#8 Run my first 5K in 3 years

Some of you might know that three years ago in May 2009, I ran my first half marathon with my incredible sister, Tara, and amazing brother (in law), Diego:

 

Tara and I crossed the finish line together around 2 hours 17 minutes, and we were both SOOO happy to have finished!!

What I didn't know at that time, however, was that I was running on an injured leg.  Now, I knew my leg hurt, but I didn't consider that I could be injured.  I thought that I just needed to "push through the pain."  Plus, I had set a goal, and I didn't want to back out of it.  As you all know by now, I like challenges. 

So, after the half marathon, I took a few weeks off from running, thinking that would fix the problem.  I ran my next race, an easy 5K, on July 14, 2009 in Hoboken.  I ran it in my best time ever - 28 minutes - and I felt great, except for the pain in my left shin.  At this point, I realized that I couldn't ignore that I might have a problem anymore.  So I finally booked an appointment with a doctor, and after several tests (bone density scans, x-rays, radiation, etc.), it was confirmed that I had a stress fracture in my left shin, as well as two stress reactions (would have become fractures had I continued) in my pelvis.  Sweet, right?

Not really.  The injury meant I had to stop running.  And to add insult to injury (ha), not only did I have to stop running, my doc didn't want me doing ANY exercise, and even asked me to limit walking!!!  Not walking is impossible in New York. And while this sabbatical from exercise was only supposed to last 6 weeks,  it ended up lasting 9 months, as I continued to have pain in my leg.  It might have been phantom pain, but still it was pain.

So after 9 months of depression and no exercise, I finally ventured back in to the gym.  I was hesitant to start running again, as I didn't want to reinjure myself.  I realized that there were bike races that I could train for, so I started biking.

So.  That's the long story of why this challenge - #8 - Run my first 5K in 3 years - is personal and daunting.  I might be able to bike for 60 miles with no problems, but running 3.1 miles?  SCARY.  Scarier than watching a horror movie with my brother-in-law. :)

On May 23, 2012, while on vacation in Quito, Ecuador, I decided to run my first 5k. Now, Quito is roughly 10,000 feet above sea level.  Which means the air is thinner (i.e. has less oxygen in it), which makes physical activities more challenging for those who are not used to the altitude. So, running a 5K in Quito is more difficult than running a 5K in Hoboken, which is at (and sometimes below!) sea level.  Just saying.

So back to the story.  Diego, Tara, and I head to Carolina Park, which is a beautiful park right near the family's apartment.  Tara (who as you know, is my amazing sister, and who is pregnant with my incredibly talented nephew, who I know is already talented because he high fived me through my sister's belly, at 21 weeks in utero.  Told you.  Incredibly talented) will be walking.  And Diego decided he would run with me, even at my slow 10 mile a minute snails pace. Diego was my personal paparazzi:

Me at Mile 1.  Looking good, right?

Me at Mile 2.5.  Only .6 more to go, but man, I'm having a hard time breathing!!!

I had to stop every 5 minutes or so to grab a drink of water and catch my breath for a minute, but I kept going.  And then, all of a sudden... it's over!  3.1 miles done.  I completed my first 5k in almost 3 years!  Let me tell you, a 5K in 35 minutes is a LOT shorter (and easier) than a 60 mile bike race in 5 hours :).

And I felt great!!  I had Diego snap a victory "I'm strong" picture:

A HUGE thank you to my amazing brother-in-law Diego for running slow with me and taking pictures, and also to my incredible sister, for walking with us.  It means the world to me to have such wonderful support, and I really appreciate it.  I don't think I could have done it without them =)

My sister and I after my first 5k in 3 years.  Isn't my nephew super cute?  :)

#7 Bike in the Gran Fondo

As you already know, I like challenges.  "To do" lists.  A race to train for.  Etc.  It's how I operate.  If I don't have a deadline, I'll be lazy and not do anything.  With a clearly-defined deadline (i.e. I paid $X00 to complete this race on MMM DD, YYYY), I can figure out the steps I need to take to achieve that goal, put a plan in action, and start working on it.

So I signed up for the Gran Fondo NY on May 21, 2012, and there you have it.  #7: Bike in the Gran Fondo, an Italian-style bike race in NY.  Why is this such a challenge?  Well, the Gran Fondo, to put it nicely, is a b*tch of a challenge.  It's a very hilly century (100 mile) bike ride.  Them Italians really love to bike up and down hills.  Me? I'm a fan of hills, too, just as long as I'm flying down them, and not climbing up...

Now, last October, I completed a century bike ride with my brother (in law), Diego, so I figured I could do another one:

At Mile 60 of The "Seagull Century" bike ride in Maryland

The last 10 miles of that October Century were mentally torturous, but I figured I could do it all over again, no problemo.  So in December, I signed up for the Gran Fondo, and then just three months ago, I realized "ahhh... I think I need to start training?!?"  So I dusted off the plan I had used to train for the October Century bike ride.  This plan (which assumes you are already doing 20-25ish mile rides on the weekends) consists of several "short" rides during the week, and one long ride on the weekend, with the long rides progressively getting longer... and longer...

• Week 1: 27 miles during the week with a 30 mile long ride on the weekend
• Week 2: 30 miles during the week, 35 mile long ride on the weekend
• Week 3: 35 miles during the week, 40 mile long ride 
• Week 4: 38 miles during the week, 45 mile long ride
• Week 5: 41 miles during the week, 48 mile long ride
• Week 6: 45 miles during the week, 52 mile long ride
• Week 7: 49 miles during the week, 58 mile long ride
• Week 8: 53 during, 67 long 
• Week 9: 67 during, 35 long
• Week 10: 25 during, RACE DAY!

While this plan worked well for my first century, not so much for the Gran Fondo.  In hindsight, I should have done more hill training... but hills kinda suck, not sure if you knew that. (Next century ride?  If I ever do one again, it will most DEFINITELY be flat...)

Now, a few weeks before race day, they posted the final official route, and it ended up being a 110 mile race instead of the traditional 100 miles.  Right around the same time as they posted the final route, I completed my last long training ride of 67.5 miles, which covered part of the course, and ended up with a swollen knee for three days after.  So... I decided 110 miles is out of the question, and decided to do the metric century route, which is roughly 60 miles.

So, fast forward to race day, May 21, 2012.  I'm all ready.  I've done my training. I wake up at 4am, my buddy Jon arrives at 5am, and together we take an (expensive) cab ride to the Jersey side of the George Washington bridge, and then cross the bridge:

We make our way to the start line (which we have to detour about 20 blocks out of our way to get there)...

Lining up at the start!

And we line up on the lower level of the GW Bridge...

On the GW Bridge, waiting to go...

...and then, finally at 7am, we're off!!! While I was constantly being passed by the faster riders with real cycling bikes, there were a few times where I was going up hill and passed one or two riders.  (Inside I was laughing maniacally that I was passing the one or two odd rider on a road bike, outside my legs were screeeaming in pain).

See me smiling on the left?

I received a few compliments on my choice of bike, which was a hybrid.  If you don't know anything about cycling, there are different types of bikes... road, hybrid, and mountain (and maybe more, who knows).  Road bikes are super expensive and really light weight, and thus are best for these longer races.  Hybrids are a cross between road and mountain, but aren't really meant for long races... whatev.  That's how I roll. I'm kinda awesome (my future nephew already owns a "My aunt is awesome" onesie, therefore it must be true!)

Me, climbing a hill, laughing maniacally, and passing riders on road bikes!

It was a beautiful day - no clouds, 70-80 degrees.  All but a few of the intersections were "ride through" intersections where we didn't have to stop and could continue pedaling, as police officers in both NY and NJ state would stop traffic for us.  (THANK YOU NJ AND NY STATE POLICE!  Much appreciated that I didn't have to un-clip out of my cycling shoes!) 

There were a few killer hills around mile 22-30, and I was glad that I chose not to do the Gran Fondo, as the next 50 miles would have contained 4 massive hills...  and the ones I had already done were "massive" enough for me!

Focusing hard on climbing yet another hill

At 12:15 pm, I ecstatically crossed the finish line!!  Four hours and 45 minutes of riding, with three 10 minute rest, refuel, and water-replenish breaks.  Just in case you were interested, here's a video of this year's Gran Fondo (I'm not in it haha).

SUCCESS!

The Finish Line was in Weehawken NJ, with a gorgeous view of Manhattan in the background...

Right before I crossed the finish line, some guy in an official volunteer shirt said to me "You win the prize for being the first straight bar bike to finish!"  First, there is no award, second, no way for me to actually prove that this was true, and third, I'm pretty sure I was the only one riding a hybrid that day so even if it was true... there was no one else to compete with, but it's all good.  Always cool to get acknowledged for doing something more challenging than the actual challenge hahaha. Plus, I love my bike!

So, I finished.  And I was super happy.  But, the hardest part was yet to come... Since it had warmed up to almost 80 degrees, and we were wearing black jerseys (requirements for all fondo riders), I was just so damned hot.  The beverage options at the finish line were Coke and water (?!?!?! Who does that?!?!?!).  I didn't want Coke, so I had water, and since I was so hot and thirsty, I ended up drinking four bottles of water.

The black jerseys that all Fondo riders wore (we also got a bottle of wine, bottom right corner!!)

So, I had biked for 5 hours in the hot, sweltering sun, and then went ahead and drank a ton of water... and I started to feel horrible.  My head pounded, my body was moving slowly, I felt slightly dizzy, and I just... pulsated.  Yes, my body pulsed.  In time to the head pounding. 

After feeling that way for several hours, I finally called my parents for help.  They made me realize that I had drank too much water, was over hydrated and had not replenished the salt I had sweated out in the hot sun. I had an "electrolyte imbalance".  I needed Gatorade... and of course I didn't have any Gatorade.  So they instructed me to make my own salt water - 1 teaspoon per 32 oz.  And when I drank it, it actually tasted good... my body clearly knew what it needed!

I slept the rest of the afternoon and evening, and the next morning, I finally felt like a normal person.  Perfect timing, too, as I needed to board my flight to Ecuador!  Lesson learned.  If you exercise, don't chug a ton of water.  Try mixing it up a bit with OJ or Gatorade.  Trust me.

My finisher medal... which doubles as a bottle opener!!!

This challenge was definitely challenging. Every time I do a long bike ride, I enjoy the ride, the beautiful scenery in NY (10 miles out of the city is STUNNING)... but I also can't help thinking "When is this freaking over?!?!"  And I experienced that for 10 weeks in a row.  Now, I like having something to train for, but I think I'm done (for now, at least) with these long distance bike rides.  A nice half marathon of "only" two hours of running sounds like a fabulous idea right about now ;)

SO, what do you think.  Should this count for ten items?!? Haha =)

#22 Splurge on Something Sparkly

There is a reason why they say diamonds are a girls' best friend - the sight of something sparkly just makes our heart skip a beat, plus the sparkle attracts the eye, thus hopefully drawing some male attention our way ;)

While diamonds are nice... I am an equal jewelry-wearer.  Blue topaz, amethyst, rubies - they all get my attention, although maybe only for a few hours before I swap one out for another pretty bauble in my jewelry box.

So this post - #22 Splurge on Something Sparkly - could go in a variety of different ways.  I enlisted your help with a poll. I gave you a couple of options and asked for you to vote on what I should splurge on for my next birthday gift to myself.

The options included:

1. A Michael Kors watch, such as this gold one or this silver one 
2. These Gold CZ and green onyx starfish earrings 
3. The Apple iPad (not traditionally what you would think of as "sparkly", but has that same effect)
4. A gorgeous David Yurman ring (way out of my price range) 

Now, what I found funny/interesting is that a lot of you voted for the gorgeous and way-out-of-my-price-range David Yurman ring! But, we ended in a tie... and I chose the item that tied for the David Yurman ring.

Drumroll please...


....


I splurged on the Apple iPad.  Now, before you get upset at my choice, listen to why.  I decided to go with the iPad over a piece of jewelry for a couple of reasons... budget and practicality.  While a big piece of bling might make my heart sing, so does the iPad.  Seriously.  You open up the box, and you hear angels singing "Ahhh!!!".  And then you turn it on, and it's shiny, and you can play games and watch movies and read books and be entertained on 5 hour long flights... and I didn't want to take my heavy laptop (also a Mac) to Ecuador, so I decided to get a very light iPad that easily fit in to my purse and didn't break my back lugging it all over the world.  Finally, it cost less than the David Yurman ring (but not by much hahah).

I went to the incredible new Apple Store at Grand Central Station.  It's not like any other store... it's completely open air, no doors... you just walk up a set of stairs and boom.  Apple products and Apple personnel all over the place, as well as envious people wanting to buy Apple products!

I arrived, walked directly up to the counter, and said "I want a 32gig black iPad, and a camera connection, and a iPad cover. Stat."  And they got it for me.  Stat.  $800 later, I was leaving Grand Central, and on my way back to Hoboken to finish packing for my trip to Ecuador, and to play with my new toy :).

The iPad was perfect for the long trip.  I was able to read a ton of books, watch movies, and free up space on my camera so that I could continue taking endless quantities of pictures of the Galapagos Islands.

I'm very happy with my splurge.   Useful, shiny, has the "wow" factor... perfect for me.  But, I want to know what you think?  Do you agree with my decision?  Are you disappointed that I didn't splurge on a piece of jewelry?  You know, my birthday is coming up soon ;) hehehe...

#2 Guest bartend

See... I like bars.  A lot.  I spend a lot of time in them.  You know, just sitting there, minding my own business.  So when I learned that I, a non-experienced regular non-bartender, could be a guest bartender, well... Thank you, Public House NYC, for giving me the opportunity to be on the other side of the wooden slab.  It was SO FREAKING COOL.  I had one of the best nights ever.  And, I completed one of my challenges - #2 Guest bartend.  I want to do it again.  Every week ;)

Just to prove that I did this at a real establishment, I took a picture of the outside. Public House is a few blocks from Grand Central, so it's perfect for commuters wanting a happy hour environment before they head home:

So, how did I get this opportunity?  My girlfriend Hannah from work. One day we were having lunch and she mentioned that she had recently guest bartended and had so much fun.  The rest is history!

 

On the day of the event, Hannah and I walk in for our 6pm shift.  We head over to the bar, and get ushered behind it so that Rob, super nice and the coordinator of the guest bartender "program", could give us a crash course in bar tending.  It's overwhelming.  He tells us how to work the two different registers, what the 4 different happy hour specials are (what the times are, the costs of the various drinks, the different wrist band colors), how the order of liquor bottles in the "well" drinks section is set up (from left to right you have vodka, rum, tequila, whiskey, head spinning), how to pour a beer (HA I knew that already ;) ), and how to "open" a check... by 6:05, I'm offering customers refills on their beer. I'm slightly overwhelmed and nervous about what the night will hold, but baby I'm faking it til I make it. 

Rob gives Hannah and me the corner space in the "L" shaped bar, which is beneficial because it limits the traffic to our area... perfect for just starting out!  We even had a dedicated bar back dedicated, Angel, who he kept pouring us mystery shots...

Over the course of the 3 hour shift, several groups of friends show up in support.  My friend Fran challenges me to make a vodka martini... and I sucked at it.  Lesson learned - a little Vermouth means a teensy splash of Vermouth.  =)  I also get to close out a check, and use one of the little black padfolios to make it look official!

When the shift ended at 9, I wanted to keep going. I wanted more clients so I was busier and able to pour more drinks.  But, alas, all good things come to an end, and so I joined my friends back on the "other side":

I had SO MUCH FUN.  I felt in my element, running around like crazy, pouring drafts, making change, collecting tips, smiling and flirting with clients... It was different being on the other side and observing the groups of friends have conversations that I wasn't part of... typically I'm the one waiting (im)patiently for a refill or figuring out how much tip to leave.  On the other side, I was just looking for someone to serve another beer to, or to smile and flirt with, and was grateful when a few dollars were left behind.


A HUGE thank you to Kim, Leif, Justin E, Peter and friend, Maggie and friend, Katrin, Shaina, JamesJ, Eric "Biebs", Fran, and Justin R for coming out to support me!!!! You guys gave incredible tips, and were also nice to me when you wanted a Manhattan and I begged you to take a Makers Mark and ginger instead.  :)

To put the icing on the cake, I found out that I actually get a share in the tips.... below is a pic... Not too bad for a newbie, eh?  :)

#27 Go visit a psychic and get my cards read

In March, I took a mini Spring Break vacay to South Beach with one of my fabulous girlfriends "She na na na".  Her real name is Naomi, and she's actually a super serious lawyer, but in her downtime, she's crazy and AMAY-ZING, which translates to tons of fun. 

Anyway, while in South Beach, we walked past a store that advertised Tarot Card reading, walked in to get a quote and promptly walked out after hearing the price. We decided to go speak to a bartender, which was equally therapeutic, and for WAY less.

But still.  The idea of getting my cards read was intriguing. Hence #27, getting my cards read.  And, to make it even better, I found a deal on pulsdjfk.com for a 60 minute Tarot Card and Psychic Reading, and for 60% off.  Can't argue with a coupon!

So, I met with the lovely Veronica on a Tuesday afternoon after work. I tried to look like a fashionable 30 year old (#23), and Veronica commented that I did look "successful", so yay, maybe it's actually working! Back to the story: Here's how getting my cards read unfolded:

1. I arrive.
2. I go in to a private room.  Said room is not hung with drapes, no crystal ball, no head scarf.  Just a plain room with a plain ole desk and chairs, a normal looking girl, and a deck of cards.
3. Veronica and I greet each other, shake hands, say hi, how you doing, nice to meet you, etc.
4. We sit down at previously mentioned desk.
5. She asks me to shuffle the cards.  I shuffle twice, then cut once.
6. She starts picking cards from the top of the pile.  She lays out the cards, one by one, and the first word she says after looking at the cards is...

...self sabotage.  She sees the look on my face and immediately blurts out that she's shocked to see the self doubt in the cards, because I have such a good aura, gorgeous hair, beautiful blue eyes (my confidence is starting to go back up slightly), sees that I'm successful, but... I have a lot of self defeating thoughts. I could be more. I have a fear that's holding me back, an apprehension to break free, and I am "safe" where I am.  Later on, she tells me she saw that because of all the cards with knives/swords...

So... that pretty much knocked me on my booty.  See, I went in to this reading thinking it would be a fun experience, but was definitely not planning on taking it seriously.  I'm still not sure I will be, but when the first word she says to me is "self sabotage", my first thought was "Have you been reading the diaries that I have not been writing?!?!"  When I told my sister about it, she also said "Wow", twice.  So the fact that this lovely stranger hit the f'ing nail on the head on the freaking first word?!?!  Wow is an understatement.


So now I'm taking this seriously.  After the initial reading, we reshuffle the cards, and start to delve in to specific topics based on my questions.  Of course, we all want to know about career and love, so I asked those first.  From a career standpoint, she says I need to explore being an entrepreneur in a creative field, as my current job is "suppressing my spirit"... She sees me doing something creative, something with movement, something kinda like Martha Stewart.  She told me that I'm too responsible and need to play more, be more "ludique", which is a Spanish word that means "fun".  She encouraged me to take classes, so that I can be inspired by doing things, such as cooking, dancing, painting, writing...

She then tells me she sees my career having something to do with children and kids. I start to look uncomfortable (again) and she reminds me to take this all with a grain of salt... seeing kids does not necessarily mean that it's a direct tie - it could be anything related to kids, maybe making toys or spring break.  But, she does think I'll have kids, maybe 2-3.  WTF.

The following card appeared in 3 of the 4 shuffles... the "ten of pentacles", which Veronica tells me relates to family... which is why she thinks all this "kids" stuff.

Next, she finally gives me some GOOD news!  She tells me "Don't ever worry about money.  You will always have money."  Finally! I'm definitely believing this part of the reading, fo sho. 

Then, we focus on LOVE.  She sees love creeping in with my new career... he's connected somehow. He's going to be the love of my life, the man of my dreams, and she sees him very soon in the future - as in 3-6 months.  But only if I explore new career opportunities.  She reiterates that I shouldn't quit tomorrow, but need to be more "ludique".

We do a few more shuffles over the rest of our hour together, and we continue to hit the same themes... me striking out on my own, how I need to have no fear, more details on Mr. Right, including that he'll be better than any past love... and that he'll really LOVE me.  She thinks we'll get engaged very quickly, and cautioned me to use protection HAHAHA.

She leaves me with a few last gems:

• My future life "looks so juicy!"  Push yourself!
• I have a lot of fantasies. Stop dreaming. Start doing.
• Don't "waste your talent".

So what do you think?  Do you think I should believe Veronica? Are you surprised about my self-defeating tendencies?  Do you know who my "Mr. Right" is?  Do you have any idea what I'm going to invent, or what my next career move is or should be?  Or do you think it's all a bunch of crock?  I welcome your thoughts... =)

#23 Dress like I'm a (fashionable) 30 year old

There comes a time in one's life when you realize that, while you might still be able to wear short skirts and skimpy outfits, you probably shouldn't.  Except on girls-only trips to Vegas!  But back to the point... you probably shouldn't wear skimpy stuff anymore, not because you can't pull them off... but more so because it makes you look like an 18 year old.  And while we all love to get carded at bars, we didn't make it this far in our lives to have someone think we're 18, right?

Not that I wear skimpy clothing anymore, but really, I simply want to look more professional at work. I'm not a "fashionista".  I don't work at Vogue, and I don't pay much attention to my outfits.  My morning routine is press snooze, press snooze, press snooze, OH CRAP I'M GONNA BE LATE, quick shower, throw on pants, a top, and out the door!  Not much time to think about pulling an outfit together.  Even more embarrassing, I still have some of the outfits that I wore when I first started working 8 years ago.  There's something wrong with that, right?  I'm a successful, established professional with years of hard work under her belt.  I should start looking like it!

Enter #23 of my challenge.  Dress like a (fashionable) 30 year old.  Great.  I said it.  Now what?  What the hell does "dressing like a 30 year old" even mean?!?!

Naturally, I turned first to Google!  I googled "How to dress like a 30 year old".  Let me tell you - NOT MUCH OUT THERE on these topics.  I found two articles:

• An article on ehow.com, which I didn't find particularly helpful, and 
• A blog by a 30-year old Mom, which reinforced some of the points on the ehow.com article, and therefore wasn't extremely helpful either...(sorry blogger... your advice just doesn't fit with what I was looking for, not that you aren't helpful!)

Strike One. I revised my search...  Maybe I'm not looking for an instruction manual... Maybe I'm looking for more advice on how to be stylish? Inspired, I googled "30 year old style", and found a blog that reviewed a "How not to look old" book by Charla Krupp, who I guess is someone I should be taking style advice from?  (Sorry Charla, I'm pretty not-in-the-know when it comes to fashion).  Anyway, one of the comments on this blog post said "Honestly, this list isn’t very helpful. It seems like everything on it is either unsuitable at any adult age or suitable for all adult ages."

I agree.  NOT VERY HELPFUL.  (Plus, she bans flip flops, which are a main staple of my commuter wardrobe... sorry again, Charla!)  Strike Two.  Apparently research is not going to yield answers on what I should be wearing now that I'm 30.

Luckily, I have my friends, and I have Pinterest.  Pinterest is an online pinboard where you post images that inspire you.  I have boards such as "For my dream home", "Delicious eye candy" (see #16: Go on a date with a fireman ;)), "FOOOOD!", and, of course... "My style".

The "My style" board is not necessarily what I wear today... but more about what I think is gorgeous, and wish I was wearing... and like a lightbulb, it hit me... this is what I should be wearing. Brilliant, right?!?  Third times the charm!

Errr maybe not... I own nothing that's on my pinboard!  Haha...

But that's OK.  Examining My Style board, I've pinned a ton of dresses, items in blues/greens/purples, and a ton of "blingy" items... so clearly I should wear more dresses.  And more jewel-tone colors.  And more bling ;) (See #22, splurge on something sparkly!!!)

Great!  Now, I've got something to work with, and it's time to take inventory.  One look at my closet, and it's a mess.  Hard to see everything I have.  So, I CLEANED OUT MY CLOSET (and organized it).  I took the advice of the blogs I found via the Google search, and decided to eliminate the tube tops, mini skirts, and anything with "Juicy!" scrawled on the front (or back...)... and also took this opportunity to eliminate what doesn't fit, what I haven't worn in at least a year, and what I've never worn even though it may still have tags on it (DA$N DRUNK INTERNET SHOPPING!)  It was hard letting go... and I didn't let go of everything... but I did let go of a LOT of items, which is good progress.

One of the blogs recommended I wear pencil skirts, and that just doesn't work for me (they're super cute, but don't flatter my figure). The benefit of being (almost) 30 is that you've had years to figure out what does work for you...

• Wrap dresses and A-line skirts
• "Royal" jewel colors in ruby, emerald, sapphire and amethyst
• Jewelry for the "bling" effect
• Staples: skinny jeans, riding boots, black and white tees/tanks, black/navy/grey suits

So the end result of taking on this challenge: I figured out that you need to find what works for you, and not what you think you should be wearing (or what some blogger tells you you should be wearing).  I did add a few items to my wardrobe that reflect my likes: a few dresses, jeweled colored items, and staples (hello new work suit!).  Before I go to bed, I'm putting together my outfits, including accessories... that way even if I press snooze a million times, I'll still be able to look like I spent time to pull myself together.

As always... I welcome your comments...What do you think? For those of you who see me in work clothes, have you noticed a difference?  =) Any recommendations on what else I should be wearing?

#13 Take a day and take advantage of NYC

As many of you know, I live in Hoboken, NJ, which is right across the Hudson River from NYC. 

Gorgeous sunrise shot of NYC from NJ

I've lived here for almost 8 years (yes, EIGHT), and I readily admit that I don't travel in to NYC as much as I used to when I first arrived here.  So #13 on my List is a personal challenge to inspire me to explore and take advantage of what is right next door...

The beautiful thing about completing #13 is that it just happened without any planning... which is rare for me!  My friend Naomi came to town, my roommate Ellie told her about the Brooklyn Smorgasburg, and thus we decided to go to Brooklyn... and the rest of the day (frequenting small shops, enjoying great wine, and a show to end the night) just fell in to place... And it was fabulous.

First up, the Smorgasburg....

Aerial shot of Smorgasburg, with the lovely Manhattan skyline behind (courtesy of brooklynflea.com)

Upon arrival, we were overwhelmed by the quantity of vendors, people, and dogs in one place.  We decide to start by seeing what options were out there... and man, were there options! Tacos, briskets, cupcakes, kale chips, summer rolls, lobster rolls, more brisket... it was hard to choose, but we settled on four bites:

Vegetarian Summer Roll.... delicious

Smoked Angus brisket.... PHENOMENAL

Cilantro lime falafel on whole wheat pita (really yummy and tangy)

My favorite of the day: Hotdog topped with Asian cole slaw from "Asiadog"

After stuffing ourselves with the delicious food, we decided to mosey around Williamsburg Brooklyn and see what was what.  We were both surprised at how cute it was... filled with hipsters and "people who dress like they hate their parents" (direct quote from Naomi), Williamsburg is still very industrial, but has lots of up and coming loft-like spaces and really fabulous shops.  On Bedford Avenue, we found tons of small restaurants and shops, and very few chains... it was nice to see small businesses flourish!

We stopped by the Brooklyn Brewery, went to a vintage clothing store across the street (where I bought a cute top for $8), and then ended up at a wine bar down the street, where we split a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc...

After the wine, we did some more shopping, stopped and had another drink at a cute French bistro, and then headed to southern Brooklyn for the "cultural" part of our day... a show at Capri Night Club. The Starlight Pole Show! A good friend was having her first showcase - and she NAILED it. 

For those of you out there who might disapprove of pole dancing... ladies (and men) who pole dance are extremely athletic and fit - just think about doing pull ups on a horizontal bar... it's no different, except that you're vertical... ;)

So bottom line - Brooklyn is kinda awesome.  Loved the small town feel, the great shops, and of course, venues where performers of all disciplines can showcase their talent!

#5 Eat at a 3 star Michelin restaurant

I love food.  L O V E Love. 

So it makes sense that the first challenge I complete is Eating =), and specifically eating at a 3 star Michelin restaurant.

I had the good fortune to need to be in New Orleans for work, and since I'd never been before, I decided to come early and explore.  My friends Katrin and Dave joined me, and we packed so much stuff in to 2 days - 5 hour bike ride/tour to Lake Pontchartrain, 2 tours of the French Quarter, a tour of the Treme, a visit to Mardi Gras World, and of course, walking up and down Bourbon Street.  

Hanging out at City Park on way back from Lake Pontchartrain

Hanging out with the Easter Bunny at Pat O'Briens

High fiving Drew Brees at Mardi Gras World

But let's not forget about the food... Incredible breakfasts, fabulous oysters, heavenly beignets at Cafe du Monde (twice!), and of course, sensational dinners. 

Devouring an entire bag of beignets from Cafe du Monde

Incredible oysters from Drago's

Praline bacon at Elizabeth's cafe

Celebrating Dave's 30th birthday at Commander's Palace - INCREDIBLE meal

But then Dave and Katrin had to leave to go back to work.  I stayed for work, but had a nice day to myself.

So naturally I continued the food tour of Nawlins and went to Stella! in the French Quarter, and splurged on the chef's tasting menu.  

Full disclosure here: Stella! is not a 3 star Michelin restaurant, but that's only because Michelin does not rate restaurants in New Orleans.  This place should be 3 star, though. It was incredible.

The chef's tasting menu is technically seven courses, but it ended up being a total of 10, as they provided two "amuse bouche" (which are "little bites of food to amuse the mouth and invigorate the palate") and at the end of the seven courses, 5 mini pastries.  Needless to say, I was stuffed.  But everything was incredible.  Here's what I consumed:

Course #1: "A Composition of Heirloom Beets - Pickled Beet Carpaccio, Baby Beet Confit, Roasted Beets, Beet Sphere and Citrus and Beet Dressing"... the beet sphere (second from the right) had a little beet chip on top, and was essentially beet juice in a bubble... the baby beet confit (second from left) had beet foam on top, which was kinda like air bubbles infused with beet juice.  This dish is just one of many that made me think I was judging Iron Chef... four little mini dishes in one, with fabulous presentation...

Course #2: Grilled Boneless Pork with Apple Fennel Pure, Apple Slaw, Herbed Barbecue Sauce and Spicy Kumquat Marmalade: Wow.  Each component individually was fabulous, but all together was a fabulous burst of savory, sweet, crunchy, creamy yumminess.

Course #3: Lobster Wonton Ravioli with a Lobster Reduction and Truffle Cappuccino: WOW.  While this may not look like much (there is lobster foam on top that hides the ravioli underneath), this was my favorite bite of the weekend.  The lobster ravioli was stuffed with this incredible lobster mixture that was just perfect.  The Truffle Cappuccino sauce was incredible by itself, but again, the combination was heavenly... 

Course #4: Pan Seared Scallop with Seared Covey Rise Farm Red Spinach, Fennel, Pink Grapefruit Butter and Citrus Dust: The scallop was cooked perfectly.  While not my favorite dish of the night, eating this dish alone as my main entree would have made me perfectly happy.  The combination of the grapefruit, fennel and scallop was amazing...

Course #5: Surf and turf - Grilled Prime Beef Tenderloin a la "Cajun Au Poivre", Stuffed Fingerling Potato with Lobster and Robiola, Caviar Creme Fraiche, Glazed Beets and Parsnip Puree: This dish is tied for first place on the amazing scale.  The beef (on the top left, kinda hard to see in my bad picture) was AMAZING.  Combine it with the cajun sauce (the smear that runs from the tenderloin towards the potato, bottom right) plus the parsnip puree, WOW.  It continues to amaze me how individually each component is amazing, but together in one bite, STELLAR.  The potato was good, couldn't taste the lobster... but it did not diminish my love of this dish...

Course #6: Frozen Chevre Parfait with Almond Financier, Poached Pears, Madeira Reduction and Caramel Croquant.  The pastry chef is in the running for a James Beard award because of this dish.  And I can totally understand why.  I'm not even that big of a dessert person, but this dessert was sweet and savory.  The parfait had goat cheese, the madeira wine sauce, the poached pears... so incredible.  

Course #7: A cheese plate.  This is not the typical course 7, but the chef was gracious enough to accommodate my preferences of not being that big of a fan of dessert... thank you, Chef!!!

 And this was the final (TENTH!) dish... five different mini bites of dessert...

All in all... WOW.  Wow.  As I said to my friend Katrin via text message: "Omg. Omg. O. M. G."  Not only was the food fabulous, but the service was outstanding.  Every time I drank water, someone was there to refill the glass.  Every little detail was attended to.  And, one of my favorite things, the wine.  Which was excellent. 

So, even though this was not technically rated 3 star by Michelin... am I good?  Did I fulfill the requirement?  Because if you all vote no, I'm gonna have to eat another amazing meal in the near future... and that would be a huge hardship on me ;)

The big reveal

After going back and forth for weeks, I think I've finally settled on my list of 30 things.  It's been a long hard road (ha!), and many items have been removed, modified and consolidated... but I think I'm finally ready to share.

When you see the list, you might be like my roommate Ellie and say "Umm, how much time do you have to do this?"  Yeah... right.  How much time do I have? While this is gonna be a commitment, I'm up for it.  I thrive on challenges and having something to train for.  My goal? Complete all 30, in 3 months...

Without further ado....


Kimmy's List of 30 Things To Do Before I Turn 30:

1. Go skydiving (shh don't tell my parents).
2. Be a guest bartender.
3. Get certified in spinning.
4. Spend a day at a spa.
5. Eat at a 3 star Michelin restaurant.
6. Learn to drive stick shift.
7. Bike in the Gran Fondo (NYC).
8. Run my first 5K in 2 years.
9. Cook 30 new recipes.
10. Blog each of these posts.
11. Travel somewhere on my bucket list.
12. Do 30 hours of community service… or give $10 for each hour un-donated.
13. Take a day and take advantage of NYC.
14. See what this whole Jersey Shore thing is all about.
15. Go to Lucky Chen’s (Chinese drag queen restaurant in NYC).
16. Go on a date with a fireman. Or maybe just someone I really like. =) 
17. Try a new food.
18. Hire someone to do something that I don’t like doing…
19. Host a BBQ and watch the Macys Fourth of July firework show from my roof.
20. Lose 30 pounds (or 1/3 of 30 pounds) ;) Be healthy.
21. Get bottle service at a NYC night club and dance the night away.
22. Splurge on something sparkly.
23. Dress like I’m a (fashionable) 30 year old.
24. Quit something I do a lot for 30 days.
25. Take a picture a day for 30 days. 
26. Learn how to poach an egg.
27. Visit a psychic
28. Complete a counted cross stitch piece that I’ve been “working” on for years!
29. Read 30 books.
30. Reader's choice!!!  See the poll.

So... what do you think?  What am I missing????  What should I cut out?  What do you love?  Who wants to join me??  

The challenge.

Apparently I'm not normal, but... I'm actually excited about turning 30.  

I've been thinking about how to celebrate for over a year. The initial thought was a girls weekend in Vegas, as my four girlfriends and I are all turning 30 within 2 months of each other.  Then one of them decided to get married this year, and between the bachelorette party and a wedding... it became clear that my dream of partying like a 21 year old would be delayed until the wedding reception, and would happen in Vermont and not Vegas. 

So I took a few months to regroup on how to celebrate my big day.  Maybe a trip to some exotic place like Iceland or Morocco?  I nixed that - too much time commitment from my friends.

Then I got to thinking... if not a big trip, why not do a bunch of little things to celebrate, and instead of one day or even a weekend, why not celebrate the days leading up to the "big day"?  I mean... you could get married multiple times, but you only turn 30 once.  Why not live it up?  

So... I've been working on a list.  A list of 30 things that I want to do before I turn 30.  And I'll set a timeframe - say 3 months (you see a theme emerging here?)  While the list is not yet final, I can tell you that some of the things are easily achievable in a few hours... and some will take much longer.  It all starts on April 7.  

Challenge?  Accepted.  GAME ON!!!