New experiences/skills for the foreigner?

[EminTX 131]

Here are some of the activities that my other half has never (or almost never) done before:

Driving -- Only one week in the hell that is traffic in his city. He had a nervous breakdown and hasn't tried again since. We do drive much friendlier here!

Camping -- I don't think he's ever lit a fire that wasn't on a candle or the stove. I also don't think he has ever slept overnight on the ground to wake up with deer or other lovely animals milling around.

Biking -- He has never had a bike or riden a bike. He does have an exercer-bike in the house. Does that count? NO!

Swimming -- He's never been in the water at the beach or in a pool designed for swimming. This is something he is looking forward to.

Shooting a gun -- He has announced that he is a pacifist and has told me that he likes to pretend that "we" don't have any firearms. I think that his first time at the range will only be terrible until he has pulled the trigger 3 times. After that, I am betting that he will use up every last round.

Fishing -- This will be fun. I can't remember my first bite. I am looking forward to seeing him with his.

The beach -- He has never walked from the sand into the water. I can't imagine a life without this pleasure.

Other possibilities: riding roller coasters, corn/hay mazes, golfing, carpentry with fun power tools, water sliding/park fun, skating (ice/roller), kayaking, gardening, outdoor concerts, road tripping, spelunking, etc

I am curious about the activities that each of us plans to enjoy or does enjoy with our foreign-born-and-raised loved ones.

What have y'all enjoyed? What do you plan to do? Are any activities too scary? What have you done on your best dates?

[EminTX 131]

Dang it! Sometimes I can edit and sometimes I can't!

I want to add that my intention is to make a list of possibile activities (adventures) and hang that on the fridge to check off as we do each one. Maybe take a photo each time and then pin it up next to the list as we work our way through it. He can have his choice of fun. (Naturally, I won't put anything on there that I detest. haha)

[El Cachalote 12]

Well,

There are so many things my pareja has never done...or a least we have not done them together. When she is here, first I'd like to introduce her to my city, D.C.(ie. - seeing the monuments, restaurants, walking the neighborhoods here in Washington). I'd like to show her how to use the public transportation here (she does not drive yet) and inable her to survive on her own a bit since I must work 8 hours a day.

Then...I'd like us to visit NY and my farm in Virginia. Then...ride a roller-coaster!

She has never been in snow! This will be fun!!

These are only a few things of many that I plan...or we may plan to do.

[Helen Louise Pile 80]

My foreign born spouse (the USC) and I enjoy introducing each other to lots of new experiences, in my country and in his.

Your picture idea sounds fun! Your ideas are great! You should have your spouse make a list too of fun things he can introduce you to.

One of our 'best dates' was when he took me wild camping in Scotland in November. (I think only a crazy Alaskan would do that!) or our 10,000 mile US road trip this summer (or the 4,500 mile one last summer). We've spent a lot of time driving here in the US and only seen 23 States (and 7 Canadian Provinces), the vastness of this land continues to amaze me.

Have fun!!

Edited December 18, 2011 by Helen Louise Pile

[TBoneTX 44,691]

Wedgies. Giving and receiving. See Polls forum, si man.

[rlogan 2,036]

I took her out in the supercub to a glaciated area I usually see a lot of bears not long after she got here. Record heat. We mostly kept the sun at bay with a tarp and didn't leave camp much, same with the animals just escaping the heat. So kind of a lazy camp, but beautiful. When we came out I popped up out of this area between Mt. Debora, Hess, and Hayes and there was thick forest fire smoke as far as you could see, except for that little valley the glacier fields were keeping open where we had camped. So it was either turn around and go back with no food and wait who knows how long or get right down over the treetops and peg the gps on the strip at home, which is a straight shot with no obstacles. So we went home right on the ground so that we could see, and bit our knuckles the whole way. She was pregnant and after years of doing bush flying thinking it was all exciting to not know if you are going to make it - I'm done with it. I've never been up since and don't intend to, and same thing goes for long snowmachine expeditions and mountain climbing and all the rest of it. She's gotten the full bore with snowmachines breaking down at thirty below zero, seven miles from the cabin out there walking back in the dark. Eight months pregnant that time. Now we have two kids, so the best date is staying home. Just suiting up to go anyhere is work, and too much can go wrong.

[cartaverde 12]

Well, additionally some activities my USC spouse has experienced with me in Europe but had never in the US:

- actually using the public transport (such as buses and trains)

- flying with Ryanair (as opposed to a real airline)

- living in an English speaking country where it's not granted to understand what people say (Ireland... sometimes the accents do get a bit wavy and thick)

- walking everywhere (as a means to get from point a to point b in a city)

- having bbq when it's 10 C outside

Hmm, let's see.. my list of stuff I had not done before getting here?

- driving a car with automatic transmission (it's all stick in Europe)

- living in a place where you can't walk from point a to point b, and that has a non-existing public transport unless you can spend 2 hours each way for a distance that would be 10 minutes in a car, so to get anywhere you need to rely on a car

- being exposed to a wider array of international foods (I hadn't tried foods from e.g. Korean, Vietnamese, or Hmong cuisines while I was in Europe)

- being dragged to Main Event (I hate people and places that are loud, so I did not like it, and will not be dragged there a second time)

- being able to walk outside with flip-flops in December (so occasionally I do that just because I can)

- learning to not like international travel (thanks to TSA)

To add on the list for stuff I'll hopefully be exposed to and try while here:

- deep sea fishing (I prefer fishing on the sea, so too bad it's not too close for us. I'd love to try fishing some real big fish)

- running a marathon (eventually, one of these days.. or years)