101 Things...

Two days ago, on Sunday, January 2nd, I began reflecting and thinking about the past year.  The things I had accomplished, the New Years resolutions that I didn't complete and the couple of days that changed my life forever.  Just to name a few:

I traveled to Belize to teach a Christian radio seminar...

I traveled to California with my (then) boyfriend and his family...

I got engaged to that boy on the Golden Gate Bridge...

I completed my senior project in radio broadcasting...

I graduated from Northwestern College...

I got my first "grown up" job...

I moved into my first apartment...

And most importantly, I got married to my best friend in the world.

Most people will look at that list and say that I had a pretty freaking awesome year... but I know that something was missing.  A part of me was missing, the part of me that made life exciting and made me joyful.  I could tell, and I'm sure those close to me could as well, that I was, to be horribly cliche, missing my "spark."  That spark that made me... well, me.  The spark that made me adventurous, spontaneous, spunky and unique.  But why?  Why did that part of me disappear?

Basically, I got lazy... but not exactly in the sense that most people think of the word.  In the sense that most of my time was spent working at either my desk job during the week or my barista job on the weekend, and when I wasn't working I was "relaxing" (which basically meant sitting on the couch watching TV, browsing blogs or reading a book).  In order to fill the desire I had for relaxation and time to myself, I began to neglect, even avoid, time with friends, rarely did fun things outside of my apartment and basically became a hermit.

Two days ago I realized that something in my life needed to change.  And it needed to change fast.

Thus, I have decided that this year needs to be the best year of my whole freaking life.

And so, after much thought and reflection I have decided to blog myself through the year 2011... and a list of 101 adventures I am committed to completing over the next 361 days.  Some are more serious than others but each one made this list for a special reason.

So here it is, world... in no particular order, my list of 101 adventures for 2011:

1)   (Re)Join Weight Watchers

2)   Find a church to call “our church”

3)   Run a 10K

4)   Organize my pantry

5)   Rock a swimming suit (no matter the size)

6)   Buy a bike

7)   Draw up a budget (and stick to it)

8)   Buy a ukulele

9)   Learn to play the ukulele

10)  Try snowboarding

11)   Move out of my apartment and into somewhere better

12)   Get a new cellphone

13)   Knit a hat and scarf

14)   Take a creative class

15)   Take a leap of faith

16)   Lose 30 pounds

17)   Volunteer

18)   Host a dinner party

19)   Eat vegan for one week

20)   Get a drastic haircut

21)   Spend a week on the beach

22)   Climb a mountain

23)   Go without fast food for six months

24)   Recreate an awesome restaurant meal

25)   Plan a themed party

26)   Make sun tea

27)   Read “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” and "In Defense of Food"

28)   Create a vision board

29)   Plan a surprise date for the Hubz

30)   Take a weekend trip to Chicago

31)   Have the best 1 year anniversary EVER!

32)   Get a puppy

33)   Make a unique cupcake flavor

34)   Make homemade hummus

35)   Fill my recipe box

36)   Spend an entire day with my little sister

37)   Tell someone about Jesus

38)   Go for a run in the city

39)   Go dancing with the girls

40)   Buy an entire outfit at a thrift store

41)   Go on a shopping spree

42)   Buy Kona coffee in Hawaii

43)   Devote 3 hours to prayer and meditation

44)   Go to a MN Twins game

45)   Bike somewhere I would normally walk to

46)   Bring food to a food shelf

47)   Play soccer with the Hubz

48)   Make homemade nut butter

49)   Successfully grow a basil plant (for longer than 2 weeks)

50)   Sleep under the stars

51)   Decorate my kitchen

52)   Send a care package to a friend

53)   Buy something cute at Crate and Barrel

54)   Do something nice for a stranger

55)   Go on a picnic

56)   Create my own granola bars

57)   Make a different breakfast every day for a week

58)   Learn to use a “real” camera

59)   Figure out that whole Twitter thing

60)   Make a conscious decision to be joyful

61)   Memorize a chapter of the Bible

62)   Join a small group

63)   Create an aircheck that I’m proud of

64)   Kill a spider

65)   Cook a live lobster

66)   Make a decision to stick with it… even when it sucks

67)   Make a tea tree

68)   Visit the Saint Paul farmers market in the winter

69)   Buy a new pair of glasses

70)   Make my on laundry soap

71)   Go on a date that is 100% free

72)   Make more homemade magnets

73)   Make a purse (with a fabric flower, of course)

74)   Complete my espresso bar

75)   Create motivational cards to put around the house

76)   Fix my HRM

77)   Buy something from Etsy

78)   Go deer hunting with the Hubz

79)   Call an old friend just to say hi

80)   Send an e-card

81)   Finish wedding Thank You notes

82)   Make OIAJ (Oats in a Jar)

83)   Visit 5 coffee shops that I've never been to in the Twin Cities

84)   Eat a pomegranate

85)   Go for a run… in the winter

86)   Create beautiful latte art

87)   Make the ultimate workout playlist

88)   Do yoga in the morning

89)   Do the 30 day shred… for real

90)   Go to a cupcake shop

91)   Organize with mason jars

92)   Play the Newlywed Game

93)   Go on a double date

94)   Have a burger at Burger Jones

95)   Run around Lake Calhoun

96)   Go skating at landmark center

97)   Make homemade chai

98)   Find out what that yummy corn bread pudding stuff is at Mexican restaurants… and then make it

99)   Go to a DCI show

100) Make a conscious decision to look on the bright side

101) Eat at a raw food restaurant

Follow me as I strive to bring adventure back into my life.  

The only question is, can you keep up with me?