30 Before 30 Journey in a Year

"I don't understand camping. We're voluntarily living like dogs." Flo from Pitch Perfect 2 had some sage words that I agreed with for most of my life. But did my weekend backpacking trip change those feelings?  To note, my camping experience is very limited. Aside from this weekend, I think I've slept in a tent three other times. And none of those were backpacking experiences, most where when I accompanied friends' families growing up.  From these camping experiences, what has been my experience you ask? Hot, uncomfortable, sleep deprived and ornery about cover it.  But part of this 30 Before 30 journey was revisiting things that I might have prematurely written off in life, giving a second glance and making a firmer and more educated decision. I love to be outdoors, and I love to hike. I just want to come home, take a shower and sleep in my bed at the end of the day.  But living in the great outdoorsy city of Chattanooga and having ...

Living 2.2 miles from my office and around a mile from the beautiful Downtown Chattanooga riverfront, the decision to go car free for a week was a mostly peaceful, hot (why did I wait until June on this?) and gym routine altering adventure. Starting on a Thursday and going through Wednesday, my no car week was a split between biking and walking. When deciding on this item and then planning for the week, I'm so thankful to live where I live and in a city where this is a doable option for me. I didn't take public transit during the week. Mainly because I didn't have to; everything was more quickly accessible via walking or biking based on the location of my office and home to surrounding amenities. However, Downtown Chattanooga does have an awesome free electric shuttle system that I do take often. I walked/biked to work, to meetings, to the movies, to the store, to the pharmacy, to get coffee, to get lunch, to friends' homes, to the gym and many other tasks. I also ch...

Ever tried a plank? It's boasted as one of the best core exercises out there especially if you don't have access to a gym. All you need is yourself and a stop watch. I'll recommend a few more things below if you are interested in building up to a long hold. My adventure with being better at planks probably started over a year ago. At a workout class at the Y, some planks were included in the ab section, and I could barely hold a plank for 20 seconds. This man recently broke the world record by holding a plank for 4 hours and 26 minutes!! I still don't know how that's possible. But like many things on this list, I knew I could do this with a lot of practice and a little confidence. Here are some of my planking basics. I didn't follow a particular planking plan or challenge. I've seen many on Pinterest claiming you can get from 20 seconds to 5 minutes in 30 days; however, I just don't see that unless you're super fit to begin with. You've got...

202 miles of running, 191 days of training and 1 great pair of Brooks later, I ran 13.1 consecutive miles in 2 hours and 20 minutes. Here's how and why. Running a half marathon was the first item on my 30 Before 30 list and for a good reason. I knew it would be the hardest overall: time commitment, physical excursion and a equally hard mental battle. Let me say first and foremost, I'm not a natural runner-whatever that is. I don't wake up and look forward to running. That runner's high/groove/plateau everyone talks about, I think I've experienced it twice-once for sure. But there is a great sense of accomplishment with running for me at the end. To look down at my Garmin watch (get one of these over using your phone if you're serious about training; they're more accurate) and know I've just ran 8, 9, 10 miles seemed impossible to me a year ago. When running a 5K seemed like the longest distance I could fight through and now being able to do an addition...

Who doesn't want to strip down to their skivvies and take a few photos? Not me, but I did it anyway. Over the last few years, I've had several friends who have participated in boudoir photo sessions. Whether a surprise for their groom on wedding day or as an anniversary or birthday present for a significant other, a boudoir session is an intimate photo shoot where the participant usually dons lingerie and sheer clothing. It's a pinup and glam session; not an X-rated experience. Probably like a lot of women I know, the thought of snapping pictures in a negligee isn't something that I'm chomping at the bit to do. Like many, I have struggled with being comfortable in my own skin throughout the vast majority of my life. I remember the sheer dread of bathing suit shopping every year starting in middle school and progressing into my adult life. And while many people complete a boudoir session for someone else and my husband will hopefully enjoy the final product, doin...

They waddle; they look like they're consistently in formal attire; and there are a few that call Chattanooga home. I'm not talking about paunch ballroom dancers but penguins. As a Chattanoogan, I'm very lucky to have the incredible Tennessee Aquarium in my backyard. And on my first and subsequent visits, the penguin exhibit is hands down my favorite. But, here's the funny thing - I hate birds! Now before I hear from all you bird lovers out there, I'm sure there are plenty of wonderful things you could share about birds but a. you're not going to change my mind and b. I'm not going to like anything that has pooped on my head more times than I can count. It's like they know I don't like them and target me. However, the penguin is one of only two birds that I like because they can't actually fly and are darn cute. Hummingbirds also get a pass. Luckily, the Tennessee Aquarium has a backstage pass option that can get you behind the scenes look th...

With two lumps of clay, some water, a wheel, heat, glaze and much instruction from an excellent teacher, I present to you my first hand crafted ceramic projects. Why pottery? I think I was drawn to this particular medium because it is both artistic and functional. Or maybe I watched this scene from Ghost one too many times.  A quick Google search made it clear that the Marian Heintz Pottery Studio was the place to go in Chattanooga for a wheel thrown pottery class. Marian had excellent reviews and an easy, affordable class schedule. On a Saturday morning in late February, I went to her studio in Brainerd and was greeted by this little guy as I checked in. Wren the Cat.  Cats aside, the class had six participants which I felt gave everyone enough one on one time with Marian and created a fun atmosphere for us all to compare projects.  In the beginning stages, you have to build the clay up and bring it back down for internal strength.  ...