31 before 31 Recap

As I near the six month mark till I'm 31 I felt it was time to check the progress of my 31 list.

I haven't been good about blogging with a busy few months of work travel, some medical issues, and life changes. All is good now and I hope to be better about blogging the next six months. As I look over what I have left off the checklist it looks like a lot of cooking and eating... I'll be working on updating the blog on some completed items.



31 Before 31 Project

Hobbies/Fun
1.) Take a photography class -completed
2.) Make my own wine or brew my own beer
3.) Complete a DIY project- completed
4.) Take a wine tasting class

Travel/San Francisco Places
5.) Try 8 new SF top 100 restaurants
- A16
- Fifth Floor
- Bar Agricole
6.) Try 8 new SF top 100 bars
- Bar Agricole
- 15 Romolo
- Bix
7.) Visit 4 new states -
- Panama
- Ecuador
-Tennessee
8.) Ride in a hot air balloon- Completed

Cooking/Recipes
9.) Master cooking a gourmet 5 course meal
10.) Learn to make beef stew
11.) Learn to bake a cake or other dessert that is extravagant but can be a go-to
12.) Create a signature cocktail
13.) Master a game day chili
14.) Learn to bake Aunt Carol's apple pie
15.) Learn to make a tomato bisque- Completed but not a success
16.) Learn to make fish or crab cakes
17.) Make lasagna from scratch
18.) Make a curry
19.) Learn to make meatloaf
20.) Learn to make bread from scratch
21.) Try two new recipes a month

Sports/Health
22.) Try to paddle board- completed
23.) Try yoga
24.) Visit 3 new ballparks
-Chase Field
25.) Learn to play golf- driving range once a month- Completed
26.) Complete a full moon hike
27.) Pick back up tennis

For Others
28.) Research prior to an election to make an educated decision and know why I am voting on a prop and elected officials. - Completed
29.) Give Christmas gifts to friends with mason jars I purchased 5 year ago! - Completed
30.) Mail a card to someone each month (birthday, anniversary, baby, just because)
31.) Find a charity I believe in and donate or give time

Learn to Play Golf -#25

While at my last job I had the opportunity to take golf lessons. After the lessons were over I entered an industry golf tournament and came home with a driver for the longest drive for a women. I instantly thought this was going to be my next sport and asked for a beginning set of golf clubs for christmas. Santa brought those golf clubs but that was the last bit of light they saw for awhile. Five years later I have finally brought the dusty clubs out of hiding and have been attempting to learn the game of golf. Between weekends at the driving range and after a number of recent lessons I set foot on the golf course again and with a lot of patience did alright. For now ill limit myself to 9 hole courses and the driving range as I keep working on this game of golf.

Try Stand Up Paddle Board -#22

I'm not sure I can say that I "learned" to stand up paddle board but I'm going to put "attempt". A few weeks back 20 crazy girls gathered in Santa Barbara to celebrate our friend C and her upcoming marriage. While in Santa Barbara we had a beach day looking out at the blue Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. For activities we rented a few kayaks and stand up paddle boards to go out on. I attempted but the paddle board ended up winning. The ocean wasn't calm with some waves but I don't think I can blame my lack of luck/talent on that. I seemed to have quite the sea legs that would shake each time I tried to stand and knocked me in the water. I did enjoy knee paddle boarding though...

The one interesting thing I learned from all of this is that when someone says SUP they aren't trying to be cool in 7th grade and saying what's up, but rather it means Stand Up Paddle boarding. There you have it the new lingo the cool kids use.

New State- Tennessee- #7

I decided to add visiting 4 new states to my list as there are so many amazing places to explore in our backyards without getting on a plane with a passport. Obviously that wasn't the case as I took an incredible vacation to Panama and Ecuador with my family including the Galapagos. With a big trip like this and an upcoming trip to a new area (for me) of Mexico I've decided that New Countries will be counted as states since after all of this travel I need to save up before taking off again.

Despite the international vacations the past year I have been able to visit a new state thanks to work. Nashville, Tennessee has been on my list of places to see for a long time. Unfortunately, with flight delays due to fog out of Oakland (yes, Oakland not San Francisco) I only ended up having one night and two full days in conference rooms which left no time to explore. The little taste of Nashville I got that one night was great. I spent less than 48 hours but I know I'll be back to explore and experience the city in the near future. Up next is another work trip to another new state... New Orleans, Louisiana in October.

Some perspective on the Big 3-0

Since I am minutes away from turning 30 my mind is obviously doing a lot of thinking of what this means. It is interesting how prospectives can easily change based upon situations we are in. If you asked me 20, 10, 5, or even 3 years ago I likely had a different idea of where I thought I would be in my life when I turned 30. I'm sure many of you were certain I would be living somewhere in suburbia with a white picket fence too. In the end that isn't the life I have created for myself, and sure I could have done some things differently, but at the end of the day I don't have regrets because I have become a confident more aware person.

I'm proud of the chance I took to take a huge step outside of my comfort zone to quit my job and travel to unknown countries by myself. The 26 year old I thought I was going to be would have never thought to have done something this "dangerous/risky/crazy". Thanks to this incredible experience I gained confidence, independence, and awareness I would have likely never developed. I would have never thought that at 27 I would have accepted a job that required almost weekly travel and to be sales forward. I knew that it would be a challenge for multiple reasons but also great career growth. Because of this experience I continue to become confident and independent in growing a career as a business professional. I enjoy feeling successful and knowing that I can support myself. There are numerous other decisions and chances I have taken; some big and some small.

My life may be different; but I'm a better person for who I have become. In looking back on these 30 years I am thankful for all that I have learned and gained from taking chances I would have never thought of. No doubt I have had some incredible opportunities and I'm glad I have woken up and taken advantage and appreciated them. Here is to a wonderful first year in my 30s filled with taking chances that I'm confident will payoff in great dividends.

Lesson: Take chances and recognize that there is not a certain path or way that things are supposed to go. Remember to do what is best for you personally, not what others think.

Galapagos

Don't worry pictures and stories from the Galapagos will be coming... With over 2,400 pictures it is taking some time to make my way through them. The stories are endless so I'll try to pick a few and give everyone an idea of the Galapagos, since it was a trip of a lifetime and challenging to get it.

Foggy Flight Delays

With all my travels I've gotten used to flight delays due to fog. This morning I'm not sure if I'm in Quito or San Francisco. Upon waking up at 3:50am to leave Hacienda Cusin by 4:15 we arrived at the new Quito airport at 5:30 in the pitch of dark for our 8am flight.

The new Quito airport has only been opened for 2 weeks but at 9,200 feet and situated in a small valley of huge mountains, it is easy for the fog to get socked in, and guess what have flight delays. Not sure if the old airport had delays but hopefully they learned something from SFO and developed this new airport with runways that are separate from each other. We don't need multiple airports becoming notorious for delays due to fog.