NaBloPoMo 2014: Day 24 "Anticipation"

*it's May 16th now, and I'm for some reason determined to post these last few drafts from 2014's NaBloPoMo. This particular post had no content, however; only a title.

ANTICIPATION.

What was I thinking? What was I planning to write about? Six months later, and I can't remember a thing.

At the time, I was probably anxiously awaiting the arrival of my costumes, the end of Cabaret, the end of 2014, the upcoming vacation trip to the USA... But the tang of those desires has faded so much that I think I'll completely hijack this draft, to blab about my CURRENT state of anticipation. :)

SO. here's the short list of my current Anticipated Things:

- May 23-25th mini-vacation to Busan for Adam's birthday!

This is what I think of when I think of Busan.... #winning

- May 30th day-trip to go rail-biking (not as extreme a sport as it sounds) and whitewater rafting! (Also for Adam's birthday.)

- Summer vacation in the USA for Meagan's wedding!

- Performing Shakespeare in the autumn!

- 2016 world tour! *this is without a doubt  the most highly anticipated item on this list. I think about this every other day, dreaming & scheming, and mentally tallying price tags. I CAN'T WAIT.*

- 30th birthday. :O I'm leaving my twenties this year, good golly miss Molly! Mixed feelings on this one. Wish I was back in the States to celebrate with all my fam & friends there... BUT also looking forward to fun times here with my hubby. ^^

So true, ha!

Some days I actually get those happy fluttery butterflies in my stomach, from a general sense of good things coming up in the future.

Happy to be alive, happy to be anticipating.

Carpe diem!

NaBloPoMo 2014: Day 13 "Grass-fed"

For almost a whole month now, Adam and I have been making and eating salads for our weekly dinners. But here's the cool thing: we only make them ONCE. You know the annoying part about eating salads - the washing, the peeling, the chopping? I hate doing all that. It's a lot of work, it's messy, and it takes time. So we just do a week's worth of washing, peeling, and chopping all on one night, and the rest of the week take it easy.

Does it sound TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE?? It's not. Scout's honor.

I was inspired by my friend Amber's post on instagram, showing a refrigerator stuffed full of mason jar salads:

The revolutionary Instagram itself

                                  

And it turns out, when properly packed, these salads last for a week! So at the beginning of the week, Adam and I shop, and then prepare enough salad containers to last for our whole week. We vary the ingredients, using salmon, tuna, chicken, or other protein to bulk them up and keep them from getting too boring. But the staples are usually the same: homemade balsamic vinegar/olive oil dressing on bottom, carrots, cucumbers, and chick peas next, then tomatoes, egg, olives, nuts, and finally the lettuce on top.

Doesn't have to be a mason jar - any airtight container will do!

The first night of prep took almost 3 hours.... O.o

Assembly line

Stuffed salad jars!

Delicious finished product

Amazingly, we aren't sick of salads yet. (knock on wood) Though variations are really important. Especially when I sometimes eat 2 salads in one day. Don't get me wrong, though, I'm actually in heaven - I love me some nommy salads and a decent salad is super difficult to find in Korea. We'll stick to it for as long as we still enjoy it. Here's hoping it's a nice looooooooong time!

Carpe cucumber, chick pea, and carrot.

SQUATS: 130, DONE. Ack, when did the number get so high??

SPLITS: 3 mins on each leg! Boy, do joints get creaky from staying in one stretch so long...

BOOKS: I'm reading while I do my splits, now, too. Page 52/179. Progress!

WATER: The warm water helped. Will continue. Almost 2 fulls bottles today!

NaBloPoMo 2014: Day 2 "Goals Updatez"

For those of you who have noticed (love you Mom), I've only written ONE blog post since last November:  my 2013 "National Blog Posting Month" challenge. Despite this alarming lack of activity, you can rest assured that it was all for very good reasons.  During last year's NaBloPoMo, I outlined my daily, monthly, yearly, and Korea-time goals. Looking back through those goals, I'm impressed enough with myself to announce that I have dominated in checking these goals off of my personal to-do lists.

A "Success" Summary:

1. I still floss every day.

2. I've completed 2 out of 3 curriculum resource books, and the third (and final!) book is scheduled to be finished by January, 2015. A year ago, we presented the incomplete first book to the Gwangju Office of Education and asked for financial support to complete it and the remaining books. To my group's delight and amazement, the support was granted. I feel hella proud of the materials we've turned out, and the payment that we received - and will receive - for it. I look at the books now, and feel a swelling, awesome sentiment: "I made this." 

3. I'm currently the President of the Gwangju Performance Project, which is where the bulk of my not-writing-blog-posts blame lies. This past spring, I directed and produced 5 performances of Neil Simon's hilarious farce, "Rumors." It was blood, sweat, and tears getting it done, but I'm hella proud of myself and my cast and crew for the excellent productions we created. I remember the moment after the first performance, when I looked at the stage, the gorgeous set, and the actors bowing to the audience's applause, and I felt a swelling, awesome sentiment: "I made this."

Obviously, I wasn't the only one who made these books or shows, but my involvement and motivation  and efforts were crucial in the final results being produced. And that is a sweet, tangy feeling.

The GPP continues to flourish, too. I initiated a monthly workshop series where we teach about various performance arts topics, and anyone in the community is welcome to attend. A choir was started, and has regular practices and performances. A spring raffle fundraiser turned out to be a huge success, and our upcoming fundraiser is an exciting "Cabaret" Dessert Night with singing and dancing and chocolate. We participated in the Busan Shakespeare Theatre Festival, and I got to play Helena from "A Midsummer Night's Dream." I'm currently the producer for our upcoming fall play, David Auburn's "Proof." We recently merged our group with the local International Center, and will hopefully be receiving govt. funding for the arts next year, for our 2015 play lineup. People in the community are constantly creating, performing, and enjoying the arts, thanks to all of the hard-working and passionate members of the GPP.

4 members of the GPP choir (plus Adam in a bear suit - thanks again hon!) just before we won 1st place in a foreigner-only K-pop singing contest. WOOT.

3/4 GPP actresses who participated in the Busan Shakespeare festival. Tho we be but little, we are fierce.

GPP choristers before our first official singing gig!

We  raised over 800 bucks with these baskets, and paid for our set and costumes! WOOHOOO!

In short, I spend most of my free time talking, working, and thinking THEATER. It's delightfully amusing to realize that my college degree is getting as much of a workout as it is. Especially considering that I had no plans to return to theater again after graduation in 2007. 

I believe that's enough gratuitous back-patting for one blog post. Also, it's 1:15 and Monday morning's alarm clock is looming ominously close on the horizon. Tomorrow, we shall all find out what my goals are for this year's NaBloPoMo challenge. ...Myself included.