My List

Thank you friends for all of your great suggestions! I am very excited about my list (and my year).

1. Pancetta. That is right, I think this is the next step up from bacon. We shall call it advanced bacon. It hangs up to cure.

2. Backpacking in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I want to go somewhere and sleep in the woods. There will probably be jelly beans, beef jerky, and canned beer. That is what you eat when backpacking.

3. Make a quilt. On my sewing machine. Probably a small one.

4. 3 new restaurants outside of Chapel Hill. Get out, experiment, try new things.

5. Cooking (or baking) class. There are things I can learn, for sure.

6. Concert in town. This could happen more than once, inspiration may strike.

7. Picnic. You know, I am sort of too lazy for picnics. You have to make food, then pack it, then go somewhere. Why not just eat then go to the place? But not this year. Bring. it. on.

8. Friendship bracelet. This could happen soon. Stay tuned.

9. Trail running. Sometimes I run on roads, I need to branch out.

10. Volunteer with REI. I will help build the trail I walk on.

11. Dance class. I am not even sure this is possible. I will look into it.

12. Kayak. I have never done this before. It seems like fun.

13. Go to Saxapahaw. This will include hiking and probably duck fat fries.

14. Climb to the highest point in Orange County. That is North Carolina (not California). It is not very high.

15. Plant a Tree.

16. Jam exchange with Rachel.

17. Play poker. This I used to do in middle school, I am grown up now. I still think I will not play for keeps. I am not that grown up.

18. Make a piece of art. Maybe painting, perhaps collage. We shall see how my muse moves me.

19. Happiness list. My mom suggested this one, make a list of things I am happy about. Can do.

20. Go to scrap exchange in Durham. I have never been there, but I like strange stuff.

21. Make pasta. All of the way from semolina flour to noodles.

22. Have a mustache party. With paper, not hair. Hair has been done. Plus, I can not grown a mustache.

23. Swimming. Lap swimming, not playing in the water.

24. Go to a festival. Probably a close one by one. I am pretty lazy.

25. Go to a museum. One with art or old stuff. I have not been to any of our local museums. For shame!

26. Salted chocolate covered caramels and Homemade Marshmallows. Enough said.

27. Forage persimmons. This is a long story. More later.

28. Visit corn maze. I have never done that. Sounds spiffy.

29. Make a paper crane. I could never do this as a child. I am now a mature adult, who can follow directions much better.

30. Go to or host a wine tasting. Then I can say more than, "I like it" or "Icky." Girl has got to have goals. If I host it, I might even have to do research. Right on.

Ok, time to get started. The list may be a little fall heavy, but I will make it work. This weekend might be a big one!

Gute Reise Derek!

My love left today. He is off to Germany to make research happen for his dissertation. I love him very dearly and saying goodbye today was terribly hard.

It is never easy to say goodbye. It is definitely not easy to say goodbye until Christmas. I cannot even think about the rest of the year. Thank goodness for Skype.

We have been having/attending many celebrations and events over the past couple of weeks. We wanted to do one last pork shoulder, one last time at our favorite restaurant, one last trip to the taco trucks, you know how it goes.

One last trip to Fullsteam.

Speaking of this, I am going to do a post about Derek's last United States dinner soon. Fennel pizza deserves its own post.

It has been a busy couple of weeks. Then, I took Derek to the airport and when I got home it was so quiet. Too quiet.

One last smoked pork shoulder.

I am going to miss that boy.

I am not a wallower though and I intend to keep myself busy for the next three (really ten) months.

I am a list maker and I am going to make a list of the exciting new things I want to try in the next year (307 days, but who is counting?) and get out of my comfort zone a little. Not that I need Derek away to step out of my box, but I need goals so I do not think too much about Derek being gone. I am thinking a I will make a list of 30 goals, get it 300 days?

In order to really get out of my comfort zone, I want help making this list. If I have any readers (Mom?), would you help me come up with suggestions for my year? If they are feasible, I promise to do it and document my efforts here.

Here is what I have so far:

1. Make pancetta.

2. Go backpacking in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

3. Make a quilt.

4. Try a 4 new restaurants outside Chapel Hill (I have no idea where the number 4 came from).

5. Take a cooking class.

6. Go to a concert in town.

7. Go on a picnic.

8. Make a friendship bracelet.

9. Go trail running.

10. ?

Okay, I have nine so far. Help me out friends! I will think on this a bit and hopefully come up with 21 more... with your help? Please?