101 in 1001 Update

101 in 1001

For the Goal Setter

1.     Learn to cook fresh meals with no recipes

2.     Host 5 dinner parties (4/5)

3.     Make a budget and stick to it for three months

4.     Land my first real world job

5.     Go without social media for a week, do this three times (1/3)

6.     Don’t eat out for one month

7.     Watch at least 25 of IMDB Top 100 movies that I haven't seen (17/25 "12 Years a Slave" "Gravity" "Rear Window" "Stand By Me" "Singin in the Rain" "Million Dollar Baby" "Interstellar" "Whiplash" "M" "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" "Goodwill Hunting" "Room" "Inside Out" "Gone Girl" "Spotlight" "The Imitation Game" "Avengers")

8.     Read 5 NY Times Bestsellers not already read (5/5 This is Where I Leave You, Going Off Script, Ashley's War, Gone Girl, Paper Towns)

9.     Learn to cook 10 of my Grandma’s best recipes (5/10 Melting Moments, Chocolate Crisp Cookies, German Potato Salad, Corn Casserole, Party Mix)

10.  Become financially independent

11.  Make a meal plan and stick to it for a month

12.  Learn to sew

13.  Learn about stocks and invest in three (0/3)

14.  Read 10 of the BBC Top 100 Books (1/10 The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe;)

15.  Make 5 desserts from scratch (7/5 Summer Parfait with homemade cool whip, Homemade peach and black berry pie, Homemade peach crumble, Homemade strawberry crisp, Homemade buttermilk pie, Sumbithces cookies, sticky toffee pudding)

For the Adventurer

16.  Start a small garden of herbs and common veggies and maintain it for one growing season

17.  Make someone feel awkward in an elevator

18.  Go skydiving

19.  Dance like crazy with my Ipod in public and film it

20.  Hit on a guy

21.  Do the Portland, Seattle, Vancouver trip with my dad

22.  Have a staycation in Lexington or Cincinnati (mute point)

23.  Go to 10 new (non-chain) bars or restaurants in my home towns (10/10 "Wandabar" "OKBB" "Northlime Coffee and Donuts" "Strongs Pizza" "Cup of Commonwealth" "Doodles" "Atovola" "Coffee Emporium" "Claw Daddys" "Blue Stallion Brewery" )

24.  Eat only locally grown/ raised foods for one week, do this three times (1/3, August '14)

25. Visit a continent I have not been to (Asia)

26.  Go to 3 states I have never been to (3/3 Utah, Wyoming, Iowa)

27.  Explore another country with a friend (Italy, Greece and Turkey with Molly)

28.  Visit 5 new countries (5/5 Greece, Italy, Turkey, Ireland, Vatican City?, Jamaica)

29.  Road trip with no destination

30.  Go on a multiple destination road trip with friends (Cruise with Molly)

31.  Ski out West

32.  Buy a pair of designer jeans

33.  Take a picture in 10 Once in a Lifetime moments (10/10) 

Stood where Paul gave his speech to the Athenians

Took a culinary tour of Istanbul!

 Made Turkish bread in Turkish restaurant in Istanbul

 Mass in the Vatican

Saw the Pope

Climbed down part of the Cliffs of Moher

Celebrated my last day on a year abroad

Graduated College

Got free headshots from THR's photographer working with them at Sundance

Moved to Los Angeles

34.  Show a friend around Kentucky

35.  Go to Napa Valley

36. Go on the Bourbon Trail

37.  Go to the Kentucky Derby (Oaks? Not quite, but close)

38.  Do the Oscar Nominated movie marathon in theatres

39.  Join a Fantasy Football League for a season

40.  Do 3 completely spontaneous things (3/3 Church in Vatican, Climbed down part of the Cliffs of Moher, bought designer boots)

For My Relationship

41.  Write a journal of scripture, thoughts and prayers for a future husband

42.  Pray for my future husband

43.  Study Proverbs 31 in depth 

44.  Pray for my heart to be ready to share

45.  Prepare myself to be ready to get to include someone else in life

46.  Talk in-depth and realistically with a faithful married woman about a Godly relationship

47.  Kiss in the rain  (snow under twinkle lights counts, right?)

48.  Make a list of 50 Things You Should Know to Understand Me for my future husband

For My Faith

49.  Memorize 30 verses (0/30)

50.  Get plugged in at a church when I move after college 

51.  Join a new bible study 

52.  Read the whole bible

53.  Devote 30 full minutes to God a day for a month at least 3 times (2/3)

54.  Find a Godly mentor for this time in my life

55.  Read 10 faith based books (2/10 Not a Fan, An Unstoppable Force)

56.  Journal everyday for a month, do this twice (2/2) Feb 2014 Aug 2014

57.  Complete the K-Love 30 Day Challenge

58.  Get an accountability partner

59.  Invest deeply in a friend’s prayer requests every week for two months, do this twice (1/2)

For Others

60.  Send a friend flowers who won’t be expecting them

61.  Help plan a wedding other than my own

62.  Go on a mission trip

63.  Pay for a stranger’s coffee

64.  Have 10 meaningful conversations with long-distance friends (10/10)

65.  Serve others on Christmas Day

66.  Make a meal and deliver it to someone

67.  Buy something meaningful for a loved one

68.  Surprise a friend or loved one

69.  Invest in someone else’s dream

70.  Leave a 100% tip

71.  Do something special for my parents

72.  Pay for a meal for my whole family

73.  Send my brother and sister-in-law something special for their 1^st Anniversary

74.  Make dinner for The Cottage

75.  Make breakfast in bed for a friend

76.  Leave 101 inspirational notes (50/101)

For My Career

77.  Move to LA

78.  Pay for headshots with a well known, professional headshot photographer

79.  Get an agent (working on becoming one)

80.  Get an internship in LA in the entertainment industry (got a job!)

81.  Begin my own network with my own professional contacts

82.  Land my first on screen roll

83.  Subscribe to Hollywood Reporter

84.  Subscribe to IMDB Pro

85.  Watch every movie in which an actress won an Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Roll (0/86)

86.  Research directors and screen writers and keep up with my 3 favorites in each category

87.  Study 10 different actor/actress’s work in depth (2/10) (Claire Danes, Jennifer Lawrence,)

For My Health

88.  Do a detox three times (0/3)

89.  Go without sweets for one month

90.  Go on a three hour hike at least three times (1/3 Cliffs of Moher)

91.  Join a yoga studio
92. Pay of my student loans (mental stress!)

93.  Do two a days for two weeks, do this twice (0/2)

94.  Rehab my knees and hips everyday for a month

95.  Run a race with friends/family

96.  Get sponsors to run a race for a good cause

97.  Meditate for 10 minutes per day for 1 month straight

98.  Shop only the perimeter of the grocery store or the organic section for 1 month

99.  Drink a cup of herbal tea every night for two weeks, do this five times (2/5)

100.                 Drink 60 ounces of water per day for 30 days, do this three times (3/3)

101.                 Read for 30 min for 30 days straight

Lost and Found

Well friends, its about that time again. Time for my quarterly blog post!

They say "you must get lost before you can be found." Well as a recent college graduate, I can say I am somewhere amidst lost. I am wondering around Robert Frost's yellow wood. I have always said I took the road less traveled by, and with each passing day this becomes more and more apparent to me. Might it be that I have always known the world is my home, not just Kentucky? That I have taken many adventures around this beautiful world, often alone, yet met some of my very best friends? Have had all of one romantic relationship in my life, yet one of the two things I want most is to be a mom? Had my first kiss at the age of 22? Had a first kiss that was practically a scene out of a movie and was then disappointed? Received Bourbon and cuban cigars as graduation gifts instead of money? Am leaving behind almost every friend I have to move my life from Kentucky to Chicago and LA with no job? Being realistic after my year in Scotland I also know this means I will likely lose the majority of those friends; it's no one's fault really, life just gets busy and though you think technology would make staying in touch easier, I have found it really just creates excuses.

This is not a pity party or anything of the like. Rather, as someone who is very logical, yet likes to be in touch with my feelings, I am simply trying to process all of the things my life holds right now. I spent the last two weeks in paradise trying to think about what lies ahead of me and how I feel about everything happening to me and in life right now...I got absolutely nowhere which has never happened to me before. Here is the thing, people keep throwing adjectives like adventurous, brave, crazy and courageous at me in both genuine and nonchalant conversations. I just don't feel these things though. Instead, I feel like moving to chase the only career I feel can use my talents is really my only option, and working my butt off to be successful is the only thing I know how to do. People have found so many cool words to describe the journey I have been on for the last few years, but I'm not sure anyone has ever mentioned the ones I have felt most deeply. At this very moment, that word is fear. I don't fear losing friends, moving, making a new city my home, or failing at a job because I know once there I can do each of those things as I have before. What I fear as the recent college grad that I am is the most basic of things, not finding a job because yes, I took the road less travelled and when every job application in the field I am pursuing requires experience in a degree that is not the one I earned, fear ensues.

I am just hoping, and praying, I cross the path of another individual on my road less traveled by. No one ever said it isn't traveled at all. Hopefully that lovely person will conquer my fear for me; I know I will not let them down.

I guess maybe I am not so lost after all...I think that the feeling of being lost, or just somewhere different, is my found; I am okay with that.