#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!