And we're off!!!!

You know the saying “Can’t teach an old dogs new tricks”? Well, I don’t buy it. I’m an old(ish) dog and it’s time I learn some new tricks!!! Granted, I’m not really all that old, but I am old enough that I’ve become settled into my ways, my patterns, my activities…my acceptance of who I am and what I “do”. So it’s time to rattle things up, break these patterns, and start exploring life, even if it’s only through little things, like trying a new recipe!

(Although, it should be noted, that trying a new recipe is within itself a pretty dramatic thing for me. I am someone who doesn’t cook. 18 years with my parents, 5 years in the dorms/school cafeteria, and 5 years living out of a suitcase/eating out does not create a great need to learn kitchen skills. So yes, there will be a lot recipe trying/cooking adventures to be had.)

The first step in this process was quitting my job! It got in the way of my free time. Yes, that sounds arrogant considering today’s economy but I’m very lucky in my choice of career/skill sets and fortunate that these past several years I have done a pretty decent of establishing myself and my resume. So, I got rid of the job that required an entire life/style commitment and took on a more “normal” 8-5 job that allowed me much more free time and NO travel. It’s been three weeks and I haven’t looked back since. Funny how a thought that lingered in my mind for almost 2 years turned out to be so not scary once actually put into action!

The second step was actually finding stuff to do. Turns out Charlotte is brimming with activities of every sort, all of the time. Meetup.com, local Community Colleges, city magazines, friends—all of these things are full of great suggestions as to what I can do with my free time.

The third step was figuring out what I wanted to do. Lord knows I spent enough time these last few years exploring the drinking habits of college co-eds and young professionals in a social setting, so I decided to try and focus on things that would better me—improve my health (physically and emotionally), teach me something new, expand my mind (does that sound illegal?), and/or actually be necessary for “grown-up” life (see cooking above!)

So I was off….and I quickly learned that even the simplest recipes can go dramatically wrong if you forget to remove your Tupperware when you preheat your oven, that swimming is SO much harder than it looks and I might be okay simply mastering the doggy paddle, and even if you go to something alone, chances are you’ll still end up with someone to talk to (especially if you bring a bottle of wine to share.)

So friends, at your request ;-), here’s to new tricks. Wish me luck!