it is time once again to check in and see how i am coming along with my goals for 2019.

my initial goals for the year:

complete the chattanooga 4 bridges half marathon. well, i am registered and working on getting myself ready. race day is october 20. wish me luck!

an alex-veena reunion. sadly i don’t know if this one is going to be able to happen 😦 with how our schedules are working out this year it appears as though we are each free when the other is busy and vice versa. but have no fear, we will have our reunion soon!

make the recipes i’ve been bookmarking all these years. i’ve done pretty well with this one. i deleted a ton of recipes i know i’ll never make, and i tried out a lot of new ones over the spring. i still bookmark more than i make, but i have been better about cleaning up my list more regularly so that i’m only keeping recipes i will actually make.

take 6 new-to-me fitness classes. every year there is one i crap the bed on, and this one might be it. i got a few vouchers for barre and core classes, so hopefully after the summer i can make it to at least a few before the end of the year.

join the board of a local nonprofit. i am still working on this one. i have three options in my mind and am figuring out which of those will work best with my schedule and my financial situation. stay tuned for how this shapes up through the fall.

go on three farther away hiking trips. i went to tishomingo state park in mississippi in march and to donut falls when i was in utah in may. still working on what my third one will be, but it might get combined with my new national park.

learn hand-lettering / calligraphy. this is on my schedule for august / september.

re-read shantaram. i’ll be honest, i’m still a little on the fence about this one. i have so many other books i want to read that i don’t know if i want to sacrifice the month or more it will take me to tackle this again. i copied out a lot of passages when i read it initially, so my compromise might be to re-read those now that i have found the quote book that houses them. this one is still tbd.

visit a new-to-me national park. i am working on making this happen during my week off in august. i initially wanted to get up to acadia in maine, but i think logistically and financially that might not happen for me this year. i have two different options in my mind, so i will keep you posted.

get started on one house project. i finally have a lead on what i want this to be and will have more updates in the fall. stay tuned!

and a few 40before40 things i’ve been able to accomplish this year:

i went to bbq fest for the first time / i attended a 901fc match / i ate at payne’s bbq / i escaped from a memphis escape room

things i am looking forward to in the second half of the year:

we are hip-deep in summer conference at the moment, and that will be my life through the end of july, but i’ve already got a few things on the horizon for the fall that i am excited about.

seeing hamilton twice this month! hamilton is about to begin its three-week run at the orpheum, and i am so excited to be seeing it twice while it is in town. my mother and i have our season ticket holder performance on july 13, and i bought bonus tickets for lauren and me to go on july 27 to wrap up the summer and to have one last date night before she and sam move to boston.

clinton school family reunion in minneapolis-st paul. it has now been five years since nathan, dylan, britney, and i were all in the same place, so bee and i – and brandon – are heading up to minneapolis-st paul for labor day weekend to have ourselves a reunion.

a visit to seattle. the weekend after labor day alex, jeremy, and i are heading to seattle and tacoma to see kat and brett. i am looking forward to oohing and aahing over their new house, to eating lots of delicious food, to beautiful hikes, and to lots of cuddling with burger.

a return to chattanooga. part of why i registered for the half marathon in chattanooga is because it’s been three years since i’ve been back and i miss it. i figure this will give me a chance to see parts of the city i’ve not seen before and will also afford me the opportunity to catch up with friends i’ve not seen in too long.

15-year college reunion. i’m still not sure how it’s been 15 years since i graduated from rhodes, but this november my classmates will be descending on memphis for a weekend of catching up. it is sure to be a weekend to remember.

harry potter concert #2. last year the orpheum screened harry potter and the sorcerer’s stone accompanied by the symphony, and it was so much fun. this november they will be back with the second movie, and i am so excited.

it’s going to be a busy second half of the year, but i am hopeful it will also be a good one. and i hope the same for each of you.

xx