101 in 1001: January Recap

January seems like it’s been going on forever, but at least I got a lot done. Here’s what I accomplished off of my 101 in 1001 list this month:

- Joined a gym, developed a regular workout schedule, and have (so far) stuck with it. I love that now I’m doing cardio as well as all of the machines that I’d never known how to use before a few weeks ago, mostly because I was too intimidated of their names (seated row?! leg press??)— but not anymore!

- Finally went to my hair salon and fixed the awful streaks that were left in my hair after I highlighted it purple in September. Now it looks normal, thank goodness. Sorry about the awkward car picture and my baggy Braves shirt! I was on my way to the gym and figured I should take one before I went.

- Expanded my palate by trying food I’d never had before. I had spaghetti squash, which I’ve always wanted to try, and kombucha, which is a fermented tea drink made with yeast and bacteria that’s supposed to have incredible health benefits. I cant say that I liked it at all, although that may be because it’s effervescent and I don’t like to drink things with bubbles! The one I bought (bright pink, pictured below) had ginger and cayenne pepper in it and had a vague vinegary aftertaste. I also sampled one made with mint and echinacea.

- Tried new things!  The Atlanta Underground Market, which i wrote about here and here, is one of my new favourite things, and I also went to the Cox Hall farmers market at Emory University, which I’d never seen before.

- Sent a care package to a darling girlfriend studying in Boston with everything she needed to kick-start her semester: pretty stationery, MOR’s macaron lip gloss, hand warmers, homemade baked goods, and (of course) beer pong balls.
 - Created a new DIY project: Instagram magnets!

- Read 1o new novels, 2 new short story collections, and one new work of nonfiction for a total of 13 new books + probably three or four rereads. I may have a problem. The new ones are all listed on my 2012 Goodreads shelf, if you’re interested. My favourites were Night Circus + Invisible Sign of My Own (fiction) and Emerald City (short stories). I also reread the first Boxcar Children book and loved it just as much as I did in elementary school. There were also a surprisingly large number of novels that i disliked, which is disappointing. I am always, always looking for new book recommendations so please don’t hesitate to share favourites!

I blogged five times, watched two movies (Contagion and Baraka), registered for an amazing 5k, and became involved in a very exciting volunteer opportunity. Can’t wait to see what February brings— besides my 23rd birthday, of course! I have a lot of fun things planned but can’t talk about them quite yet. What are you looking forward to for the next month?