And I did exactly what I set out to do...
made my 999 the most exciting days I have ever lived
Many life changing events happened since starting this blog.
I got accepted to grad school
I graduated grad school
I got engaged to the best man I know
I landed a GREAT job and started exactly 1 month from graduation day
I moved back to my hometown...well, Summerville anyway
And I'm planning the most important party I'll every throw
That is, until my daughter gets married
Life. is. crazy.
And it's amazing how much your life can change given only 999 days
What I've completed:
1. Inspire someone to create a 99 in 999 list of their own (count is up to 8 people!)
6. Complete a sprint triathlon (I've done three!!)
8. Adopt a doberman
10. One word: ZUMBA!
12. Don't watch TV for an entire week. This includes watching shows online! (7/7)
13. Send out Christmas cards
15. Go white water rafting
19. Watch all 6 seasons of Lost (6/6)
20. Go kayaking or canoeing
22. Try 50 new beers and find a new favorite (50/50)
23. Try 20 new wines and find a red and white wine I actually like (20/20)
25. Attend 6 friends' weddings (6/6)
28. Play a full round of disc golf
35. Upgrade my road bike
37. Learn how to drive a stick shift
41. Learn a new sport (disc golf!)
42. Find my abs again!
44. Learn how to play poker
45. Travel to IL to visit my brother, sister-in-law, and 2 nieces
46. Go ice skating
48. Complete 5 works of art (5/5)
49. Attend 3 concerts. One must include Dave Matthews (3/3)
50. Publish a book
51. Make the Dean's/President's list each semester of grad school (8/8)
53. Front flip off a dock. For some reason, I am incredibly afraid to do this!
54. Give up something for Lent
58. Replace my glasses
66. Find a church I enjoy in Columbia
68. Choose water over soda or sweet tea 50 times (50/50)
69. Marinate and grill the perfect steak
70. Purchase a nice jewelry hanger for my earrings
72. Participate in Relay for Life and walk for Edna Grace
77. Decorate the house for Halloweek and Christmas one year (2/2)
72. Participate in Relay for Life and walk for Edna Grace
77. Decorate the house for Halloweek and Christmas one year (2/2)
81. No alcohol for a month (28/28) - OK, so I picked a February month. Sober for Oct. was still a success!
84. Make goodies one day and bring them to work "just because"
87. Make 5 new delicious desserts (5/5)
88. Wake up 30 minutes early to actually fix my hair/makeup before work\
89. No fast food for 1 month (30/30)
90. Learn American Sign Language
93. Buy my first (and probably last) lottery ticket - entered a pool at the office, obvi we did not win!
94. Compliment a stranger
95. Participate in the Cooper River Bridge Run (three times with Stephen!)
96. Enter in a Halloween costume contest
97. Visit a new state
99. Begin a new "99 in 999" list by day 990
7. Read 30 books--school assigned reading does not count (26/30)
9. Finish a 21 day Yoga Challenge (1/21)
18. Make it to the gym regularly for 3 months- regularly being 3-4 times a week (2/3)
33. Watch the complete Star Wars collection (1/6)
34. Hike 5 waterfalls (4/5)
34. Hike 5 waterfalls (4/5)
56. Wash my car 5 times. For those of you who know me, you know how difficult this will actually be (2/5)
61. Photograph 40 of my 99 events (22/40)
64. Learn to make 5 cocktails and commit them to memory (3/5)
86. Cook 10 new successful recipes for dinner (8/10)
2. Eat 14 organic meals (0/14)
4. Go skiing or snowboarding
5. Travel outside the US. I would love to go to a small Caribbean island or anywhere in Europe!
11. Go horseback riding
14. Bowl a turkey--decide if Wii bowling counts
16. Go wakeboarding out on the lake
17. Learn to speak conversational Spanish
17. Learn to speak conversational Spanish
21. Go camping. Sleeping in an RV does NOT count
24. Complete the P90X system
26. Run an 8 minute mile (9 minutes...soooo close)
27. Swim a 500m free in under 10 minutes (although I never timed myself, I'm almost certain I can)
27. Swim a 500m free in under 10 minutes (although I never timed myself, I'm almost certain I can)
29. Stay at a bed and breakfast
30. Renew my CPR certification
31. Stay at a beach house with friends
32. Create a quilt using my old ESA shirts
30. Renew my CPR certification
31. Stay at a beach house with friends
32. Create a quilt using my old ESA shirts
36. Participate in the Mud Run
38. Visit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
39. Donate blood-given I gain enough weight to donate! I am 100% sure I will not gain enough weight to donate blood by the end of my 999 days, so in place of this goal: Run a 5k in under 30 min.
40. Visit the Biltmore House
40. Visit the Biltmore House
43. Go somewhere new and exciting for New Years
47. Perform in a musical, doesn't have to be lead.
52. Go to DC for the 4th of July to watch the fireworks
55. Go on a roadtrip with my cousins
57. Go rock wall climbing- Strom counts
59. Go snorkeling or scuba diving
60. Visit Six Flags or Carowinds and ride as many roller coasters as I can!
60. Visit Six Flags or Carowinds and ride as many roller coasters as I can!
62. Send Christmas or Thank You cards to soldiers overseas
63. Send a care package to Erik while he's in Iraq
63. Send a care package to Erik while he's in Iraq
65. Sing at a Karaoke bar
67. Learn to make sushi
71. Begin making home brew
73. Donate my hair to Locks for Love
74. Rent a mountain house with friends for the weekend
75. Visit a winery
76. Have a "mother-daughter" day complete with pampering and shopping
74. Rent a mountain house with friends for the weekend
75. Visit a winery
76. Have a "mother-daughter" day complete with pampering and shopping
78. Complete the spicy tuna hand roll challenge at Bushido (0/10)
79. Participate in a charity bike ride
80. See a Broadway show. I'd REALLY like to see Wicked!
79. Participate in a charity bike ride
80. See a Broadway show. I'd REALLY like to see Wicked!
82. Compose a flute choir rendition of Canon or The Prayer and perform it at church
83. Re-learn how to play the cello
83. Re-learn how to play the cello
85. Take salsa dancing lessons
91. Drive to PCB over the summer
92. Learn how to surf- SC beaches do not count!
92. Learn how to surf- SC beaches do not count!
98. Spend a morning meditating on the beach
OK OK, so there's a bit more in yellow than pink
In my defense, the majority of these 999 days was spent in grad school, with no clear idea of what free time was, and 8 of the past 9 months have left my bank account dwindling down to nothing as I worked as an unpaid intern 40 miles away from home. So, as you can imagine, I didn't exactly have time, or especially the funds, to leave the country, go snorkeling, see a Broadway show, or stay at a mountain house. Per my "Golden Rule," to donate $1 to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital for every goal left incomplete, I will be signing a check of $45 to this charity that's always held a special place in my heart.
**ESA ladies, point me in the direction of a sister currently fundraising and I can split up the donation**
There are a few, though, that will be crossed of this list by the end of this year!! Including:
5. Travel outside of the US
27. Swim a 500m free in under 10 minutes
59. Go snorkeling
and in the first few months of 2013, Stephen and I will begin to cross one off as a couple in our new blog:
71. Begin making home brew
New blog? You must've missed the announcement...
I'll continue to update this blog until the wedding
Which if you missed that announcement too, is on December 1st!!
Just a little over 2 months away :-D
After I become a Mrs., you can follow Stephen and I at our new home:
(coming soon!)
