Traveling Ninja: Boston Edition

I grew up in the Boston area but I didn't discover parkour until a few years after I left. Going back to visit this weekend was really cool because I felt home in the city but I had a new way of looking at everything--parkour glasses, if you will. I went up for a long weekend to stay with some old friends and go to Hubbable which is the annual parkour jam in Boston. I'm still exhausted from fitting so much into one weekend but it was definitely worth it!

I love traveling for parkour because I'm totally care-free. Normally I need a schedule, directions, a plan, etc. but when M and I met to head to the first spot together, we had no idea where we were going and that was completely okay with me. We knew the spot was near the Charlestown Navy Yard so we crossed the bridge from North Station and walked along the water until we saw people jumping on things. It's kind of hard to miss parkour people. Their feet don't spend much time on the ground. Sure enough, we walked a few minutes past the large ship below (USS Constitution) and found a ton of people jumping and flipping off things. We must be in the right place!

The first spot (pictured above) had tons of jumps, rails, and interesting things to climb on. I loved it but it was a bit overwhelming early in the day because there were so many people. Yes, that's the point of jams but it still makes me want to crawl into my shell like a hermit crab sometimes... I'm working on it!

The next spot was fun and more spread out so I felt better. We made some friends and did a lot of handstand challenges while it was raining including walking sideways which I've never tried before. It actually feels really cool! We also did some vault challenges and played with wall spins on a slanted wall by the side of the playground. Then people started using the wall as a launching point for flips and things so I sat back and played camera-woman. I don't do flippy things. Not outside anyways. Not yet...

We trained in the rain long enough for it to pass and things started drying up pretty quickly between the sun and the crazy wind. Since we didn't get a lot of time at baby pool (first spot) we decided to wander back over there when the rain stopped. Here's a few pictures we took by the water on our way back:

Me playing on the bench

M flipping off the wall

Catching my breath and enjoying the sun

There were a lot less people there at this point so we had plenty of room to run around and jump in places that were crowded before. We played follow-the-leader with some of the other girls, made up various courses, and worked on rail flow. M and I also tried to high-five each other while jumping. It was pretty awesome. We got some of the fun on video which I threw together below:

Why climb on wide beams when you can climb on the tiniest little metal bar in sight?

I did it!!!

Hanging out up in the climby things

Eventually, people started heading out to get food and make their way to the gym for the night jam and sleepover. I grabbed a burger with some friends after the jam which was pretty exciting for me because I never eat like that. Seriously. And then I felt guilty so when I got back to the house I was staying at, I ate a giant plate of asparagus and salad while the rest of the family ate a full meal.

I didn't make it back to the jam on Sunday because I was spending time with friends and family, but I was pretty sore from Saturday so it was okay! Hopefully I'll make it back to Boston soon to check out the other spots and the gym. It was a blast jumping around with M and all of the Boston kids/visiting traceurs. I love jumping in new places, watching people do crazy things, and trying out new skills & challenges. I do tend to get overwhelmed by the large group but I'm learning to get over those nerves, make new friends, and just do my own thing at my own level. Thanks to everyone who made this weekend so awesome! Until next time, Boston.