#13 - Cook 10 new recipes & add them to my recipe box. (25/101)

I love cooking as you might have figured out by now. I also love finding new recipes, either through Pinterest or through my friends (one of my good friends writes a blog called "Beets Me Katie" and I love exploring cooking with her). While I have tried more than ten new recipes over the last few months, here are ten that I cooked and would choose to make again. Below are the links to the original recipes if I have them along with changes and additions I made in some cases: 

1. Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken Bowl: This recipe is delicious, so much so that I have made it multiple times over the last few months.  I adapted the original pork recipe since I do not eat pork and instead made chicken. I've made this with both chicken thighs (dark meat) and chicken breasts (white meat) and I will say it is more flavorful with thighs. Both times I also sautéed bell peppers, zucchini and onion to add to my bowls and also chopped up fresh cilantro, mint and basil to sprinkle on top - both highly recommended!  

2. Strawberry Salad: This is my mom's recipe, a summer salad she makes that is one of my favorites. It is a simple romaine and spinach salad with red onion, cucumber, strawberries and a homemade poppyseed dressing. I do not have the exact recipe for the dressing but here is a similar poppyseed dressing recipe. This is an awesome summer salad and I will continue making it for years to come.

3. Grilled Lamb Chops & Mint Pesto: This was the recipe my boyfriend and I made to "break in" my new grill. We grilled lamb chops which were awesome, marinating then in some rosemary, garlic salt, pepper and a tiny bit of olive oil. I had been growing mint in my garden and the mint was growing like crazy so I wanted to make a recipe that could use some of the mint. We made this mint pesto which was great but we accidentally forgot to take it out of the fridge when the lamb came off the grill so we ended up only tasting it and using it with leftovers afterwards. Whoops!   

4. Honey Chicken Kabobs: I have enjoyed finding recipes to make on my grill and these honey chicken kabobs were no exception. They were easy and delicious, the honey marinade left a great chargrilled taste to the chicken. When we made these kabobs, we also grilled pineapple with them which was an awesome addition.

5. Lemony Basil Orzo Pasta Salad: I made this dish for a mediterranean shawarma night that my friends were having where I was asked to bring a side dish. I did not have much time so it was the perfect recipe, super easy and quite tasty. I loved the yellow grape tomatoes and also added a few other vegetables and spices to the dish (and therefore needed a bit more lemon juice and olive oil). I added yellow and orange bell pepper, red onion and fresh mint and dried oregano. 

6. Okra Masala/Bhindi Masala: This dish was made as part of a way to try out making indian food at home with my friends. We made four dishes, the first being bhindi (okra) masala. I love okra and a I love masala recipes (tikka masala, channa masala, etc.) so I thought this would be great to try. The okra masala was delicious and I will for sure make it again.

7. Dal: An indian dish I love and wanted to recreate, this lentil dal recipe from the New York times is really great. I tend to think of indian food cooking as something that will take a long time and will require difficult ingredients to acquire, I was surprised at how easy the recipe was and how I almost had all the ingredients in my kitchen already.

8. Avocado Black Bean Enchiladas: We made this recipe after a weekend full of lots of meat so wanted to make a vegetarian recipe that was easy but hearty. I pretty much love any recipe that includes black beans and avocados so the name of this recipe caught my eye. This was super easy and hearty, it made a lot so my boyfriend was happy to have lunch leftovers for the next day!

9. Lamb Burgers: I can't seem to find this recipe but these lamb burgers were delicious and easy! We made a good greek yogurt, lemon and parsley garnish that was delicious to go with the burgers as well as an Israeli couscous, bell pepper, red onion, lemon juice and olive oil salad. 

10. Coconut Curried Kale and Sweet Potato: When my friend Christine was in town last week, we made this delicious recipe but made some additions and changes that I would definitely suggest. We added chickpeas and mushrooms, made a small mango, lime and scallion garnish and made coconut rice instead of plain basmati rice. Great vegetarian dish with delicious flavor. The sweet potato did take a long time to cook, if I cook it again I would make sure to really cook the sweet potato before I add the other ingredients. 

#26 - Take an aerial yoga class. (24/101)

A few years ago I took a couple aerial yoga classes. They were amazing - think combining yoga, acrobatics and silks and using a combination of flexibility, strength and balance throughout the hour. I decided I wanted to try it again in Atlanta. I started using ClassPass a few weeks ago, which allows users to access a network of fitness studios across your area. I was really excited to see aerial yoga as an option on ClassPass so I went to a class today. The studio is about 25 minutes away from my home in the suburbs of Atlanta, it was called Sky Gym, so a Sunday morning was the perfect time to try it out and make the drive while there was no traffic.

During class, you use a soft, fabric hammock held up by carabineers and do a combination of traditional yoga poses or aerial adaptations of traditional poses using the hammock. Sometimes you are sitting in the hammock, other times you'll just have a foot or leg in it and in other instances you'll be laying cocoon style in the hammocks. My favorite part of the class was the inversions, meaning the times we got to go upside down(!!) in the hammocks and test our strength to hold up our bodies. I really enjoyed the class and felt like I got to really stretch and work on my flexibility, I will definitely go back again!

#29 - Get 8-9 hours of sleep each night for one week (longer if possible). (23/101)

My sister has always needed a lot of sleep. She is one of those people that cannot function unless she gets at least 8 hours of sleep a night but really does her best when she gets between 9 -10 hours of sleep per night. I am not like that. I can go days with little sleep and still be high functioning. I usually can keep this up for a week but then I will crash. Hardcore crash. Like need to sleep 14 hours for two nights in a row - crash. I had a crazy work week and proceeded to have a "crash week" where I intentionally slept at least 8 if not 10-11 hours a night for a week. It was wonderful but I realized a few things:

• It is really nice to get more than my average amount of sleep once in awhile. I felt very relaxed all week and enjoyed the benefits of knowing I was rested and ready to start my day. That being said...
• I realized get more tired during the day if I sleep more than 8 hours a night than if I sleep 8 or less than that a night. When I oversleep, I find myself dragging in the afternoon, wanting to drink an extra cup of green tea for caffeine and wanting to take a nap. I do better if I sleep between 7-8 hours a night on average.
• After a couple nights of lots of sleep, I start waking up after 8 hours of sleep. There were a couple times this week that I went to bed at 10PM and woke up at 6AM - I was done sleeping. I used the time wisely and would go to workout before work or go into work early so I could leave a bit earlier than usual.

I will probably not be able to sleep over 8 hours on a regular basis (nor will I want to) but it was a fun exercise to intentionally tell myself to sleep more than I usually do. I want to set time in my schedule aside to sleep this much every so often so I can give my body the time to relax, rejuvenate and restore. 

#39 - Complete a round of couch to 10k. (22/101)

I am not a runner. I used to hate the mile in gym class growing up.  I would find any excuse I could to skip out on it as I would rather do dozens of pull-ups any day over running for 10 minutes straight. When I lived in Argentina from 2013-2014 I realized I had a lot of free time on my hands so I started to exercise more. I explored the city by walking and I was lucky to live close to the Bosques de Palermo, Parks of Palermo, so the walking turned into running. I completed an app on my phone called couch to 5k, interval training to get someone running a 5k in 8 weeks. I loved the way it made me feel and I was also stubborn so I had to finish the challenge I set out for myself. When I returned to the US I continued to run but as soon as it got cold I stopped, I didn't like being outside myself when it was dark and freezing!

I moved to a new neighborhood in Atlanta in June that is very close to the Atlanta BeltLine, a walking and biking trail that runs through metro Atlanta. The weather was gorgeous so I started running again and decided I wanted to start running more than I had before. So I set out to complete to couch to 10k app which would take 14 weeks to complete. The first 8 weeks were pretty easy but the next six got much harder. I pushed myself and made it through, I was comfortably running over 6 miles at a time. While it is now getting colder and I will probably stop running as much, I now know I can do it and will start running again in the spring!

#10 - Take an Asian cooking class. (21/101)

I love all ethnic food, especially Asian food. While I like going out to eat Asian food, I wanted to learn some tips so I could cook it more at home. So last weekend, we went to a Thai Cooking Class at Sur La Table. The menu included:

• Thai Chicken Cocount Soup (Tom Ka Gai): This was surprisingly delicious and simple! I am not the biggest mushroom fan but I loved how soft and tasty the mushrooms were in the soup. This is a perfect soup for the winter time.
• Stir Fried Wide Rice Noodles with Beef and Broccoli (Pad See Ew): This was awesome - we only seared the steak for a minute which made it juicy and tender, the Chinese broccoli was delicious and I was surprised to see the noodles (unlike regular noodles) boiled in about two minutes. If I made it again, I would add even more vegetables. We learned the key to good fried asian food is a hot wok (lots of heat) - I think I'll need to go and purchase a wok now!
• Sweet and Spicy Cucumber Salad with Roasted Peanuts: I loved the vinaigrette dressing on this salad and will definitely make it again. I didn't add peanuts to mine but those that did said it added a great crunch.
• Forbidden Coconut Mango Rice Pudding: This was sweet and delicious. I had never made forbidden rice before (similar to black rice) so it was fun to try a new grain. We added toasted coconut and slices of fresh mango on top of the rice pudding, extremely tasty!

All the food was delicious and we learned some tips about where to look for ingredients, how to cut certain foods, tips on preparation and more. We also learned that cooking Thai food at home is really not too difficult - the more difficult part is usually finding the right ingredients. The class was so fun, I'm excited to try out some Thai cooking at home!

 

#53 - Go to Charlottesville for a random weekend with my friends. (20/101)

When I'm in Charlottesville, I'm in my happy place. I know it sounds silly but for me, Charlottesville is full of joyful memories. After spending four years there while attending the University of Virginia, I always find myself wanting to find ways to get back to visit. A few weekends ago I went back to Charlottesville with a few of my closest girlfriends. I grew up with these girls in Richmond, VA and while we live in four different cities now, we always find time to come back together. A few of us went to the UVA v. Boise State game on Friday night which was dreary and upsetting (UVa lost 56-14) but at least we got to sing The Good Ole Song a couple times.

On Saturday, the larger group started by grabbing sandwiches at my favorite sandwich place in Charlottesville, Bellair Market. Bellair is inside of a gas station and is always delicious. After grabbing lunch, we headed to three vineyards:

• Jefferson Vineyards - First stop was Jefferson Vineyards, which is quite close to Monticello. Tastings are $10 and happen in their rustic tasting room. As a lifetime member of the UVa alumni association, I will have lifetime free tastings at Jefferson Vineyards which is always a positive! We tasted 10 wines and after doing so, bought a bottle to share on their deck while we ate our Bellair sandwiches.
• Trump Winery - Next stop was Trump Winery, which is just ten minutes down the road from Jefferson. Trump has a gorgeous view that overlooks their vineyards and rolling hills. Their deck outside is awesome to sit on and they have a tasting bar both outside and inside. 
• Blenheim Vineyards - Our last stop of the day was at Blenheim Vineyards, which is a vineyard owned by Dave Matthews and about one minute from Trump Winery. I love their tasting room because it overlooks their wine production/barreling room so it has an awesome feel to it. 

I love Charlottesville and am so happy I get to go back every so often, especially with friends. Can't wait until I can make it back there again!

#82 - See a NFL game. (19/101)

I am not a huge football fan but I have always enjoyed going to games. The atmosphere of football games is awesome: competitive, on edge, good vibes and more. My boyfriend grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina and is a huge Panthers fan. His parents go to a lot of the games so last weekend we joined them and went to the Panthers vs. Texans game. I haven't been to a NFL game in a long time so I was really excited to go. We arrived to the game a few minutes before kickoff and it was a beautiful and hot day. My favorite play was when quarterback Cam Newton literally flipped into the end zone for a touchdown, so cool! It was such a fun game and we ended up winning 24-17. Go Panthers, keep pounding!

#73 - Host a giving circle. (18/101)

Growing up I would get a weekly allowance for completing chores (as most kids do). But unlike most kids, starting when I was about five years old, my parents asked me to put half of my allowance each week into a tzedakah (Hebrew word for "charity") box. At the end of each year, I would count up the money and choose where to make a donation. From a young age my parents (and especially my mom) instilled in me the importance of philanthropy and the importance of giving to others no matter how much or how little one has. As I've grown up I have continued to donate to different organizations each year, both my time and money.

When I was a third year student at UVa, I took a class meant to instill philanthropy in college students where our class granted $100,000 to local Charlottesville organizations (you can read a bit more about that in a past post). This was my first experience with collective giving and I loved it. I loved that we went through a process together to discuss what values were important to us, what collective values we wanted to demonstrate through our giving and most of all, I loved that we were having fun while doing good. Last year, I took part in a second collective giving experience, a Challah for Hunger alumni giving circle. The difference with this circle was that we gave our own contributions along with unallocated funds from the organization and distributed $20,000 to two hunger relief organizations.

At the beginning of the summer, I was approached by the CEO of Challah for Hunger and asked if I would consider co-hosting the second alumni giving circle. I didn't even have to think, I immediately said yes and started working with my co-leader on the circle. Our giving circle concluded this past week and it was an incredible experience. Six Challah for Hunger alumni from around the country took part in the circle which included four digital meetings, education about hunger relief and philanthropy, fruitful conversations about our personal and collective values and more. We ended up granting $10,000 (a mixture of personal donations and unallocated funds from the organization) to two amazing hunger relief organizations. This was an incredible experience and I am really grateful to the six members of the giving circle and Challah for Hunger.

I hope to host more giving circles in the future!

#6 - Complete a 1000+ piece jigsaw puzzle (17/101)

I have fond memories of sitting on vacations and doing jigsaw puzzles. There is something about taking the time to do a puzzle - it's relaxing, a bit challenging (if it's a good one) and lets you undigitize and focus on what's in front of you. I thought it would be fun to add a puzzle to my list, partly because I miss doing them and partly because I love giving myself little challenges to complete. I chose a puzzle of Cinque Terre, a Unesco World Heritage Site in Italy that is five small towns on the coast. I visited a few years ago and it was beautiful, I hope to get back some day. I got completely addicted when completing the puzzle and found myself using all of my free time to work on it. I now remember why I can't let myself do puzzles regularly :)

Puzzle Complete!

#96 - Light Shabbat candles every Friday for a month. (16/101)

Growing up, my family would light Shabbat candles together most Friday nights. As my sister and I got older and had more activities on Friday nights, we stopped lighting candles as a family every week. When I was living in Argentina last year, I would light Shabbat candles with my supervisor Jessi whenever I was in the office on Fridays. I love lighting candles because it makes me stop for a moment and reflect on the past week and the week to come. I decided to get back in the habit of lighting candles each Friday and have now done so for the last six weeks. This week is the Jewish new year and it is a tradition (such as in the secular new year) to make a resolution of something you want to change in the following year. For year 5776 in the Jewish calendar, my resolution is to light Shabbat candles more. I hope to do so throughout the next year and for years to come. Shana Tova, a happy new year to everyone who celebrates!

ps. if you would like to make a new year's resolution and post it, feel free to do so here. 

#56 - Make coasters using maps from the places I’ve traveled. (15/101)

I was looking on Pinterest and Etsy for some inspiration and found some really cute map coasters. I thought it would be a fun project so I went to get the supplies to make my own. I asked my friend Jennifer to help me (aka the craft queen) because I knew with her they would turn out great! Here is how I created them.

Supplies:

• 4 x 4 tiles (I got mine at Home Depot!)

• Modge Podge (I used the glossy kind so they would have a nice glossy look)

• sheets of cork 

• adhesive spray

• xacto knife

• ruler

• foam brush

• maps (I got mine at paper source)

Directions:

First I traced (with a pencil and a rule) the outline of a square on the sections of the maps I wanted to use and cut them out individually using a xacto knife. Next I used the adhesive spray to put pieces of cork on the bottoms of each tile. I then started to modge podge (using a foam brush) the maps on to the coasters. I suggest doing one coat, waiting for it to dry and doing a second coat. And voila, you have beautiful map coasters! 

#39 - Go wine tasting in Napa. (14/101)

I love wine and enjoy visiting wine regions all over the world. We were heading out to Oakland/San Francisco for my cousins bat mitzvah so I convinced my family to arrive a day early so we could spend a day in Napa Valley. We had a really wonderful day, I did a bunch of research before we went and asked lots of friends and family for suggestions to make sure we made the most of our limited time there. We ended up visiting two vineyards and one restaurant for lunch, it was a perfect day and I'm so glad we decided to add this to our trip. Our day included:

Kuleto Estate: The drive from Oakland to Kuleto Estate was beautiful but very hilly and wind-y so all the ladies in the car were a bit motion sick by the time we arrived. I had made a reservation a couple weeks before we went and noticed that the day was full when I checked availability the day before so if you would like to visit, I would plan ahead. Kuleto was recommended to us by my cousins, it was the right choice to visit and a perfect first stop on our day trip in Napa. The grounds are gorgeous as it overlooks the whole valley, Lake Hennessey and the town of Rutherford. We went on a tour of the grounds and then sat to do a tasting on their beautiful patio, in total there were about 15 people in the group (including the 5 of us). We tasted delicious wines that were matched with cheese samplings as well. We loved the wine so much we ended up buying two bottles, a Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is expensive but delicious and can only be bought at the vineyard. I loved that this vineyard was small and had a family feel to it. It was a gorgeous vineyard and I highly suggest it!

Tra Vigne: After our tour and tasting at Kuleto, we headed into town and had lunch at Tra Vigne, a great Italian restaurant. I would definitely suggest sitting at their outdoor terrace, it is beautiful. The food was incredible, make sure to order their mozzerella "al minuto" which is hand made at the moment ordered. We got it to start with some fresh heirloom tomatoes and it was quite tasty. For lunch we had a mix of delicious pastas, pizzas and fish dishes, I would definitely recommend Tra Vigne.

Round Pond Estate: Next we headed to Round Pond Estate which was very close to Tra Vigne in the town of Rutherford. Round Pond also has an olive mill so we first went to the olive mill by accident. Round Pond had been recommended to us by friends of ours, they have a beautiful terrace outside overlooking their vineyard and also have a very nice tasting room inside. I would also definitely recommend a reservation here. The wine was delicious and it was the perfect last stop on our day trip to Napa.

#38 - Take 100 Pure Barre classes. (13/101)

Lift. Tone. Burn. This is Pure Barre's motto and the words I've heard over the past 10 months while taking their classes. It is a 55 minute full-body workout class concentrating on the areas women struggle with most: hips, thighs, seat, abdominals and arms. I love their classes and they are worth the expensive price for me because I can feel and see the results. After you take 100 classes, they dress you in a boa or tutu, give you a free pair of sticky socks that say "100 club" and have you sign the "100 club" barre in the studio. I felt successful finally accomplishing 100 classes and will continue taking classes with my new sticky socks!

#25 - Take a dance class. (12/101)

Last Friday my friend Katie invited me to a beginners hip hop dance class that she was attending. I was SO excited as it was on my list of 101 things to do in 1,001 days and because I was excited to relive the glory days of my fun hip hop classes in high school. We showed up to the Dance 411 Studio a few minutes before the class began, so we had a chance to check out the studio. We joined the class and after the warm up started learning an awesome hip hop dance. It was fun to see the make up of the class, the group consisted of about 25 people, between the ages of seven and mid-thirties, with a very eclectic mix of attire. Our teacher was 17 and an awesome dancer, it was really fun to watch him dance. We danced to the song Atm Jam (Kaytranada Remix) by Azealia Banks ft. Pharrell and had a lot of fun! I can't wait to go back and maybe even try out a different dance style next time.

#88 - Try at least ten new restaurants in Atlanta. (11/101)

I love trying out new restaurants and enjoy exploring a city through it's cuisine. I have eaten at lots of new restaurants since moving to Atlanta and have been keeping a list of others that I want to try. Almost all of the ones below were on my list to try, I'm excited to share my impressions with you: 

Nuevo Laredo Cantina. 
I had heard about this restaurant from a few people and ended up going with coworkers one day for our intern's goodbye lunch. This restaurant is authentic and delicious, there's always a wait and the food is good. It has been voted "Best of Atlanta" by Atlanta magazine since 1992. I tend to measure a Mexican restaurant by how good their queso is...it passed the test and their tomatillo sauce was delicious as well!

Pizza Antico.
This pizza is amazing. On the westside, it's a little place where the wood ovens are all around you and they pretty much only make pizza and calzones. We went with a big group after going to Monday Night Brewing and all split pizzas. I split a verdura pizza (pictured right) that had broccoli, mushrooms, tomato sauce and garlic...it was delicious.

YEAH! Burger. 
I had passed this Atlanta burger place many times but had never been inside. I got to build my own burger, my favorite. I ordered a grass-fed beef burger on a whole wheat bun with ketchup, mustard, lettuce, caramelized onions, jalapeños and avocado. I also highly recommend the truffle parmesan fries!

Bartaco. 
I love tacos, especially fish tacos, and good margaritas. I found both at bartaco. We all got margaritas and beers while we waited for our table, the house margarita was delicious. We had a group of eight friends, the guys shared trays and I ordered guacamole, a baja fish taco, a mahi mahi taco and a side of the black bean salad.


Craft Izakaya. 
I went for my birthday to this small plate Japanese cuisine restaurant. It is attached to Krog Street Market, a really fun market to hang out at off of the BeltLine. We started with the grilled parmesan edamame and a spicy tuna avocado ball (pictured left) that came with seaweed tempura chips, both awesome and absolutely recommended. They make a delicious spicy tuna roll as well.

Penang. 
One of my favorite traditions with my boss is exploring ethnic food on Atlanta's Buford Highway. We will pick a type of cuisine and go find a restaurant for lunch. My boss had given me the choice between Malaysian and Vietnamese, I chose Malaysian and we ended up at Penang. They have great lunch specials, definitely order some roti to start. 

Superica. 
We went to Superica for my friend's going away party before she moved to New York City. This Tex-Mex restaurant is attached to Krog Street Market and is always super busy. After waiting for a bit, we got seated, ordered margaritas, queso, salsa and chips. I could have eaten the queso and different types of salsa for my main dish, they were delicious! I ordered ceviche verde de pescado for my main dish and it was great. As part of our meal, Superica gives us black beans and rice so after my ceviche, queso, salsa, black beans and rice, I was a happy camper!

Gato. 
This is a delicious breakfast and brunch place in the cute Candler Park neighborhood. Gato in Spanish means cat and it is the perfect name as all the decorations inside are of cats. We sat at the bar, diner style, watched them cook our food which consisted of sweet potato pancakes, biscuits, huevos rancheros and more. Great restuarant and fun to explore the Candler Park neighborhood as well!

Juliannas's Coffee and Crepes. 
I was exploring with my friend one day when she said "I really want a crepe". We proceeded to Google crepes nearby and found this awesome place in the Atlanta Inman Park neighborhood. We ordered "The Almighty" crepe which consisted of nutella, strawberries and bananas. NOM. Can't wait to go back and try more.

Genki. 
I was craving sushi so my friend and I walked to the Genki in the Virginia Highlands neighborhood one night. We started with edamame and then I got a spicy tuna roll and a spicy hawaiian role. It was good, not amazing, but a solid sushi place to add to my list.

This is definitely not the end to my Atlanta restaurant exploring adventures, I'm excited to keep exploring!

#95 - Watch the sunrise and sunset in the same day. (10/101)

This past Sunday I got the opportunity to see both the sunrise and sunset in the same day. If you know me, you'll probably know that this doesn't happen a lot. I enjoy sleeping in so barely make it awake before sunrise. A group of friends invited me to go to the Tallulah Gorge State Park and promised it would be a good time. I said sure and then got the details, we had to leave by 5:30am. Apparently the park only gives out 100 permits per day to descend to the gorge and in busy season, they run out. We drove the hour and a half to the state park, watched the sunrise on our way and got to the park around 7:00AM. We had to wait until 7:30AM for the gates to open so while we waited we danced in the parking lot with some kids that were waiting in the car in front of us. When we finally got inside the park, we got in line to actually get our permit. I was happy we had arrived so early because the permits ran out very quickly (thank goodness our friends made us go so early!). 

We spent the day hiking through the waterfalls, hanging out at the gorge (and watching our friends and others slide down the waterfalls into the gorge) and hiking back. We were all exhausted by the time we got back to our cars for the drive home but it was a really fun day. I watched the sunset later that day around 8PM and fell asleep almost immediately after, I almost didn't make the sunrise and sunset in the same day! 

#85 - Go rock climbing. (9/101)

I am an adventure seeker and love trying new things. I have been wanting to go rock climbing for awhile so my boyfriend, friend and I decided to go last weekend.

We went to Stone Summit, a massive rock climbing gym outside Atlanta. My friend came totally prepared, a few weeks before he had bought a harness and climbing shoes so he looked like a pro, us not so much. After going through our safety training (we had to do this because it was our first time at this location), the two others got belay certification. While they did that, I tried out the bouldering room. It was awesome! It's their free climbing room and there are huge fluffy mats underneath so if you fall (which I did) you just fall nicely on to the mats. I got really excited and started climbing up the wall, after a few times my arms already started to feel tired.

After they finished their certification, we hit the roped courses. I felt like I was at a bit of a disadvantage so I tended to pick the easier courses than the guys but we had a really fun time trying out the different areas of the gym. It was cool to see all the different climbers around us. There was an amazing young girl who was practicing for her upcoming competition, free climbers that weren't in the bouldering room, some birthday parties and lots of first timers. After a few hours we were exhausted so we headed out. The next day my forearms were SO sore. I will definitely go back but next time will stretch before I leave. Rock climbing was so fun and the perfect activity when it is too hot to be outside.

#11 - Learn to Grill. (8/101)

I grew up watching my dad grill and love going to cookouts, especially in the summertime. I love the taste of grilled food so wanted to learn so I don't always have to rely on others to grill for me. I also love cooking and have been wanting to learn some new tricks. So this weekend, I learned how to grill! First step was buying a grill. I decided to go with a gas/propane grill instead of a charcoal because it's a bit easier for a newbie. Since my boyfriend was in town, I decided it would be the perfect opportunity to learn from a master griller. We broke in the grill by making some beef sausage, something that I couldn't mess up so easily. The next night we made grilled lamb chops with a mint pesto sauce (yum!) and grilled veggies. Tonight my friend and I are making grilled fish. I'm so excited about my new toy. I look forward to perfecting my grilling skills and trying out some new recipes. Know a delicious grilling recipe? Send it my way!

#55 - Surprise my parents and go home one weekend. (7/101)

I surprised my mom and went home this weekend for July 4 and my birthday (July 5). My mom actually screamed when she saw me, it was such a treat to see the joy on her face and on my dad's. I didn't realize how much I had missed being in Richmond so it was wonderful being home and getting to spend time with family and friends. Highlights include:

• Met friends from UVa for dinner at the Continental Westhampton -  had delicious fish tacos.
• Day trip to Charlottesville with friends, we went to Bodo's Bagels, Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards and Albemarle Ciderworks.
• Celebrated July 4th at a cookout with family and friends.
• Took advantage of sales to do some birthday shopping with my mom.
• Went to my favorite sushi place - Samurai Sushi.
• Grilled out at my parents new house.
• Celebrated my birthday with my parents and friends.

#1 - Start a book club. (6/101)

If you have looked at my list, you might notice that I love reading. My friends and I decided to start a book club to combine our love of reading with hanging out, drinking wine and discussing something a little bit intellectual. For our first book, we read All the Light We Cannot See, a book set in World War II that follows a blind French girl and an orphan German boy who's paths collide in occupied France. It was a great read and I'd highly recommend it.

In other news, while discussing we drank one of my favorite wines for this price point, the Apothic Red blend (pictured to left).

Can't wait for our next book club, we will be reading The Girl on the Train.

#5 - Plant something for my patio. (5/101)

I moved into a new apartment a couple weeks ago and now have a little patio with lots of sunshine, so I decided to try gardening. A little bit of background - I told my mom I was going to plant a garden and she said "good luck, if you succeed you won't have gotten your green thumb from me". When I was little, I remember all my friends planting flowers with their families in their yards. My family's idea of "planting flowers" was choosing what color of flower the landscaping crew would plant in our yard. Due to allergies and no "green thumbs", our family never planted anything growing up. But it was on my list, so I had to try!

I did some research by asking questions to my family and friends that garden and reading articles on the internet. I decided I wanted to try planting a couple flowers, a few herbs and a few vegetables. I took a trip to Home Depot and had a great conversation with one of the garden designers there who walked me though everything I would need to start and helped me refine my list of items to garden. I picked up everything I needed, headed home and planted my first potted garden! Here is what I ended up planting:

• Mint
• Cilantro
• Basil
• Cucumber
• Red bell pepper
• Banana pepper
• Marigold and other type of annual flower

I'm excited to watch my mini-garden continue to grow and hopefully get to cook with some of the herbs and vegetables!

#19 - Have a conversation with someone who has a job I’d be interested in pursuing. (4/101)

One of the best pieces of career advice I've received is to speak to as many people as possible in careers that you think you might be interested in pursuing. To complete number 19 on my list, I was excited to meet an amazing leader and new friend this past week and have a conversation with him about his story and the philanthropic sector. 

This past week I attended the ROI Summit, put on by the ROI Community, a gathering of 150 change-makers that brings together Jewish leaders from around the globe and enables them to turn their passion into action and shape the future of the Jewish world. Part of the conference including something called brain dates, which allowed participants to take advantage of the incredible human capital by offering their expertise to fellow participants for thirty minute powwows.

As I was reading through the bio book and perusing possible brain date options, I realized there was one participant who was in a career that I have always found fascinating. He serves as a Vice President and Program Officer for J.P. Morgan Private Bank in their Corporate Responsibility group, basically the philanthropic arm of the huge bank. I work in the philanthropic world, currently for a family foundation and am so thankful that I get to do the work that I do. But I have always been interested in how philanthropy and the corporate business world can intersect, so was excited to chat with my new friend about his work. 

I started by telling him a little bit about me - my mom works at a large brokerage firm so I've always had a business influence in my life. My parents instilled in me from a young age the importance of giving and have been great philanthropic role models. I went to university thinking I'd study business, realized I really disliked the classes, didn't get into the business school (thank goodness!) and ended up studying religious studies and leadership. I got very involved in extracurricular activities and the common thread between all of them were giving and resources. Either I was running a small grant pool for my American Cancer Society fundraiser, donating proceeds of baked challah to hunger fighting organizations, serving on the board of my University's Hillel on the fundraising committee, serving as my sorority's philanthropy director...you get the idea. I realized that I loved being involved in these endeavors and could turn my hobby into a career. My favorite class I took at UVa was one in which our class was given $100,000 to grant out to worthy organizations in the Charlottesville community and beyond, instilling in students the values and thought behind philanthropy. After graduating I spent a year in Argentina working for two different nonprofit organizations and now work for the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation where I am lucky to get up everyday knowing that I am doing something good in the world with an organization that aligns with my personal values and passions.  

I then asked him for his story, it went something like this: "I was very involved with Hillel and other Jewish organizations at my university and got selected for a fellowship with Hillel International directly following graduation. While in that position I realized I couldn't really figure out who made the decisions and who had the "power". I started asking my supervisor questions which led me to ask their supervisor more questions and led to me sitting down with Hillel's CEO and President at the time to ask him questions. I still didn't think I had asked everything so I sat with one of the board members, who was also the national director of a Foundation that was one of Hillel's biggest donors and from her I finally started to realize philanthropy was a lot more than just writing the check. She explained to me the meaning behind strategic philanthropy and I realized this is what I wanted to be doing. I asked her how I could work at a foundation and her answer was "well you can't yet, you need to get a bit more experience, become a master in a certain area and then you will be able to work for a foundation". This answer didn't sit too well with me but I thought ok, I'll do something else then I'll work at a foundation. So I found a job working for something called the Jewish Funders Network and liked working at an organization where I got to learn a lot about philanthropy in the Jewish world and have somewhat of a birds eye view on the scope of the community. After working there for awhile, I felt an itch to try something new so was looking for jobs in the Jewish world and instead ended up finding a job in the philanthropic arm of J.P. Morgan advising philanthropists on utilizing their resources to actualize their goals. While working there I completed a Masters in Public Administration. I have recently switched to this new role in which I am working on philanthropy for J.P Morgan as a corporation instead of with individual philanthropic clients and am involved with Jewish organizations as a volunteer leader." We went on to talk more about his current job, general interests, thoughts on the sector and more. 

It was a fascinating conversation! I was excited to gain his insight and learn from him, I hope we will stay in touch.

#76 - Send 10 random letters. (3/101)

In today's digital age, there's something special about receiving a letter in the mail. As opposed to receiving an email or a text, where someone can take out their phone, type the message, input the name quickly and push "send", receiving a letter implies the person took time and thought to create and send it. It means that the person took the time to buy or create the stationery, write out the letter in their own handwriting, find out the address, buy a stamp and actually put it into the mailbox. 

It also suggests that the letter took some thought. In today's world, when writing on a computer or my phone I find myself "word vomiting", meaning I type my thoughts out as quickly as possible knowing that I will be able to easily edit and revise later on. When I write a handwritten letter, I must sit and think about what I want to write before writing because I only have one chance to write out the message (unless I throw it away or scratch it out and start over again). Writing handwritten letters is an exercise in "thinking before acting", something that I take for granted in our world full of technology. I love giving and receiving "snail mail" because of the time and thought that goes into it. 

I spent this last week in Israel for work so I knew I would have some time in airports and on planes. I hunted down ten of my friends addresses, brought some stationery along and completed number three of 101 by writing ten letters to friends. By writing these letters I realized I want to make a practice out of sending handwritten letters more frequently. I really enjoy the act of writing them and like the intention I put into the action. My goal will be to send one handwritten letter a month, I hope I will actually remember to do it! 

#27 - Identify 101 things that I’m thankful for. (2/101)

A little over two years ago, I lost a dear friend who I think of everyday and always reminds me to be thankful and shine on. In her memory and because identifying things I am thankful for makes me even more grateful for the goodness in my life, here is my current list (in no particular order):

1. Parents. They always tell me they are proud of me and never end a conversation without saying "I love you".
2. Family. They support and love me unconditionally no matter how far or close we are to each other.
3. Friends. I have such a strong support system of friends, from all parts of my life and all parts of the world.
4. Sunsets. They are always unique and beautiful. They bring me a comfort sight at the end of each day.
5. Travel. I'm so grateful to have explored many parts of this world; everywhere I travel I get to experience something new.
6. Books. “What I know for sure is that reading opens you up. It exposes you and gives you access to anything your mind can hold.” – Oprah Winfrey
7. My past. For being raised in a Jewish household with a Filipino grandfather and always being set up by my family for success.
8. Smiles. I love giving them and getting them.
9. Green tea. I start almost every morning with a cup of tea, it starts my day off right.
10. Change. While change can sometimes be tough, I am thankful for the ability to grow and learn through change.
11. Chicken noodle soup. This is my favorite food and wherever I find it around the world, it always reminds me of home.
12. Passion. I love seeing someone passionate about what they do or who they love. I love exploring the things I am passionate about.
13. Giving. The opportunity to give - whether time, money, a listening ear and more.
14. Positivity. I once won a "Positive Polly" award and believe in looking for the good in everything.
15. Dancing. Always a good time, no matter what kind.
16. Star gazing. Looking up at the sky and knowing wherever you are in the world, you are always looking at the same sky.
17. Good news. We live in a time of lots of news and unfortunately lots of bad news. I love when  I look at the TV or receive a phone call with good news.
18. Weekends. Time to relax, recharge, enjoy and explore.
19. Handwritten letters. I love sending them and receiving them. There's something really special about snail mail.
20. Quality Time. When you get to spend really quality time with someone, it's fantastic.
21. New places. I love exploring the unknown and am always up for an adventure.
22. New people. I'm a huge believer that you learn something from every person that comes into your life.
23. Shoes. To protect my feet.
24. Sunshine. For those days that you have to put sunglasses on and there's not a cloud in the sky.
25. Wine with friends. I love getting together with girlfriends and a bottle of wine.
26. Kisses. All kinds of kisses and I love every one of them.
27. Walking clubs. Always finding someone to go on a walk with.
28. Memories. While I tend to not dwell on the past, there is something quite powerful about thinking back on the memories that stick with me.
29. Thoughts. I have a lot of them and am thankful for each and every one.
30. Nonverbal Communication. As I've traveled many places where I don't speak the language, I'm always thankful for my ability to communicate with my body, hands and senses.
31. Time. A very special commodity.
32. Curiosity. I love approaching life with curiosity and learning about the people and things that surround me.
33. Questions. When I question things and when others question me,  I learn.
34. Honesty. It really is the best policy. 
    
35. Organization. While some don't mind clutter, I'm so glad that I'm organized.
36. Free WiFi. Finding this is awesome when traveling out of the country.
37. Generosity. So many others have been generous with me and taught me to be generous too.
38. Google. The fact that you can pretty much look up anything you’re curious about.
39. Health. I'm a pretty healthy girl so I'm happy about that!
40. Instagram. It captures memories and my feed is a great reminder of the adventures I've taken.
41. Seasons. And living in a place where I have all (summer, fall, winter, spring) of them.
42. Green smoothies. I can make green smoothies everyday and start my day off right.
43. Photographs. There is nothing quite like a brilliant image to capture a moment. 
44. Good red wine & wine tasting. Especially red wine blends and Argentinian Malbec.
45. Lists. Making them and checking things off lists are my favorite.
46. Plans. I love making plans to have fun things to look forward to. 
47. Local Adventures. I love exploring my neighborhood and city just as much as exploring the world.
48. Random acts of kindness. Even the smallest act or word can change a day around.
49. Calendars. To keep track of the day and to plan for the future. 
50. Hugs. I was once told we are supposed to receive 8 hugs a day, a good hug can brighten any day. 
51. iPhone. I may be glued to it but I'm thankful for the ability to keep in touch and always have somewhere to write down thoughts or a list.
52. Disconnecting. I'm thankful for the times I choose to disconnect from technology in this digital age and focus on those around me and myself.
53. Clean Sheets. As much as I don't enjoy making my bed, there is something wonderful about getting in to bed with clean sheets.
54. FaceTime/Google Hangout/Skype. It allows me to stay connected with friends and family all over the world. One of my favorite memories is "sitting" around the Thanksgiving table last year when I was in Argentina using FaceTime.
55. Learning. I learn something new almost everyday. Gaining and possessing knowledge is one of my favorite things.
56. Choice. I love that everyday I have the ability to choose.
57. Purple. It's my favorite color. A  purple sweater or having purple nail polish on puts a smile on my face.
58. Laughter. Especially the laugh-so-hard-you-cry kind.
59. Berries. Especially fresh berries in the summer and berry picking.
60. Safety. More often than not, I feel very safe and I'm so lucky to have that privilege. 
61. Strength. Both for a little bit of  physical strength and for having a lot of internal strength.
62. Productivity. It feels so great to get stuff done. 
63. Nature. The world is a beautiful place and I'm thankful to those who make me want to explore it.
64. Surprises. Although I like surprising others more than I like others surprising me.
65. Constructive Criticism. Helps me grow and be a better person.
66. Living abroad. Living in Argentina for a year and spending a summer in Oxford was incredible but made me appreciate coming back home even more.
67. Respect and the "Golden Rule". Treat others how you want to be treated, including ourselves.
68. Changing leaves. Watching nature turn from green to beautiful shades of orange, yellow and red is incredible.
69. Sweat. I'm thankful to have been raised to appreciate living a healthy life and taking the time to work out and sweat.
70. Hard times. Because they keep me grounded and make me appreciate the best times of my life.
71. Freedom. A thing I often take for granted, but am SO lucky to have.
72. Comfort. Comfy clothes, comfort food, a comfortable relationship...so much comfort.
73. Diversity. The world is so much more vibrant with difference.
74. Music. The right music can put me in the right mood...and usually makes me want to dance.
75. Energy. Both living in a place where I have electricity and for having lots of natural energy.
76. Teachers/Mentors. For having many people coach me, encourage me, correct me, motivate me, challenge me to do my best and teach me.
77. Independence. My parents raised me to be independent from a young age and for that I'm grateful.
78. Colors. I love living a colorful life - and love writing in different colors.
79. Ethnic food. I love it - all of it. Chinese, Mexican, Indian, Peruvian, Thai, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Japanese, Ethiopian, etc.
80. Colleagues. I work with some of the smartest and most fun people, it makes it a pleasure to go to work.
81. Senses. For being able to taste delicious food, smell delicious scents, feel the world and hear the sounds of life.
82. Fun. Who doesn't love a little bit of fun in their lives?
83. My UVa experience. My four years at the University of Virginia left me with knowledge, connections, memories, friends and a love for Charlottesville and the hoos.
84. Internet. For making our lives more efficient and connecting us to others despite physical space in between.
85. Art. It makes the world a beautiful place.
86. Bonfires. I love the smell around a campfire and that they usually include s'mores.
87. Challenges. For helping me grow and become who I am.
88. Holidays. Any reason to celebrate is something to be thankful for.
89. Money in the bank. Having just a few coins makes me richer than most people on earth and allows me to do the things I want to do.
90. Fresh-baked cookies. Especially that first, mouth-burning bite out of any fresh batch.
91. Cooking. It's so fun making a recipe myself and knowing I'm eating what I created.
92. Mistakes. They are some of life's most effective teachers.
93. Love. The world is a better place with it. To know that I can love and be loved.
94. Words. For being able to read, write and express myself through words. For all the wonderful words that have been written and the quotes that inspire me.
95. An able-bodied body. For barre classes, running, yoga, climbing stairs, driving, walking, etc.
96. Toes in the sand. One of my favorite things to do is to walk on a beach with my toes in the sand.
97. Heart-to-heart talks. I love having a good one-on-one chat, one that leaves you thinking and makes you feel fulfilled.
98. Water. Whether it is an ocean, lake, river or pool - water calms me and makes me smile. I'm also thankful for having clean water to drink.
99. Inspiration. I love all the things that I read and see that inspire me, whether on Pinterest or on the sidewalks.
100. Gratitude. Without it, I don't think I would be nearly as happy as I am right now. 
101. For living a life that I love. I live a wonderful life and am so thankful for it.