I wrote a couple weeks ago on the night of the Oscars with my predictions and due to the ridiculous weather that comes with living in Texas, my Monday got all kinds of out of whack, which lead to me never really getting a chance to sit down and write my recap of the Oscars. Which then led to me apparently not writing at all. Oops!
To start off, I've accomplished a few things on my 101 in 1001 list!
Go vegetarian for a month // A few days towards the end of January one of my roommates was telling me about a challenge she was participating in for the month of February. Basically, since February is the shortest month, it's the best month to give something up, cold turkey. She had talked about giving up meat and I instantly said I would do it with her if she needed a buddy. Of course she was thrilled to have someone in the same household going through it with her. See for me, giving up meat isn't a huge deal. Since I can barely even look at meat and am the pickiest eater, I knew it wouldn't be hard. Plus, I knew it was on my list and I've been slacking in crossing things off it lately!
So how did it go? Well, I lasted one month and six days. It definitely wasn't as hard as I was expecting it to be. Granite, we did eat a lot of the same things because it was easier, but I did venture out a bit, we invested in the Morningstar brand of frozen vegetarian foods. Some things were good, others not so much. Out of it, I did find I really like black bean burgers, which is always a fun alternative, whether or not I'm purposefully being vegetarian. I also finally decided to suck it up and try bell peppers. Now, I'm not necessarily in love with them, but they are good and I am willing to buy one every week to add a little color and extra flavor to my meals.
But I will admit, I miss my meat. There is only so much you can do when being vegetarian, especially when I am still not willing to try every vegetable out there. Though I have made a conscious decision to be better about what I am eating. I noticed while being vegetarian I wasn't able to eat out as much and I was eating a lot cleaner. I am now going to do my best to not eat out as much anymore (also because I am broke) and really pay attention to what I am eating and how much I am eating.
Watch all the Best Picture nominees // Trying to watch all the nominees in the Best Picture category of the Oscars is something I have tried to accomplish for the past five years or so. As I've gotten older I have learned to actually appreciate what I'm watching and not just because I like the top billed actor. I didn't want to make my predictions based on what all the critics were saying, but on what I actually believed should win.
While you wouldn't think seeing nine movies in the course of at least five months would be hard, but let me tell you, it is. It's hard because a lot of the films tend to play in limited release and in smaller theaters. I always try to do a theater marathon, but I could never find a theater that would be playing more than one of the films. It was truly quite frustrating. As time went on, I was able to see a movie here and there and then it came down to the wire. I kid you not when I say I saw my last three films the Saturday before the Oscars. Yeah, I rented one from Redbox, downloaded one on iTunes, and bought the other.
It was honestly such a satisfying feeling knowing I accomplished something that a lot of people strive to do. I know it is so minuscule compared to everything else going on in the world, but for someone who loves film, it is a pretty awesome feeling.
Plan a trip to NYC // I have to say, I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS. I have been dying to go back to the city since the last time I was there, for New Years Eve 2012. My friend Brooke invited me to come along with her and her mom for fun a weekend trip and of course I couldn't so no! The best part? We are going on my birthday. Can we say BEST BIRTHDAY EVER? Yeah, I think I can. Granite, we aren't going until mid-June, but we are already planning! I am hoping to cross off everything on my 101 in 100 list: walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, wander around Bergdorf's, and go to a live taping of a late night show. While I would love to see another show in Broadway, I am not sure it will happen this trip, but we shall see! I will definitely be updating what we have planned once things begin to fall into place!
In other news...
I'm studying abroad in LONDON for a month // Eeep! I am too excited about this one. A few months back I was looking into doing a study abroad program in Austria and Italy and it was looking good but it unfortunately fell through. I figured it was probably for the best, and then London came along. I had heard about it last year but didn't really think it was a possibility, mostly just financially. After my parents told me not to worry about the money, I applied for London. I got in. I literally jumped and screeched for joy. I have been dying to go to London for pretty much ever. And now I get to go for an entire month and stay at a wonderfully gorgeous university. I will also be studying British Media and International Advertising while I am there, so even the curriculum is wonderful. I am beyond ecstatic to spend every little bit of extra time researching all I will be able to do while I am there. I can certainly promise I will be writing a lot about this trip in the months leading up to it.
"Six" month goals // As I mentioned above, I will be fortunate enough to travel to NYC and London this summer. But on top of that, I will be also be going on a Caribbean cruise with my family following my trip to London. With all that being said, I have come to the conclusion that I don't think I would be comfortable doing so much traveling in my current condition. Because I am going to such wonderful and beautiful places, I want to be able to take pictures. But I don't want to look back on those photos and see a version of myself I do not like.
These trips have given me the motivation I have truly been looking for. I always say I know what my end goal is, but it is just an idea, nothing physical. Now I have something physical. I have something I can actually grasp. I can't push these deadlines back.
When I say I have six months, I mean I really only have about three months. But I am taking my actual trips into consideration. Because I won't really be able to just lay in bed, I can use it to my advantage. I can walk around new cities and just wander for hours on end. Not only will I be exercising my body, but my mind as well.
With these six months, I hope to find comfort and happiness with my body but also with my mind. I want to expand my horizons outside of the little I've know. I feel like I've experienced such vast worlds through my films and shows, but I want to finally explore them in real life. I'm excited to get to try new things in so many new places.
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Well, these have been the highlights of my life as of late. I truly do hope to post regularly, starting now. With so much going on and to look forward to, there is so much for me to write about. I can no longer say I have "writers block."
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