Anticipating 2012

I wanted to write a year in review post -- because it seems like everyone is doing their own Top # Things in 2011 -- but I think my last post from September pretty much sums up the highlights. God, that makes my life sound boring.

So! Instead, upon realizing that I don't have anything specific to look forward to in 2012, that's what we're going to talk about.

• To trying more new things. Do you know the feeling of accomplishing something you didn't think you could possibly be good at? It's amazing. Like good sex amazing. If you don't, I highly suggest throwing yourself out of your comfort zone as soon as possible and doing something crazy. Like a pole dancing class. Haha, only half joking here. I still have a Groupon for tennis lessons and sewing lessons to use up, but I'm going to stop ignoring this list and try crossing more things off, and not just because 30's slowly creeping up.
• To staying hungry. I just read Steve Jobs' sister's eulogy (yes, I'm late) and it's inspiring to know someone who did what he loved, and worked at it -- hard. I want that kind of determination and passion. Though I may put in long hours, I feel like I've been walking around with an eh attitude. What's being pessimistic going to do for me? If I'm going to do something, I might as well give it 100%. (Also, I still have a little less than 4 years to make this list.) Sorry in advance for the constant emails, coworkers. 
• To getting what you want. They say you don't get what you don't ask for. And in all of the numerous stories about why women are behind in the workplace, this is always one of the reasons. I know I'm guilty of this, including outside work, like in relationships and being kind to myself. So I'm going to be unapologetic about what I want, what I need and what I deserve.

Of course, there are some not so profound things I'm excited about: like a work ski trip, planning more travels, and possibly another hair color change. 

What's in store for your 2012?

Time for an Update?

Who's still reading this? And why? I checked in on this tonight and was a little mortified to find that my most recent post was about pole dancing. I mean, if a random person found this and got their impression of me through only my blogs, I'd like to be able to offer more than the fact that I learned to dance like a stripper.

Anyway, a quick recap of my progress on this list since June:

• I've been doing Krav Maga somewhat regularly and love it. It's a different approach compared to yoga and running, both of which require no aggression, and hey, at the end of the day, it's nice to be able to hit things and be healthy about it. Also, I got pink MMA gloves. 
• I took a bike riding lesson and learned how to balance...but I couldn't quite get myself to pedal without tipping over, sooo... I guess I'll have to take more lessons. (Do you bike riders secretly have abs of steel from all that balancing? Do you also have more cushion back there? Because ow. I totally get why they have padded shorts now.)
• I got highlights! I'm ashamed to say I checked myself out lots of times after getting them, but they're gorgeous. If I wasn't so afraid of frying my hair, I'd go for a second round. But you'll have to wait a few more months, lovely chemicals.

The during.

• On the Filipino front, so far I've done a volunteer project with other members of CORE at a nursing home last spring (or was it in the fall?), read a new translation of Jose Rizal's El Filibusterismo, and taken on the role of editor of their semi-annual/quarterly newsletter. What can I say? My job follows me everywhere. But it's good to make my contributions however I can.
• Attempting to teach myself Spanish is harder than I thought, in that my ambitious self will set a crazy lesson plan and then my lazy self will say "That's ridiculous, I know espanol muy bien." BUT! I've got a trip to Puerto Rico planned and while that won't make me fluent, I'll at least get to say arroz con pollo, donde esta el bano? y quiero cafe por favor.

Did I miss anything? Until next time, blogosphere. Toodles!

Yes, I'm Still Here...and Hellooo Summer!

I guess it's time to revive this blog. But seriously, how do bloggers do this daily? Do you spend all day on your computer? Because then, no thanks.

Anyway, my summer so far has consisted of lots of (much needed) cocktails, more consistent trips to the gym and walks around NYC, including one benefiting YAI Network, a non-profit dedicated to helping people with developmental disabilities (If you can recall, I signed up for this last year too and ended up running instead of walking because I was getting impatient. 30 something minutes for a 5k? God, I miss my more fit self. But this time it was more about supporting a good cause than hitting a PR, so please donate if you can.).

If you can't tell how excited I am about hot weather and more freedom, then, well, I can't help you.

What's in store this summer?

• Celebrating the summer solstice with yoga in Times Square. I've signed up for the 7:30am class. I clearly like to torture myself. Join me and register before spots fill up!
• Connecting with my Filipino roots through CORE.
• Brushing up on Espanol, trapezing, hair coloring, bikram-yoga-ing, and learning how to ride a bike!

Y tu?

I Whip My Hair Back and Forth

Actually, I can't. With all this hair, I'd probably break my neck. I'm not 10 years old and agile like Willow Smith after all.

So remember that little change I made to this list about trying a new hair color? It's harder to achieve than I thought. After checking with the only stylist I trust with scissors to my hair, I'm a little scared. She made the very good point that having a new hair color would mean having to touch up my roots. For a low-maintenance person, that's just way too much work. And commitment. I'm not ready!

So I'm going to take her very wise advice to go with highlights instead. I may never have Julianne Moore's hair (sigh). To make sure I don't chicken out, I bought the Travelzoo deal for a cut, color and gloss package at Ted Gibson's salon. (The deal is still open so if you want to get your hair did, go get it!) Laying down the cash means I'll actually go and do it. That's a piece of weight loss/workout advice I learned at work that I am using towards my vanity. Sounds about right.

Maybe I'll get something similar to Katie Holmes' hair color (and style even?), although my hair color is close enough to this already:

What do you guys think? Ted Gibson, I leave my hair in your hands!

Hello, 2011 (One Week Late)

I wanted  to end 2010 by highlighting the good parts:

• I got a promotion at work. Yay! Let me tell you, the relief that comes with having health insurance again is indescribable. 
• I made a very big step towards the next part of my life. I can't elaborate on this, but you'll have to take it as it is.
• I completed 9 out of the 25 on my list: rock climbing (update to come soon! And by soon I mean, in the next month or so), drinking for my career (aka industry happy hour), shooting a rifle, treating myself to a spa day, learning CPR, testing my limit (and taunting my sanity) by forgoing coffee, donating blood, cooking, and joining a Filipino-American organization.

And now for 2011, I hope to regain some balance between my personal and professional life (maybe even resuscitate my social life), slowly restart my fitness routine and continue learning. But before that, I'm off to a trip to the Philippines tomorrow for some family time -- and squeezing in some traveling too. See you in 2 weeks!

What's in store for you for 2011?

I'm 25. Aaaack!

Happy birthday to me!

Today I no longer fit in to the 18-24 years old age bracket. From now on, any survey I fill out will have the 25-29 box checked. That is, until I turn 30 (oh my god.). And so because I figured out months ago that there was no way I would complete this 25 before 25 list , I am turning it into a 30 before 30 list. Tada!

Am I setting myself up for another impossible to-do list? Maybe. But I've got 5 years to figure it out. Here are the new additions:


26. Learn to ride a bike.
I never learned. I owned a tricycle and after I outgrew that, I had no desire to transition to a 2-wheeler. I mean, it's not like I would have been allowed to ride it anywhere outside our house. Blame my overprotective parents and my natural clumsiness. So why now? Because I'm sick of hearing people's gasps when I tell them I don't know how to ride a bike. Yeah, you heard that right.

27. Get my driver's license.
I got started on this when I was 18. Got my learner's permit, paid for driving lessons, drove on a parkway and notorious Queens streets without hitting anyone (phew!), then dropped it because I had bigger priorities, namely, getting a magazine job. But after tackling that on my to-do list and realizing that I may not always live in New York City (I love you NYC, but you're a high-maintenance lover, and it's about time I got the upperhand in this relationship.), I'm accepting that being able to drive is pretty important. So watch out, pedestrians!

28. Explore the Philippines.
I grew up in the Philippines. I've spent 4 (or 5?)  vacations there. Next month, I leave for another trip to the motherland. But it's a shame that I've never really explored the country beyond the cities where my family live. I think I've spent more time going to malls than doing anything cultural. Not to knock the awesome shopping experience -- malls with ice skating rinks and concierge service? Hell freakin yeah! But it's time I got to know my country a little better. For starters, here's a nice list with things to do in the Philippines.

29. Lead a volunteer project.
In the past year I've been a proud member of New York Cares, a non-profit dedicated in providing needed services through volunteer work. I figured I needed to do something better with my life besides work, eat, shop and sleep. Last summer I became a Team Leader, who is a volunteer in charge of specific projects. Partly because of my schedule and partly because I haven't found the perfect project, I haven't put that "Team Leader" badge to use, but that will change. (BTW, I strongly suggest becoming a member. These projects are some of the most fulfilling work I've done and you get a reminder that there are people who are willing to work for something other than personal gain.)

30. ____________________
I'm not really sure what to put for this one. Should I learn a new skill, like sewing or pottery? Take up swimming as I originally planned? Go on vacation by myself? Run a marathon (even though I'm still recovering from injury. Maybe we can alter that to a HALF marathon)? Buy my own place? (I can already hear NYC real estate laughing at me.) What do you think?

Updates Galore

Let's get right to it:

1. Last weekend was the FITNESS Mind, Body, Spirit Games 4-mile race and the Susan G. Komen's 5K. I ran the latter and walked the former with a friend. Though I had to take walking breaks during the 4-miler (running uphill is hard!) I beat my last 5k's pace by a few seconds, finishing in a little over 43 minutes. Yay. The walk wasn't timed, but I'm just glad I didn't need to crawl because I was still exhausted from the day before. Since last weekend I've been trying to get rid of a cold and catching up on work, so no running for me. The next 5K race is in a couple of weeks so I should probably start again, eh?

2. I am making another change to the list. Let's face it -- I will probably never have time to swim. For one thing, the nearest pool I have free access to is uptown. And another thing, public pools = yuck (and might cause cancer? But then again what doesn't cause cancer). SO! I am changing #12 to... trying a new hair color! Since my last hair disaster 4 years ago when I fried my hair from too much chemical straightening, I have vowed to lay off any treatments until I was 25. I think I've been good to my hair since then, keeping it au naturale. But I've always had redhead envy and I'm getting bored with my hairstyle, so we'll see how this turns out. My skintone probably won't go well with a shade like Julianne Moore's or Marcia Cross' (sigh) but a brighter tone will look nice against all the black clothes I tend to wear in the colder months.

Forget blondes, red heads should get all the attention.

Giving Up on #1... Or Not?

Getting something published in print was the first thing that came to mind when putting together this list because it was part of my original career goals. When I went to school for journalism, the plan was to be an on-staff writer at a magazine. But in media, technology shapes the business, and I found myself going down a road to be a web editor/writer -- which isn't a bad thing. It's the future. Or the present, really.

So putting this on the list was a way to get back to that original goal (without losing my full-time job, heh). But I'm going to be honest with myself and say I don't have the time or heart to do it anymore. Pitching and writing freelance work is another full-time job on its own -- it's not as easy as Carrie Bradshaw and other TV frauds make it seem. And I'd like to be able to have a life outside of work. Spending time in front of a screen is just not how one should spend life. There.

Or...for a non-quitter's version, after some shuffling at work I've found myself contributing to the print pages a little more. Because I want to keep this blog separate from my job (it's that whole I-want-to-keep-my-job reason again), I won't mention names, but if you know me, like know me, you know where I work, so pick up a copy and scan the front pages for my bylines. No 2,000 in-depth articles (yet?), but it's my name in print.

I like to think of this as a mature decision because I don't like giving up on anything. Seriously. (I'm still working on being a Sudoku master.) But you have to realize when you have too much on your plate and decide what's more important in your life.

Peace.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

If you know me you know that I cannot function without being properly caffeinated. I get headaches and I get cranky. And so this change will hurt.

Instead of going to a TV show taping for my #20, I've decided to go a week without coffee.

BUT. I will still allow myself tea. A girl's gotta work, you know, and I would be miserable at work without any bit of caffeine. Let's see how many cups of black/green tea I end up drinking that week.

Am I a masochist? Maybe. But I do enjoy a challenge.