#23 Try Something New

Boot Camp Class....really??? I can't even do 5 pushups and I expect myself to do an hour of military drills? What. Was. I. Thinking?

Well, apparently last night I wasn't thinking.

Let's disregard the fact that the class was at 8pm at night....and let's disregard the fact that I just ate a sandwich and buffalo chicken dip an hour before class started. Because honestly, I would have probably still struggled with it had it been at 12pm and on an empty stomach. I'm not in the military for many reasons...and this is one of them. Those drill instructors would eat...me...alive!!!!  "What do you mean, drop down and give you 50???...I...I...I...can't even do 5! And what do you mean I can't do pushups on my knees...but....but...but...I'm a giiiiirrrl!!!" Ha.
So, in summary, Boot Camp Class is not easy.
Someone please pass me a heating pad and the remote.

#37 Donate Bone Marrow (when they call me)

Did you know there are 8 million people on the National Bone Marrow Donor Registry?  Did you know that there are still thousands of people who are waiting for a bone marrow donation who does not "match" any of the 8 million people on the list? Did you know that 70% of patients who need a bone marrow transplant does not have a matching donor in their family? Did you know those patients are relying on perfect strangers to save their lives? Well, now you know.

Last month, after hearing an amazing man discuss his journey and struggles with cancer, I joined the Be The Match registry to donate bone marrow. Sure, I'm scared of surgery. Sure, I've never been a fan of hospitals. A 12 inch needle going into my pelvic bone, probably won't feel very relaxing.  And the four to six weeks to recover might be a little inconvenient.

But really, what could I possibly have to complain about? I don't have cancer. I don't take frequent trips to the hospital nor do I need to go in and out of surgery. I am healthy. I am blessed. I want to help.

So, I've done the first step. Now, I happily await the phone call that will tell me...I am a match. 

#66: Visit Richard in North Carolina

Even though I moved away from Memphis two and a half years ago, it's still hard to hear when friends move away from the area. I go home pretty often and one of the top things on my list is to spend time with my closest friends....and also eat BBQ and a Bluefinn redbirds roll. (YES, food always ranks high on my list!) So, when my friends move away, it creates a little sadness because I know I won't be able to see them when I visit Memphis.

Richard, one of my dearest guy friends, moved to North Carolina in August last year to attend Duke University. Sure, he already has his Master's in Finance so why not attend Duke to get his second Master's in Economics??? I mean, way to make everyone look bad, Richard!! :)

The only good thing about my friends moving away is that I get the opportunity to visit and check out a new city....and I never pass up an opportunity to travel! So, Friday I hopped on a plane and headed to Raleigh-Durham to spend the weekend with Richard and my best friend, Stephanie, who was flying in from Memphis.  The weekend was wonderful: 75 degree weather, two of my bestest friends, lots of laughs, and new places to see. The only bad part of the weekend was a mild hangover and the smelly person I sat next to on the plane.

The Buried Life 101

Has anyone ever watched The Buried Life on MTV?

Well, you should. (not only is it entertaining but it is also very inspiring) The show is about a group of friends who created a list of "100 things to do before you die" and they travel across the globe to fulfill each goal. AND...when they accomplish one thing on their list, they help someone fulfill something they wanted to do before they die. Oh, it's a good show. Just trust me on that one.

So, I decided to do something similar and make a list of 101 things I wanted to do in the next 1001 days. I had a few friends who also made a list, which motivated me even further. (A small shout out to Natalie, Haley and Candice!) So, here is my list. Some things on here are important to me, some are not, some are time consuming, some will take less than a minute....but ALL need to be (and will be) done. So, wish me luck. I have 1001 days to complete this list. Cheers to December 10, 2012. That's when this list will end and a new one will begin!

MY 101 LIST FOR 1001 DAYS:

1. Pay off my student loans

2. Pay off my car

3. Build an emergency fund with at least 8 months of income in it

4. Transfer my roth IRA and invest in it

5. Meet with a financial planner

6. Decide what I really want to do with my life…

7. …and then find a new career that makes me happy

8. Update my “W.I.D” letters
9. Fix my laptop or buy a new one
10. Lose 10 pounds and keep it off
11. Take a yoga class
12. Take a hot yoga class
13. Take a Pilates class
14. Take a boxing class
15. Be able to do 30 pushups in a row (sounds stupid, but I can only do like 5 in a row without my face turning red)
16. Run a 5k
17. Attend the Race for the Cure
18. Attend the Spin for the Cure
19. Take an accredited course and learn something new, that will be useful
20. Learn 200 words of a new language…
21. …and speak to someone in it
22. Find a new hobby
23. Try something new
24. Take a cooking class
25. Splurge on an awesome blender
26. Learn my mom’s famous spring roll recipe…
27. …and her beef bulgogi recipe
28. Order something at a restaurant that I would never order
29. Take a cake decorating class
30. Master baking a cake from scratch, frosting included
31. Attend a wine tasting…
32. …and find a red wine that I love
33. Cook someone special a candlelit dinner
34. Buy myself flowers
35. Send my mom flowers
36. Give blood
37. Donate bone marrow (when they call me)
38. Volunteer on Thanksgiving Day
39. Volunteer at the Children’s Hospital
40. Buy a homeless person a meal and write them an encouraging note
41. Clean out my closet and donate old clothes to charity
42. Buy a stranger something for no reason
43. Ask a stranger for advice and use it
44. Splurge and buy myself the jeans I’ve been wanting
45. Buy a new pair of glasses
46. Go to a museum
47. Go to a musical
48. Go to the zoo
49. Go on a picnic
50. Rent a bike for a day
51. Go for a hike…
52. …and carve my name in a tree
53. Read an educational book
54. Read a book for pleasure
55. Finish my scrapbook
56. Start a new scrapbook
57. Order prints of all my favorite pictures
58. Update all the picture frames in my house
59. Backup all my pictures to an external hard drive
60. Frame the painting in my living room
61. Frame my MBA diploma
62. Ask for a raise
63. Get a facial
64. Vacation in California
65. Be in the audience of the Ellen Show
66. Visit Richard in North Carolina
67. Travel internationally
68. Go on a cruise
69. Take a romantic trip with someone special
70. Write Madelyn a book…
71. …and self-publish/buy it for her
72. Write 3 children’s books…
73. …and submit samples of them to publishing companies
74. Create a piece of artwork (painting, make pottery) and display it proudly
75. Have a girl’s night with my Memphis girls…
76. …and spend time with their kiddos
77. Buy a professional camera
78. Take a photography class
79. Take a Photoshop class
80. Take updated pictures with my Memphis girls
81. Get professional pictures taken, headshots, of myself
82. Take pictures with my family
83. Visit with my dad
84. Send my dad a card for no reason
85. Send my mom a card for no reason
86. Write someone a handwritten note for no reason
87. Learn how to change a diaper
88. Teach my niece something new
89. Read my niece a book
90. Learn how to curl my hair
91. Get a plant for my home
92. Decide how long I am going to stay in my current home, if its long, paint the walls
93. Update my alarm clock
94. Buy new chairs for my dining room
95. Host a dinner party for a few close friends
96. Take my mom out to dinner
97. Take my mom to the spa
98. Go to church with my sister
99. Be a vegetarian for one month
100. Give up drinking for one month
101. Continually add new things to my list

Ahhhh....wish me luck! And check the 101 link at the top of my main page for my progress! :)