What crazy short term classes can I take?

August 18, 2009 3:43 AM

I have vacation time adding up and I'm looking for any interesting and/or wild 1 to 3 week school/training programs I can do, anywhere in the world. Suggestions?
posted by greenlikeme to Travel & Transportation (13 answers total)

In two to three weeks, you could learn to fly. I know one guy who successfully soloed on his 5th day of flight training, and did his private pilot license check ride 9 days after his first lesson.
posted by paulsc at 4:08 AM on August 18, 2009

You could go to surfing camp.
posted by hellboundforcheddar at 4:18 AM on August 18, 2009

Define interesting.
posted by lucia__is__dada at 5:15 AM on August 18, 2009

International Solidarity Movement (ISM) has non-violent activist training in Palestine. You do the training, and then spend the rest of your time (however long that may be) working with the local Palestinian actions. Human Shields, Demonstrations, being an international "witness" (through photographs, video, audio, etc to show to the intl. news)

I did the training a few weeks ago. Pretty intense stuff, heavy material, but incredible.
posted by hasna at 5:16 AM on August 18, 2009 [1 favorite]

Tom Brown's Tracker School.
posted by headnsouth at 6:18 AM on August 18, 2009

Language or cooking school in Italy.
posted by fluffycreature at 6:20 AM on August 18, 2009

The National Outdoor Leadership School offers a number of courses under the three week mark. Just above the map on that page, you can sort courses by length. Patagonia Sea Kayaking, Alaska Mountaineering, Baja Sea Sailing, etc.
posted by BlooPen at 6:27 AM on August 18, 2009 [1 favorite]

learn spanish in Cusco, Peru! You'll have an unforgettable time in a great city, and it's an effective crash-course in the language.
posted by milestogo at 6:54 AM on August 18, 2009

2nding a surfing camp.
posted by spec80 at 6:54 AM on August 18, 2009

Many whitewater rafting places have 5-10 day training/certification schools.
posted by Feantari at 7:12 AM on August 18, 2009

There will be open enrollment courses being taught over a 3 week stretch in January through Harvard's continuing ed program.

It isn't surfing or aviation, but you might find something there that interests you.
posted by YFiB at 7:13 AM on August 18, 2009

ecovolunteer has nature/conservation type programs in many different places and cultural embrace has short-term language, culinary, and arts & crafts classes in India, Italy, and a few other places. Or learn to scuba dive at Scuba Steve's Diving in St Lucia or learn to tango in Buenos Aires. Squam has week-long artist workshops in New Hampshire. Or there are 10-day Vipassana Meditation courses all over the world. You can also learn to work with glass at Pilchuk Glass School in Washington or go to Provence for a 10-day painting workshop.
posted by logic vs love at 5:26 PM on August 18, 2009

Learn Korean in Seoul.
posted by mdonley at 12:05 PM on August 19, 2009