#74 - Donate during a humanitarian crisis or disaster (57/101).

"Do not stand idly by if you witness injustice", Elie Wiesel stated during a commencement speech in 2011. The civil war in Syria began in 2011 and since then, has left millions displaced and hundreds of thousands murdered. I am saddened by what is happening currently in Aleppo and I could not stand idly by as I witnessed this injustice.

I donated to the Jewish Coalition for Disaster Relief, a coalition of organizations working in Syria, Jordan, Greece, Hungary, Turkey, Serbia, Austria and Israel to assist the 13.5 million Syrians in need of humanitarian assistance.

Join me.

#81 - See a NBA game (56/101).

On Wednesday, I experienced my first Atlanta Hawks NBA game. It was the Atlanta Hawks versus Miami Heat and we won! The game was so much fun, I went with a couple of colleagues from work and we sat close to the Hawk's sixth man section, a section of die hard fans that audition for free tickets to games each season. In a couple of weeks I will be going to a Cleveland Cavaliers versus Los Angeles Lakers game and I'm so excited!

#86 - Take a "staycation" in the city (55/101).

A couple of months ago, I checked my mailbox and saw a folded letter inside. I opened it and started reading - it was a note from a location scout stating that they were looking for locations for Hangman, an upcoming thriller movie starring Al Pacino and had scouted my apartment as a potential location. So exciting! I sent the letter and contact information to my landlord and a few weeks later, after a contract was signed, it was confirmed that filming would occur in my apartment for one day. About twenty people from the filming crew, including the director, came by for a few minutes one night to talk through the scene with each other. I learned that they would be filming a chase scene through my apartment and had scouted the location because of the shotgun straight-through style. 

The day of the filming, I removed a few small breakable items from my apartment and otherwise left everything intact. After work, I came by to watch some of the filming that was occurring a few houses down. It was fun to watch a scene with Brittany Snow and Al Pacino be filmed, I was amazed at how many people it took to create each scene. A couple hours later I received a message from the location manager letting me know that filming was running behind and they would need to film the next morning instead. He offered to put me up for a night at the W Hotel downtown and I agreed, partially because I knew it would be an instant "staycation". 

A staycation means taking a vacation in one's hometown. It was fun staying in a hotel in the city where I live. During our staycation, we explored Ponce City Market, grabbed drinks at City Winery, dinner at Ton Ton and went to the Georgia Tech v. University of Virginia football game the next day. I enjoyed feeling that I was a tourist in my own city for a night and cannot wait to see Hangman when it is released! 

#30 - Wake up every morning at 6am for two weeks (M-F) (54/101).

A 6am wake up is early for me. I am ok waking up at 6:30/7/8 but when my alarm is set before 6:00am, I have trouble. Over the last year, I have shifted my routine to start waking up earlier, working out before going to work and going to bed earlier. But, I have only taken it so far - my "waking up early" is setting my alarm for 7am. I decided I wanted to push myself to wake up before 6:00am for a couple weeks. Full disclosure - I chose to try waking up before 6:00am for two weeks directly following a trip to Israel and on a trip to Vienna, so I did have time change on my side. Either way, I did it and I have to say, it was pretty tough. A few pros and cons:

Pros:

• I had more daylight time and had good energy in the morning, I felt extremely productive in the morning and afternoon.
• I arrived at work earlier, which allowed me to achieve more earlier on and leave work earlier. 

Cons:

• I was hungrier. Usually I drink a green smoothie for breakfast that lasts me until lunch, during my two weeks I had to eat a snack before lunch along with my smoothie.
• I got tired much earlier. A couple of nights, I had dinner with friends and could barely keep my eyes open as it neared 8:30/9:00pm. 

All in all, I am glad I tried waking up before 6:00am for a couple weeks but I do not think I will be consistently waking up before 6:00am anytime soon.

#98 - Strike up a conversation with someone on the plane next to me (53/101).

While traveling back from Israel, I sat next to a couple with a small baby. The husband is Israeli but was born in the US and the woman was born in the US. The little one turned one at midnight during our flight. I started speaking to them and heard their story about moving to Charleston, opening up a sandwich shop that turned into a restaurant and now have 6 restaurants in Charleston and Nashville. They had come to Israel because it had always been a dream for the husband to bring chefs from his restaurant on a food tour as many elements of their restaurants are drawn from Israeli cuisine.

They were able to make their dream a reality and toured their chefs around the country for five days. They shared some of the highlights and I loved seeing that I had been to some of the restaurants they went to and walked away with a list of many to try. I asked them if they would repeat this trip and they said absolutely but they would make a few changes. We talked through some of their ideas and I tried to offer a few ideas and connections to strengthen their program even more, such as going to a few restaurants I knew about, connecting them to a top bartender in the country and introducing them to EatWith, that brings chefs and foodies together in more informal spaces. We exchanged information and hope to stay in touch.

I am usually one that does not interact much with my seat mates while traveling but I enjoyed speaking to the couple about their experiences. Here's to more spontaneous conversations!

#50 - Visit a UNESCO World Heritage Site (52/101).

For the last week, I have traveled on an experience called REALITY Global, run through my organization, the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation. REALITY empowers exceptional young people to enhance their leadership skills through an immersive personal and professional development journey through Israel grounded in the Jewish charge to repair the world. I traveled across the country with 50 incredibly influential young social entrepreneurs (mainly from North America) from Tel Aviv to the Golan Heights, from Jerusalem to the Sea of Galilee, from the lowest point, the Dead Sea, to the highest, Masada.

We visited Masada, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, overlooking the dead sea and saw the incredible ruins from the Roman fortress built by King Herod as a refuge for himself if a war broke out. Around the time of the destruction of the Second Temple, the Sicarii, a group of Jewish rebels, overcame the Roman army guarding the fortress and dwelled there for the next few years, eventually with about a thousand Jews in total. When the Roman army came to lay siege to Masada and restore ownership to their fortress, the Jewish defenders inside decided to all kill themselves instead of being killed by the Romans, as they felt so strongly against the Roman values and culture.

As we visited the top of Masada, I was struck by the technological innovation (such as the water system) of the Romans when building the fortress, as well as the gaudiness of the Roman palaces, bath houses and more. We had an enriching conversation about the leadership lessons that can be learned from Masada, such as never entering a situation without an exit strategy and making decisions/taking actions that relate to your values and what you believe in during times of great distress.

I had visited Masada before but visiting with this group felt incredibly special. As entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs, many are constantly dreaming, creating and building -- this place serves as an important reminder to think before you act and fight for what you believe in, in whatever way that fight may manifest. This was one stop on an inspiring journey throughout Israel, I cannot wait to come back.

#41 - Go camping (51/101).

I had not been camping since I was in elementary school and since Clark loves camping, I thought I should give it a try again in my adult life. We went out to Moab, Utah for a trip to Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park and camped for two nights. I really enjoyed it and although I won't say "I'm a camper" anytime soon, I will definitely go again. A few reflections:

• Steaks and vegetables on a campfire in nature are delicious - we loved cooking under the stars!
• Nature is cool. The arches, landscapes, views and more were just incredible. I can't wait to explore more national parks. 
• It was full moon on the second night we camped. I had to wear my eye mask to sleep because it was so bright outside, quite an incredible thing!
• In total we hiked about 34 miles - the last day we had planned to hike 11 miles to do the Chesler Park Loop in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park but got a bit turned around and ended up hiking 16 miles. I was astounded by the amount of food I consumed over the three days of hiking, but I guess it makes sense with walking so much.
• Taking a shower and sleeping in a real bed after some time sleeping on the ground is a glorious feeling. 

#54 - Visit three new neighborhoods around Atlanta (50/101).

I live in the Virginia Highlands neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia. I have lived in Atlanta for two years and have tried to make an effort to explore as many neighborhoods as possible - here are three neighborhood highlights:

• Candler Park: Candler Park is a cute neighborhood south of where I live in Atlanta. I first ventured to Candler Park to eat brunch at Gato, a diner neighborhood that has a bunch of eclectic cat trinkets lining the walls. I ate huevos rancheros and shared sweet potato pancakes with friends, it was delicious! It is a tiny restaurant so we waited for a table for a bit and got to explore some of the small shops, restaurants and graffiti in the neighborhood. Fun fact: the original Flying Biscuit is also in Candler Park.
• Grant Park: I have enjoyed exploring different parts of Grant Park, both parts of the 130 acre park and some of the restaurants close by. I have not gone to Grant Park without there being some type of festival going on there, so it has been fun exploring the park while also seeing lively and sometimes quirky festivals. I have also ate at Mezcalitos (delicious margaritas).  I have not had a chance to explore the Oakland Cemetery, which is quite close to Grant Park, so will have to return to explore the cemetery at some point.
• Decatur: I have been to Decatur a few times, to eat at some of the delicious restaurants and most recently, to solve the Clue Town Downtown Decatur scavenger hunt. Clue Town is a company that creates ready-to-solve scavenger hunts around the Atlanta area and uses clues on plaques, statues, etc. and a compass to allow you to explore an area while taking part in a scavenger hunt. Before we got started, we went to Chai Pani, an Indian street food restaurant, for a delicious lunch. After lunch, we started the scavenger hunt which led us around Downtown Decatur and through a series of thirteen clues and riddles to solve. It was so fun! A few pictures below from the Clue Town adventure in Decatur.
  
  
  

#34 - Stretch everyday for one month (49/101).

I used to be a gymnast. I was used to a daily routine that included a whole lot of stretching, could do all of my splits (those were the days) and always won the class sit and reach challenge in high school. While my flexibility is still above average, I added the "stretch everyday for one month" to my list to remind myself to (1) stay physically flexible and (2) to find activities, people and things that stretch me mentally as well. Within the last couple months I have moved into a new role at work that has given me a lot of opportunity to stretch -- to learn new work styles, to think big and to stretch myself in a new environment. I have sought out conversations with folks that stretch my mind and horizons and have pushed me to think differently. 

I have also physically stretched myself in terms of working out and have tried out a few new fun classes - I wrote briefly about trying out Crossfit for the first time, went to a Vixen dance workout class (picture to the left) and tried out a few Define Mind classes in which you do inversions in silks - hanging upside down and doing inversions stretches your body to new places and adds valuable new perspective. Over the last month, I have also made a conscious effort to stretch everyday and to improve my flexibility, my splits are looking (pretty) good! I have enjoyed challenging myself to stretch each and every day, whether physically or mentally, and hope I have created a habit that will stay with me. 

#22 - Try Crossfit (48/101).

I am a fan of trying out new types of workouts but for some reason, I have had no interest in trying out Crossfit. My boyfriend is an avid Crossfit goer and attends classes at least five times a week, usually the 6am classes. I decided to go try with him one morning while I was in Richmond and was pleasantly surprised with my time at CrossfitRVA. Although I do not think I will begin to go on a weekly basis, I enjoyed trying out a new type of workout and was very impressed by the strength and focus of many of the class attendees. The WOD (workout of the day) was a mix of strength and cardio. We first had to do as many pull ups as we could do in a certain amount of minutes and then did a workout on a rowing machine. It was a great workout and not quite as scary as I thought; I might even go again :)

Back in Atlanta, I have found a gym I enjoy going to every so often called The Training Room that is Crossfit style but in my opinion, a little less intense. I did my first deadlifts and box jumps this week, all at a weight and speed in which I was comfortable. It has been fun mixing up my normal routine of barre, yoga and cardio with strength training - I am happy to use ClassPass so I can explore lots of different workouts and keep my routine varied. 

#9 - Learn to cook a meal from the Philippines (47/101).

This weekend I ventured up to the Buford Highways Farmers Market to get ingredients to cook Pancit, a traditional Philippine noodle dish. First off, the market was incredible. Organized by region and then by country, you could literally find anything you wanted. I learned that there was a difference in soy sauce from the Phillipines and from China/Japan/etc., tasted delicious samples from tacos to potstickers to mango juice and salivated over the abundant produce section (who knew there were multiple types of ginger?). I was excited to see an entire Phillipine's aisle and found the Pancit noodles and soy sauce I was searching for. We went home and made the Pancit and it was delicious! I was excited to tell my dad about making it as it brought back memories for him of my grandfather cooking Pancit for their family every so often (I am a quarter Filipino). While the food was delicious, I am even more excited to know that I can go back and explore the market more and cook cuisines from around the world.

#80 - Go skydiving (46/101).

For my 25th birthday, my boyfriend surprised me and booked a skydiving trip - so cool! Skydiving has always been an item on my bucket list so what better way to celebrate living a quarter of century than jumping out of an airplane? We drove to West Point, Virginia and met the folks from No Limits Skydiving at their office to sign paperwork, throw on jumpsuits and got prepped to jump. I was excited to learn that the guy I was jumping with had jumped over 16,000 times; I was in good hands. We drove across the road to Middle Peninsula Regional Airport, got in the small plane and took off. After about a fifteen minute climb, we jumped out of the plane at around 15,000 feet, while the plane was going around 100mph - ah! I, of course, asked Clark to jump first so I watched him jump and followed right behind him, free-falling tandem for 30-45 seconds. At around 5,000 feet, our parachutes opened and we glided the rest of the way down to the ground. Jumping was an incredible experience - there was so much adrenaline running through my body and since we jumped over the York River there were spectacular views of the rivers and bay below! We landed safely right next to where we parked our cars and quickly exchanged what the experience was like for each of us. I had such a good time skydiving. Although I am not dying to go again tomorrow, I would definitely go again. Thanks Clark for ringing in 25 with me in the air!

#64 - Donate to an important cause (45/101).

Me with my Grandfather Jess Belza

While a student at the University of Virginia, I co-led our university's Relay For Life, a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. I co-led UVA's 11th annual event where more than 1,000 students and community members gathered for the year-long campaign's culminating 12-hour, non-stop walk-a-thon designed to raise funds and awareness for cancer and cancer research to show that cancer never sleeps. I was so proud of what we accomplished, raising over $140,000 for the ACS. The fight against cancer is a cause that is dear to my heart. I relay in memory of my grandfather Jess Belza, family friend Janet Goldberg, cousin Mike Nozik, and in honor of all my family and friends still fighting. I relay to find a cure in my lifetime and to live in a world with no cancer.

At the end of my time leading Relay at UVa with my friend Zoe, we passed on the baton to two amazing individuals, Kelly and Katie. Katie went on to lead Relay for Life at UVa for two years and this summer, while in the real world, decided to continue fundraising for the American Cancer Society through a campaign called "Miles for Trials". Katie is taking a cross country road trip with her grandmother (a breast cancer survivor) to raise awareness about the importance of cancer clinical trials as well as share the personal trials of cancer patients and their families whom they meet along the way. They are seeking donations to "sponsor" each mile as they travel from coast to coast. All donations go directly to the ACS who provides research funding that may lead to the next clinical trial or breakthrough to save a loved one. I donated to Katie's @milesfortrials campaign to support her on her cross country trip and to help in the fight against cancer. If you would like to donate to Katie's campaign as well, click here.

I am proud to support my friends, family and fellow Wahoos in fighting cancer to that we can live in a world where we celebrate more birthdays!

#70 - Give a “just because” gift (44/101).

Have you heard of the 5 love languages? It is a method that Dr. Gary Chapman came up with where he identified 5 love languages (Words of Affirmation, Physical Touch, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts and Acts of Service) and demonstrates how knowing how you and your loved ones give and receive love will strengthen your relationships. Everyone tends to have a primary and secondary way in which they love and for some people, the way they give/show love differs from how they receive love. I read the book, took the quiz and realized that the primary way I receive love is by quality time and that my least tendency is receiving gifts. Dr. Chapman's theory says that it is important to recognize the love languages of those around you, especially if they differ from the way you primarily give or receive love, in order to ensure you are giving love to others in ways that they most appreciate them.

Since reading this book, I have been more cognizant of making sure to show love and appreciation in a variety of ways so I am glad that I was able to connect number seventy on my list with the love language theory. I supervise a rockstar at my job, one that works extremely hard, always supports me and our team, goes above and beyond in what she is asked to do and cares deeply for those around her in her personal and professional lives. We were at lunch a couple weeks ago and she told me she was going to the beach for vacation and could not wait because things had been busy lately and being by the ocean puts her in her happy place. A few days later I was running errands and saw this sign that immediately made me think of her and our conversation. I bought it, wrote her a note and gave her a "just because" gift to show her that I was (a) listening and (b) to gift her some desk swag. I love gifting small surprises - when was the last time you gave a "just because" gift?

#91 - Go fruit picking (apples, peaches, berries, etc.) (43/101).

This weekend we headed to The Retreat at Guidestone Hills to go blueberry picking! Located in Chattahooche Hills, Georgia, about 45 minutes outside of Atlanta (close to Serenbe), I came across this farm on the Georgia - Pick Your Own website. Their shtick is called CharityBerries with the idea that you can either pick and buy what you pick or buy one of their special packages in which you pick more than you keep and donate the rest of your picked berries to your choice of three nonprofit organizations. We picked three pints of blueberries and donated one of the pints to 180 Degree Farm, a cancer relief organization. It was so much fun going blueberry picking, I'm so glad we went! We made two delicious treats with the fresh blueberries:

• Blueberry Oat Crumble Bars: One of my favorite desserts are these raspberry oat bars from Whole Foods so I looked up a recipe for blueberry oat bars and found this one. They were delicious, so delicious that I forgot to take a picture! They were extremely easy to prepare but did take a while to bake (about an hour). I definitely suggest making them, I think I will make them again with raspberries.
• Bluberry Lemonade Vodka: These were delicious! We muddled fresh blueberries, lemon juice, mint from my garden and homemade simple syrup together, added vodka and shook with lots of ice. I realized two things from this process: (1) I need to buy a muddler and (2) I need to experiment and make more mixed drinks. 

#49 - Travel to surprise someone (42/101).

Last weekend my grandma and aunt visited my parents new house for the first time in Richmond. It had been my grandmothers birthday the week before and when I spoke to her on her birthday, she told me how excited she was for me to come and see her with my parents. I had to tell her that I wasn't coming because at that point, I had no plans to go and visit. But her comment got stuck in my head and I began to research flight costs to see if it would even be an option to visit for the weekend. Through my research, I found out that the flight costs were lower than I thought they would be so I started to think through the idea of surprising my parents, grandma and aunt on their visit. I decided to pull the plug and booked flights for a quick trip. 

The next step was trying to figure out how to find my family once I landed. With some healthy sleuthing, my sister helped me figure out that they were seeing a movie and found out which movie and what theater. When I got to the theater, I went to find out what time the movie would let out and played some arcade games while I waited. When I saw a couple of people begin to leave their theater, I found a bench to sit on and waited. I heard my family before I saw them and as they rounded the corner, I heard shrieks and small huge smiles. It was so much fun surprising my family! 

We went to lunch, relaxed at my parent's new house, ate some delicious food and I helped my parents clean out some of the rooms at our old house while I was home. It was such a nice treat to see my parents, grandma and aunt and made me happy knowing I had made the right decision to surprise everyone. I look forward to more surprises in the future, the only thing that would have made it better would have been if my sister could have joined as well! 

#90 - Go paragliding (41/101).

My sister talked me into going paragliding with her while we were in Switzerland for a family trip after her graduation. She did not have to try too hard to convince me though, I love saying yes to adventures! We tried to go paragliding one night after spending a day traveling up to Jungfrau, the highest railway station in Europe but it started raining so we rescheduled for the next day. Bright and early the next morning, we got picked up from our hotel  and drove up to the top of a cliff after changing into hiking shoes. Sara and I took off each with our own pilot and glided over Interlaken for about 15 minutes. It was a gorgeous view, surrounded by the Alps overlooking the surrounding towns of Interlaken, lakes, canals and more. We were excited to land right in front of our hotel so our parents could watch us land after an incredible flight. It was an incredible experience and I could definitely go again! 

#37 - Go for two weeks without eating queso (40/101).

I generally eat quite healthy but when it comes to queso, I'm an addict who cannot say no. Some people have a sweet tooth, others really enjoy queso. While I am not a huge fan of putting cheese on most of my food, when it comes to the white creamy cheese dip usually served at Mexican or Southwestern restaurants, I cannot resist. I enjoy making queso with the infamous velveeta and rotel for parties, adding queso on to my burrito bowls or dipping into queso with crispy tortilla chips.

I decided to take a queso hiatus so for the few weeks leading up to Cinco de Mayo, I resisted. It was not so easy but it definitely made eating some queso at the end even more delicious. This was a good test of my will power but I will go back to eating queso on a pretty regular basis.

Fun fact - today marks year one complete or 365 days into the creation of my 101 things in 1,001 days list. With forty items complete, I am excited to continue this journey and embark on the next 636 days!

#77 - See a concert for an artist I haven’t seen live before (39/101).

"A true diva is graceful, and talented, and strong, and fearless and brave and someone with humility." -Beyonce 

Queen B. I have been a huge fan ever since Beyonce's Destiny Child days but have never had a chance to see her perform live. When my colleague Melissa invited me to come with her friends to the concert, I knew I had to take the opportunity. While the concert technically started at 7:30PM, Beyonce did not come on until 9:00PM so we showed up about 8:30, after DJ Khaled's opening set that included artists such as Ludacris, T.I., Usher and more.

She opened the show in Atlanta wearing a black sequined leotard and a wide-brimmed hat followed by a troupe of dancers singing Formation. The next two hours were full of stunning vocals, captivating dancing and some incredible outfits. About halfway through the night, Beyonce paid homage to Prince by leaving the stage, turning the stage lights purple and played Purple Rain as everyone in the dome waved their cell phone lights. The show's visual effects enhanced the performance but were not over the top - she included fireworks, flames, acrobatics and more. Her 30ish set list included everything from her "oldies but goodies" all the way up to bits from her newest visual album Lemonade. They performed the final numbers of the night in a shallow pool of water as Beyonce and her dancers splashed, danced and sung followed by Beyonce ending the night with Halo. It was an incredible night - I cannot wait for my next Beyonce live performance.

I asked my colleague Melissa to share her thoughts on the night as well, here is what she had to say (thanks melfuhr1!):

It is a true honor to be featured #ontheblog. As you all know from reading this blog, it was Kate’s first time experiencing Beyonce live. I however, am a seasoned Beyonce concert attendee and enthusiast. Keep in mind, I am part of the #beehive. While I will admit that Beyonce’s #ontherun tour in summer 2014 was my favorite Bey experience, last Sunday night was a very close second. Don’t worry, I still cried during her incredible performance of 1 +1. She looked #flawless and her dance moves could bring even the coldest of hearts to tears. Bey, if you’re reading this, you out did yourself and I can’t wait to recreate the magic with you in New Orleans for a second dose of your beauty, talent and perfection. #19.5weeks 

-Melissa Fuhrman, pictured second from right in the stylish overalls

#79 - Go to the Sundial bar in Atlanta (38/101).

After our adventure riding Atlanta's Ferris wheel, we headed to two rooftop bars - the Sundial and the SkyLounge. It was an awesome night full of city views. Here are some thoughts on both:

• Sundial: The Sundial is a spinning restaurant and bar with 360-degree views of the city on top of the Westin hotel in downtown Atlanta. The Sundial draws a combination of tourists and Atlanta natives and people of all ages. The views are beautiful and the spinning bar has a fun appeal to it. Since the bar is enclosed, it would be good to visit all year round.
• SkyLounge: The SkyLounge is on top of the Glenn Hotel and is a covered outdoor lounge with beautiful views of the city and delicious cocktails. I loved the vibe of this bar, although it was on top of a hotel it felt very young and hip. There was also an artist from Nashville who was playing some live acoustic music. I am guessing the SkyLounge has some heat lamps for the winter months but in general, since it is outside (although covered), I would most likely only come back in the warmer months.  

As it is now rooftop bar season, I'm excited to check out more throughout Atlanta, especially these ones from Zagat "Atlanta's 11 Hottest Rooftop Bars" list!

#93 - Ride on a Ferris wheel (37/101).

When I think of Ferris wheels, I think about amusement parks, state fairs, the London Eye, childhood, funnel cakes and more. When I look out my office window, I can see the SkyView, Atlanta's Ferris wheel. I cannot remember the last time I rode a Ferris wheel. It might have been at an amusement park, it might have been a fair, all I know is that it was a long time ago. While I haven't been on Ferris wheel in awhile, I have sought out many places to see "views from the sky" so I thought it would be fun to go on the Ferris wheel to see Atlanta's skyline from a unique vantage point.

I invited my friend to take an adventure with me to the Ferris wheel so we met at my house and took an Uber. When we entered the Uber, the driver could not believe that we were going to the Ferris wheel. He said "You guys are joking right? That's for tourists. What are you doing spending your Friday night going on the Ferris wheel?" I explained my list of 101 things to do in 1,001 days and he then got excited to drive us to the Ferris wheel. After waiting in line, we took the 12 minute Ferris wheel ride that guides you through looking at Atlanta's sky view, pointing out important building, sharing stories and teaching some history about the city. It was a really fun experience that brought out my inner child and reminded me how fun it can be to be a tourist in your own city every once in awhile. I do not think I will need to ride another Ferris wheel anytime soon but I'm glad we can say we did it!

#60 - Write a letter to someone I admire (36/101).

I am lucky to have had a boss that taught me some truly important lessons early on in my career. I wrote him a letter the other day to let him know how much I admire him. I met Seth in Barcelona 3 1/2 years ago and was blown away by his vision, passion and eagerness to do good in the world. I still cannot believe how lucky I am that he took a chance on me two years ago and created a position for me after an interview in Buenos Aires. It has been an incredible journey since then and I am honored to have him as a mentor, role model, colleague and friend.

Today marks a special day for Seth as its his fifth anniversary of making a career shift and starting the wild ride into the Jewish philanthropic world with the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation. I wanted to share some of the highlights of the letter as I think there are some really good professional and life lessons. Here is an edited version of a top ten list of things I learned from working with Seth the last couple years (in no particular order):

1. Approach life through a lens of optimism: Seth's signature on his email reads "Sent from a place of optimism". I love emulating this part of Seth in my daily life. He lives a life of optimism, both in thinking that huge initiatives get completed by just making a call (or at least a call to our colleague Yaniv) and generally being solution oriented. He is a cheerleader to our teammates, family and friends, ensuring that we feel positive and a part of his success. I personally get a lot of my drive and passion from working with him and hearing his optimistic visions for the Jewish future inspires me to dream big and make it happen.  
2. Get it done: He is our team's visionary, an ideas guy and is brilliant at developing ideas. Seth has taught me that even in a world full of ideas and endless possibilities, "when all is said and done, what is more important is what's done than what's said". Every good ideas guy needs a "doer" so Seth, thanks for letting me truly be a "doer" on the team and make your ideas come to life. 
3. Network up and down: The month before I started working at Schusterman, Seth joined me on a JDC Entwine young professional's trip to Rwanda. I remember one day while on the trip, we were in a burrito shop and I looked around and he was sitting at a table with a random person that was not with our group. At the time I laughed in my head but I have thought back on this time as one of the first of many that I witnessed Seth making friends wherever he is. It is amazing how he can literally talk to anyone about anything. To Seth, everyone is equal and he will strike up conversations in restaurants, stay in touch, meet for breakfasts in whatever city he happens to be in, shares articles with people he thinks would enjoy them and generally lives the idea that one can learn, give and gain something from every person one meets. 
4. Have a “Work Hard, Play Hard” attitude: Seth works literally all the time but also always has fun and knows how to create a fun environment in which to work. To him, while everything is important, he also does not take things too seriously, can laugh at himself (and his teammates), be silly and inspires my team to show up at work excited everyday. 
5. Get to inbox zero: At one point last year, Seth was on a mission while on vacation at the beach to get to inbox zero (which meant my colleagues and my inboxes were pinging like crazy as he swiftly ticked his email counter down). While I am not sure he has returned to inbox zero since then, I completely admire it and have tried to get myself to inbox zero every couple months as it makes me feel accomplished and also emphasizes the importance of timely communication.
6. Show humility: I am amazed at how Seth takes constructive feedback from his colleagues and peers and is humble enough to realize that there is always room for personal growth. He also exhibits such a great balance between his confidence and his humility. This is such impressive leadership and I hope that I too always stay humble yet confident. 
7. Know your priorities: Work is work, but family comes first. Seth is the #1 dad, his children adore him, his wife could not be a more wonderful human being and he knows that everything that he does will help to make the world a better place for your children. Thanks for modeling this so well and showing us the importance of even when one works hard, to always remember the life's real priorities.
8. Be transparent: I have thrived in Seth's style of honesty, stream of conscious thought and sharing. I have utilized this transparency to prioritize and pivot my work while still keeping my eyes on the bigger picture of what is happening on our team and throughout the Foundation. I hope to continue to model this transparency in my future work for others. 
9. Amplify your strengths, network your weaknesses: Whether it is teaching us about the four styles of leadership or recognizing that you need to surround yourself with others who have different strengths, Seth has truly demonstrated the importance of this both in thought and in action. He has taught us to rely on our teammates, peers and networks in the times when we need some support and to lend a helping hand to those who need some support.
10. Show gratitude: Seth writes glowing thank you notes, both for things large and small. But he does not just send a thank you note - he also ensures that his positive feedback is heard from others that matter as well. Thank you for showing gratitude to all across our team. I hope this list conveys a small piece of the gratitude I feel having had the chance to work with you. 

Seth, congratulations on an incredible first five years with Schusterman. Here's to the next chapter!

#57 - Go to four new craft breweries (35/101).

I enjoy going to craft breweries because they usually (1) have something delicious to taste, (2) reflect the vibe of the local environment and (3) the people watching is always on point. Here are a few craft breweries I have tried over the past months: 

From Blue Mountain Brewery in Charlottesville, VA

• Jester King Brewery (Austin, TX): On a weekend trip to Austin in June 2015, we headed to Jester King on a beautiful summer afternoon to try out some of their funky ales. There were hundreds of people at the brewery but still tons of space to hang out, multiple bars to choose from and some food venues as well. I definitely suggest checking out Jester King which also has a few other micro breweries in the vicinity. 

• Garden Grove Brewing Company (Richmond, VA): We checked out Garden Grove in October 2015, which is right in the middle of Richmond's Carytown district. Each night during the week has a different theme so since we went on a Monday night, we were there for game night. Although we did not take part in game night, it was fun to see those who gathered at Garden Grove with this intention. Fun fact - Tuesday is Blue Grass Jam, Wednesday is Trivia and Thursday is Live Entertainment. Enjoy!

• Three Taverns Brewery (Atlanta, GA): I had tried a couple Three Taverns types of beers around Atlanta but I was excited to head to the brewery to try more out. A group of us headed to Three Taverns in December 2015. Three Taverns has a small and rustic feeling tasting room but we were able to snag stools around a tree stump as we tried a variety of beers. I was glad it was not extremely busy because I think it would have been difficult to grab beers and seats but we got lucky and were able to do both! 

• Ardent Craft Ales (Richmond, VA): We met some friends at Ardent in April 2016 on a sunny Saturday afternoon. It was extremely crowded so although it took a bit of time to get our beers, there was plenty of space to sit and hang outside. I tried the Virginia Common and the IPA but I definitely want to go back to try the Saison. 

In Atlanta, I have tried out Monday Night Brewing, Orpheus, SweetWater and now Three Taverns but I will have to go check out these other ones off of this EaterAtlanta list. 

In Richmond, I have tried out Ardent, Garden Grove, Hardwood, Strangeways and Lickinghole but will have to try out these other craft breweries in the Richmond area as well. 

What craft breweries should I check out in Atlanta or Richmond?

#92 - Have a picnic (34/101).

We took advantage of a long weekend to head up to Lake Lure, NC. Although I have now spent a decent amount of time in the Lake Lure area, we still find something new to explore each trip. Now that it is springtime, there are a lot of nice nature-y and outdoorsy places to explore. This time, we hiked up to Party Rock, a 2.41 mile hike that leads to a gorgeous overlook of the entire lake. The trail is a bit uneven at times but it's quite worth the hike, the view on top of Party Rock is really incredible. We brought sandwiches, clementines, M&M's and Gatorade to have a picnic at the top and enjoyed the view while eating our sandwiches. I love sitting on top of a mountain and taking in the view below, especially seeing a familiar place from a new perspective or vantage point. I was so glad we could enjoy the gorgeous spring day and look forward to many more years of picnics to come!  

ps. Here are some picnic spots I'd love to check out from National Geographic!