...and so, I decided to start my own blog.

2010 was a crazy year. At 22, I graduated from college at Ohio State, did a summer program at UChicago, moved to Washington, DC (to a somewhat sketch neighborhood) and started a full-time job (for the first time in my life). Everything changed, seemingly within seconds. Some of these changes were appreciated, others not so much. But they all meant that everything I knew about life changed entirely.

Now, I wake up between 5:30 - 6:30am M-F to head to work. I come home, go to the gym or study Arabic, eat dinner, and go to bed (granted it's a little more exciting, but that's pretty much the schedule). I truly understand the song "Working for the Weekend," because thats exactly what adults do (not saying that I'm an adult, necessarily). But I am responsible for all my own costs now: health, car, home, and even life insurance, rent, utilities, food... And of the money that's left over after all those bills (which is smaller than I could have imagined), I need to consciously save (and should be saving more) for a rainy day, or for when I need to start paying of student loans, or if my car breaks down, etc.

Life can get pretty overwhelming dealing with all these numbers: the schedule, the budget, the calendar. And I'm pretty sure that's what led me to write The List on my 23rd birthday. I was on my way to work, enjoying the start of my birthday (the one day of the year when it seems ok to be into oneself) and I decided that I should write a list of things that I want to accomplish in the next year. I have never been one to make New Years' Resolutions, but writing a list of goals for things I want to do while I'm 23, that seemed more fitting. And so right then, on the train, I started making The List. Here it is:


❒ Hold a 1 hour conversation, entirely in Arabic

❒ Plan an anniversary party for my parents

❒ Get personal training

❒ Run a half marathon

❒ Complete my yoga teaching certification; film myself teaching a class

❒ Go to Brazil

❒ Move in with Ben

❒ Take either a dance or computer class

❒ Take an art class of some sort

❒ Take 3 pictures (or create 3 new art pieces) and frame them for wall art

❒ Try 5 meet-up groups

❒ Read 5 books, that aren't romantic comedies

❒ Start a spice garden

❒ Host a fancy dinner party while my friend on the West Coast, Alice, prepares the same meal

❒ Try 15 new restaurants around the DC and share the experience

❒ Find 15 new recipes to try, prepare them, and document the successes (or failures)

❒ Start a blog, and write in it at least twice a month

turning 23, birthday dinner at Zaytinya

Some of these goals are more ambitious than others. The one I'm most concerned about it running a half-marathon; that's a lofty goal for someone who doesn't like running very much. I'm not very concerned, however, about moving in with Ben- it's definitely in the plan. So, I guess they even each other out.

I plan to report on my progress throughout the year (and I've already started on some- I'll share more soon). And periodically I'll repost the list- I'm excited to start crossing things out. But I'm sure the process will be way more fun!

So here's blog entry number one- a good start to The List.