at Thanksgiving but rather my coincidental examination of my relationships here. I am eager to continue making meaningful friendships in Seoul. Good friendships progress naturally. I’ve only been here three months and I couldn’t expect to have a best chingu as soon as I stepped off the plane. But I do look forward to more beautiful friendships to come!

Sneoul

You may be wearing flip flops in D.C. today, but here in Seoul we are dressed in snow boots! Seoul received its first significant snowfall of the season today! My coworker says it is more than they got all last winter. I estimate we accumulated a few inches. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Today distracted students couldn’t resist stealing glances out the window all throughout class. And to be honest, I was overjoyed to share in their excitement for snow and appreciated the extra opportunities to marvel at the concrete jungle turned winter wonderland. Barren branches glistened with fresh snow, rivaling the colorful foliage of just a month past. I love how snow can make the ordinary become spectacular. On the busy streets, however, the snow turned to brown sludge practically before it hit the pavement. If The slick conditions nearly landed me on my behind on the way to work but, despite horrible sidewalk conditions, I think the chance of a snow day at WILS is even less than if I were back at UVA.

On the eve of this snowfall we made paper snowflakes- the most effective paper snowflakes I can ever remember creating!

 A little Christmas decoration I'm quite proud of!

Conditions after only an hour or so. Do Americans use umbrellas in the snow?

All Koreans do and it struck me as funny today.

The Chosen One

I survived my first term! Final exams finished. Grades submitted. And classes ended smoothly on Thursday, giving way to a three-day weekend! (And WHAT a difference an extra day can make!)

The celebration aptly began with a homemade pot of carrot ginger soup. I then spent a couple hours at my language exchange. I love this exchange because of the people I’ve met. As for learning Korean…I haven’t found it that effective. The core of the group is comprised of two foreigners with minimal Korean skills, a few Koreans with fairly proficient English, and two bilingual geniuses. It’s the company that keeps me coming back week after week!

On my way back I met coworkers at a Korean barbeque restaurant. They were celebrating the departure of two of our own who heading home for the holidays. One coworker is hibernating for three months while the other is only ‘flying south’ for a month (but will return to a different school in January!) I’ve been advised that I need to get used to the revolving door of friends in Korea. The evening progressed to the beloved local Alcohol Tree and eventually to the noraebang (karaoke room.) My 5:30am return home marked my latest night in Seoul to date. I had a great time, even though my sleep has been off all weekend. Annoying!

No surprise that I took Friday at a slower pace. But I actually felt great so ‘slower pace’ meant taking care of a few nagging errands. Rounded off the day with another last dinner with coworkers at the favorite dakgalbi restaurant. The cabbage, the sauce, the deok (rice cake,) the ramyeon noodles, the cheese! I love it all. Korean food is communal, so I do my best to eat around the chicken, though I should probably try a little harder…

Saturday was hiking day! We conquered the Seoul Fortress Wall of Inwangsan and Bugaksan. It was a shorter hike and closer in compared to others we have done. Per usual, I met interesting people and reconnected with other hiking buddies. Based on my blog you’re probably thinking that the only thing I do in Korea is hike mountains. When I tell you the panoramic views of the city were awesome I’m probably boring you. But…each time I look out at the skyline I am amazed by urban development and the sheer size of this city.

The fortress wall has been a secured area since a 1968 attempted attack by armed North Korean spies. Hikers are required to bring identification and fill out a form upon entering. This is the story of how I became “The Chosen One.” I am standing on the tightly slatted platform, pulling out my Alien Registration Card, when it accidently falls to the ground. I look down and to my disbelief I watch it as it slips through the tiniest of cracks. I was confused since it didn’t seem like this was possible. The chances that is fell at the exact right angle were one in a million. To lighten my mood, fellow hikers bowed to me and encouraged me to buy my lottery ticket as soon as possible.

The platform was built only six inches above a concrete slab leaving no hope of crawling under to get it. I hoped Korean ingenuity would save the day when a guard attempted to rescue it with a ruler and adhesive tape on the end. But alas. No ARC card. I nearly wished my fellows hikers a farewell but they ended up letting me into the fortress wall. They will hopefully recover the card and call me. If not, I’m off to immigration again.

I was pleased the hike ended in a part of town called Samcheong-dong, an area I’ve been meaning to explore. Cafés and shops lined the main drag of town. After a post-hike bite to eat, I convinced a few friends to join me for a warm drink and ‘slice’ of honey bread, a sweet treat I’ve noticed in a few cafés. Honey bread is essentially the thickest slice of white bread I’ve ever seen, generously drizzled with honey and cinnamon, and served with a mountain of whipped cream on top. I definitely needed company to eat this one. The calorie count exceeded 1,000 supposedly but it wasn’t as rich as perhaps it should have been. It still needed to be checked off my list and checked it was!

Sunday morning I met my running buddy bright and early for a good 4.5 mile track workout. In the early afternoon two coworkers and I checked out a café and bakery showcase. So. Many. Free. Samples. Heaven. And the food wasn’t even available for purchase…I couldn’t even feel bad about helping myself to numerous samples. Also available was high-quality, freshly roasted, freshly ground pour-over coffee. So good that I can say I actually enjoyed my first cup of black coffee. However, I fully plan on taking milk when I’m forced back to mediocre break room coffee at work.

After free sample exhilaration (and I literally mean exhilaration,) a hiking buddy and I met for a long overdue date. I proceeded to take her on a failed adventure to find a baking market. Baking is not conventional in the Korean diet, despite the exploding café culture, but I heard this alleyway is the baking mecca of Seoul. Unfortunately, the market did not want to be found. We ended up checking out the Deoksugung Palace which I heard was featuring the artistic juxtaposition of modern art in a traditional palace. Unfortunately, that was also another fail. At this point a third (and brand new) hiking friend joined us for a photo festival at the Seoul Museum of Art. I particularly loved the old but vivid photos of people and seeing the city fifty years ago. Seoul has come quite a ways in recent years! Capped the evening with dinner at an adorable Italian café before parting ways.

Now, at home, I prepare for the new week and new classes ahead. I am accompanied by the Christmas music of Kenny G, a warm cup of chai tea, and Banjo. I plan to do something in the Christmas spirit each day this month. Another holiday on the horizon! And it’s a big one!

Oh, and by the way, it’s snowing!

 On-table dakgalbi preparation

 Banjo doesn't want to eat your food, just put her face close enough to it to ruin it

 The Seoul Fortress Wall

 Alien Registration Card recovery attempt

 Honey bread

 The bakery showcase! This particular case belongs to a favorite vegan blogger/baker

 Deoksugung nestled in the urban downtown setting

 Crazy kitten climbing carpeted walls

I get to play with her everyday! She is growing so fast!

Thanksgivings

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and maybe always has been. It involves spending time with family and showing gratitude while eating far too many favorite foods all in one day. I distinctly remember telling an elementary school teacher that Thanksgiving was my favorite holiday because, unlike Christmas, my entire family was together thanks to a certain aunt who traveled from Seattle. I have wonderful memories of family gatherings growing up. There is no place I’d rather be than with my family carrying on tradition. As a child I was oblivious to certain family dynamics, but even now I don’t dwell on them and I appreciate each and every member of my family. I find myself wondering if these family gatherings are as formative for my younger cousins as they were for me.

My mom came down with the flu on Thanksgiving so my parents were absent from family festivities this year. Maybe knowing that I wasn’t the only one missing out made it a little easier. Had it been me, I would have to be in the hospital to not pull myself out of bed to celebrate. But I guess everyone has varying degrees of love for sweet potato casserole. Mine just happens to be very high.

In order to spend this year in Korea, I knew I had to spend Thanksgiving away from home. I was fully prepared to expect that my most trying moments in Korea might fall around the holidays. Seeing Facebook posts of students traveling home for Thanksgiving break did make me a bit nostalgic. Why wasn’t I on my way home, too? I had a few moments and felt a bit on and off throughout the weekend, but overall it wasn’t been as hard as I built it up to be.

Maybe this was because I have been able to surround myself with other Americans who are just as enthusiastic about this holiday. Maybe it has to do with getting to share American holiday traditions with Korean students and friends. Maybe it was because I got to eat Thanksgiving food with chopsticks (how's that for new experiences??) Or maybe it had to do with the fact that I am totally overcompensating here…this Thanksgiving was celebrated over the course THREE potluck gatherings. How could I be so lucky?! This doesn't even include my Thursday Thanksgiving dinner that I enjoyed with Korean friends at a great Korean grilled fish restaurant.

I have so much to be thankful for. I don’t need a holiday to remind me of this. With each and every passing day I think of the wonder friends and family in my life. And Thanksgiving also happens to coincide with my three month mark in Korea! The new experiences, the people I’ve met, it’s all been incredible. Such a positive feeling to wake up each morning and radiate gratitude for the opportunities I have had and am having.

So happy to receive this picture! I miss these silly kids!

 A few missing faces, but I feel so included back home!

 A view from (vegan) potluck #1.

I brought mashed potatoes with coconut milk...genius?

 There I am, actively working myself into a food coma.

 My Thursday dinner!

Potluck #2 with coworkers. I made Ina's Spinach Gratin, just like my mom!

However, due to toaster oven troubles, mine became a spinach dip.

Nobody complained...

Bukhansan

Another weekend, another opportunity to embrace my inner Korean and hit the mountains. I’ve been meaning to get out to Bukhansan National Park since early October during Chuseok break. Mount Bukhan is the tallest mountain in Seoul is directly accessible by subway making it incredibly convenient. Finally the time was right! Our hike would take us up to the highest peak, Baekundae, standing tall at 836.5 meters.

With the past week or two in the 40s I was concerned that it might be a little too chilly to actually enjoy hiking. But I was determined to see this mountain and it wasn’t getting any warmer anytime soon. I informed my students that if I didn’t show up to school the next week I had frozen at Bukhansan. As we marched up the mountain I felt empowered and alive…and thankfully warm. Nearing the peak, it was indeed windy and chilly. Lunch was brief because everyone preferred to keep their body heat up and trek on.

To reach the summit, we had to climb a smooth rock surface with the assistance of a heavy-duty wire that had been drilled into the rock. I had not been expecting this level of adventure! The wire was essential to getting to the peak but also served as a guardrail for what would have otherwise been quite dangerous. At the very top a South Korean flag waved proudly in the freezing (literally) wind…alongside the flag a thermometer read 32 degrees (not to mention wind chill!) But regardless, it was the best vantage point I’ve had of Seoul thus far. At the highest point of this huge city with no trees to obstruct the view it truly felt like we were in the clouds! We were thankful that a short way down from the peak lay a shelter with hot (literally) commodities: hot chocolate, coffee, soup! Much needed to properly thaw out and finish the remainder of the hike.

The leaves are still falling in the city but on Bukhansan they were entirely on the ground. The barren trees allowed for hiking scenery that would have been otherwise concealed by autumn. Fall foliage in Seoul has been spectacular, but the undistracting and peaceful nature of trekking through a winter forest should not be understated.

Even though Seoraksan is considered tops for the region, this was my favorite hiking experience so far in Korea. The trail snacks were satisfying, the company was enjoyable, and I felt energized with each step! Winter hiking remains to be seen for me but finishing off fall with a hike like this one makes it look more and more appealing…

 Here we go!

 A little colder toward the top

 The very brief lunch view before continuing on

 Perhaps would have been longer if we had had the ingenuity to make a lunch bubble

 The natural view

 The urban view

The tippy top!