Monday, July 9, 2018

1. Read all the books on the list of Goodreads 100 Books You Should Read In A Lifetime Pt. 4

I've really started to pick up steam on getting through this list - here are mini-reviews for 10 more!:


Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl - Of course this was going to be sad. But damn... it was sad. The saddest part was how optimistic she was the entire time that they were all going to be fine, which of course I knew that wasn't true. Also, I made the mistake of reading the reviews on Goodreads when I was done and discovered that Holocaust deniers really are a thing...

Jane Eyre - This one was a slow-starter. I made it through the first hundred pages without having any idea what it was about. It turned out better than I expected though, and I love that she was a strong, independent woman who didn't need no man... mostly. I could have done without the entire St. John storyline, and it's weird that she just sort of forgives Mr. Rochester for being married and not telling her about it... There are some holes in the story for sure... But it was entertaining at least.

Night - One of the best parts about reading books on this list is that I don't know what many of them are about until I sit down and start reading. I had no idea this book was non-fiction about the Holocaust, and just like Anne Frank, it was incredibly depressing. Both of these books definitely got me thinking about that period in history though, and now I'm seeking out more and more information on it.

The Holy Bible: New King James Version - Yes, I did it. I read the entire Bible, cover to cover. And I did it in a month. I knew if I didn't impose some sort of arbitrary time limit on myself I'd never finish it... I was not raised in a religious household, and Bible study was not a thing I did as a child. I learned SO MUCH while reading the Bible, but here are some of the biggest takeaways I have:

1. For the time it was written, it's a fairly liberal document.
2. I can see why Jews and Christians did not get along for a time - "So yeah, all that stuff that guy Moses said? You can just ignore it because I'm here now and I'm going to tell you how it should really be."
3. Things I've heard from supposed Christians around me throughout my life turn out to be, a lot of the time, a gross misinterpretation of The Bible. I'm not sure if it's organized religion who touts these lies or if it's their parents or whatever, but I was astounded and how NOT angry The Bible made me compared to how angry religious posts on Facebook make me. That by itself was incredibly frustrating.
4. So much other literature alludes to The Bible, and I was missing out on so much by not being educated in the topics in it.

I can't believe how much I enjoyed reading it, honestly. That sounds crazy, and people thought I was crazy while I was reading it. (I literally carried it everywhere with me for that month.) I feel like reading it filled a huge gap in my knowledge that I've always had, and it was extremely fulfilling.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - First, I hate when books that have a huge following turn out to be as good as everyone says they are, which this one did. I have no idea why I hate this so much. Second, I was really hoping this book wouldn't make me want to read the entire series, but it did of course. Third, Swedish names are super hard to pronounce, and I'm pretty sure I read them all wrong in my head the entire time.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - This one was a slow-starter too, but I really ended up enjoying it. It's a coming-of-age story, which aren't typically some of my favorites, but this one was good. The fact that it took place in NY helped, I'm sure, because I feel a sort of attachment with it due to Rich being from there. One spoiler though - I cannot believe Lee just abandoned Francie. That made me so mad.

In Cold Blood - This is another one of those that I had no idea about the plot line before I started. I didn't know this was a true crime novel until right before I started reading. It actually read like a fiction novel, so I had to keep reminding myself that it was non-fiction. I read some articles about the story that said Truman Capote took liberties with a lot of the stuff in the book, and that makes me sad. I wish it were more facts and less embellishments.

Water for Elephants - I really liked everything about this book except the love story. The circus parts were great. The love story was wildly unbelievable. There was absolutely no tension between the protagonist and his love interest; they were just... in love. Just like that. It was odd.

The Raven - So this is not a book. It's a poem. It turns out this poem is really only published in books with a bunch of other poems. I just do not get poetry. The Raven is actually a good poem, because it has a plot. Sort of. But some of the others in this book I read of Poe's works made my brain bleed. I really wish I did "get" poetry though... maybe some day.

And Then There Were None - I read this entire book in one sitting. It was so good. Of course, Agatha Christie is the "Queen of Mystery", so I should have expected nothing less. But I really had absolutely no idea who the killer was in this book until the epilogue told me so. I was afraid the plot would be confusing with so many people involved in the story, but it was incredibly easy to follow and very enjoyable.


I'm now almost 50% of the way through this list, and I'm so proud of myself! I'm having a really good time with this, even if I haven't loved all the books on it.

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

83. Have a personal trainer

So I did it. I impulse-bought 20 sessions with a personal trainer. Her name is Hannah, and I started with her back in October. On my first day (in true me fashion) I ended it early by vomiting... yes, vomiting. I have this personality trait - I refuse to back down from a challenge - so if my trainer tells me to keep going, I'm going to do it until I LITERALLY can't do it anymore. After that session, it could only go uphill, right?

It has now been 7 months since I've been working with Hannah, and I absolutely love it. I go three times a week (or fewer, depending on if our schedules don't line up), and we only do weight-lifting. No cardio (I think because she thinks it'll make me barf... which it probably will), and I love it. I have increased the weight I can lift by 500% or more in some exercises since I started. On some of the exercises I can actually lift more than my trainer, and she is in incredible shape!

I feel pretty fantastic about myself, but the changes to my body have been slower than I anticipated, and the biggest victories have been non-scale ones. Since beginning training 7 months ago I have barely lost any weight at all (though the needle is FINALLY starting to move on that...), but my measurements have definitely gotten smaller. Clothes fit me differently now, and I can tell that my posture has changed drastically for the better. I used to have lots of lower back and ankle problems, and those are completely gone - I have strengthened those muscles to the point where they support me sufficiently now, and it makes day-to-day life a lot less painful. I can also tell that my arms are much more toned, and I'm really looking forward to wearing tank tops all summer! Another non-scale victory that comes from working out all the time is my mood - lifting weights elevates my mood better than nearly anything I've ever experienced. The feeling I have when I'm driving home from the gym could best be described as euphoria. I always thought it was complete bullshit when people said that working out fights depression, like they were being dramatic about the effects, but I am now a true believer in it; in fact, some days I look forward to it for no other reason than because I've had a bad day and want some cheering up.

The biggest change I can see in myself throughout this process is my confidence. My self-esteem has increased drastically, and I care a lot more about what I put into my body. For instance, my workout tonight was GREAT, and I truly believe it's because I ate well today - lean protein, no simple sugars, etc. I have also learned a lot from Hannah (and online research) about the reality of getting fit. I had incredibly unrealistic expectations of myself and of the effects of working out before I started this, and gaining the knowledge of how long a process this really is showed me that tiny steps in the right direction are still huge in the grand scheme of things. Celebrating the small victories along the way makes me want to keep going when I want to give up, and having Hannah there to celebrate them with me makes it even better.

Moral of the story - if you can afford it, get yourself a personal trainer. It has absolutely changed my life.

Sunday, April 22, 2018

9. Own my own home by 30

Back in 2015 when I wrote The List, 30 seemed so far away. Yet here it is, 18 days away. Do I own my own home? Not even close. This dream will be the first failure I'll have that can't be fixed... and I'm completely okay with it.

A lot has changed since 2015. I had just started a new job when I wrote The List, and at the time it seemed like I'd be there forever and I should just settle right down here where I currently live for the duration. In the time that's passed I've learned a lot about myself and what I want, and buying a home - at least here - doesn't make any sense at all.

So what changed?

1. The Chief Operations Officer at my company was let go, and it really shook me; like... hard. I was 2000 miles away in Portland, OR when it happened, and my boss called to deliver the news to me before I read it in an email. But beyond that phone call and a meeting with our CEO, very little information was given on why she was no longer with us. (However, I have gleaned some more information since, and I really do think it was best for both her and the company.) But she was my rock; she was what I wanted to be "when I grew up". Her leaving the company made me re-think so many things I had thought were true about myself... and that's all I have to say about that for now.

2. I learned that I LOVE public transportation. The first time I ever navigated public transit alone was in Paris, and after that I was completely hooked. My love for it has only grown since then. This may seem insignificant, but it showed me that I'm a far more urban girl than my very rural childhood would lead anyone to believe. The idea of living in a big city like New York or Chicago thrills me, and I think about it A LOT. Buying a house here in mid-Missouri would not make any sense right now, since all I can think about is selling all my things and moving into an 800 sq. ft. apartment in some huge city...

3. I've read a lot of business books in the last couple of years. The company I work for is absolutely one-of-a-kind; there is no doubt about that. It's a place people want to work so badly they'll move across the state and take a pay cut just to "get in the door". And our attrition rate, at least in my opinion, is very low. People love this company and everything it stands for. And so do I. But I have also, in my readings, learned that there are other companies that might be just as fantastic as the one I currently work for, and they just might be located in a city I'd prefer to live in. I'm absolutely not saying I'm thinking about quitting my job, but I'm also not so tied to it that I'd never consider leaving (like I was when I first wrote The List).

4. Mortgage rates. Mortgage rates changed. For the worse.

5. Rich and I make a lot more money between the two of us now than when I first wrote The List, and we're actively working at saving and aggressively paying off debt. Right now, adding a house payment (and all the other things that come along with owning your home rather than renting...) doesn't make sense for us financially. Could we do it? Absolutely. Do we want to spend our money that way? We do not. I'd personally love to pay everything off we've got while simultaneously using the excess to travel all over the world before owning my own home at this point in my life, and I think Rich feels the same.


Eventually I want to buy a house, but it's definitely not a top priority right now. I'm crossing this one off The List because it no longer applies, and like I said before - I'm completely okay with it.


Sunday, February 11, 2018

1. Read all the books on the list of Goodreads 100 Books You Should Read In A Lifetime Pt. 3

I'm honestly impressed with myself for how quickly this list is going. I'm getting that "what am I going to do with myself when this is over?" feeing, even though I'm not even halfway done... I'm a weirdo.

Anyway... here's more thoughts on the books on this list, and as always, there are spoilers:


Pride and Prejudice - I always love books where the bad boy wants the good girl but she doesn't want him (see Gone With the Wind below...), but this one was especially good because he turned out to be good in the end. This was an easy, fun read, but it wasn't my favorite by any means.

Little Women - Boooo. This book was so boring. And Friends ruined the only interesting part of the book - when Beth dies - because of the episode where Joey's reading it and is sad so he puts the book in the freezer.

Fahrenheit 451 - This book had so much promise. I was looking forward to this one for a while, because I love dystopian novels. But I was let down by this one. It's incredibly short; I feel like the underlying premise is great but it isn't used to its full potential. So disappointing.

Gone With the Wind - I expected to absolutely hate this book. I watched the movie (which consisted of two separate VHS tapes...) when I was in high school, and I made it all the way to the end without really knowing what it was even about. I was so mad at my mom for telling me to watch it because it was "so great". However, the book IS great. I loved it so much. I love the historical fiction aspect, but most of all, I love Rhett Butler. I love that everyone hates him and he doesn't give a damn. (See what I did there???)

A Tale of Two Cities - I was incredibly confused about this one right up until the very end, but Dickens does a great job of tying it all together. This book absolutely validates a philosophy I have about reading - until I have finished a book, I cannot form an opinion on it; therefore, I have to read every book to the end, no matter how much I dislike it along the way. If I had given up on this one, I wouldn't have known that it's actually a very good love story!

Memoirs of a Geisha - My grandma bought me this book because she loves it, and that immediately made me dread reading it. (Yes I'm terrible... sue me.) I was SO wrong. I could not put this book down. Again, the historical fiction aspect was great, and so was the love story.

The Old Man and the Sea - Ummm, what?! This book served no purpose whatsoever. The character arc is non-existent - the protagonist (if you can call it that...) is literally in the exact same (sad) position in life as when it started, and it doesn't appear that he learned anything or changed in any way at all. I'm so glad it was only 120 pages, because I would have been furious if I'd wasted any more time on it than I did. The internet tells me it's supposed to be symbolic of... something or other. I have no idea, but I didn't get it at all. I guess I'm too literal.

A Game of Thrones - I have been actively resisting watching this series, mostly because I hate doing things that are trendy when they're trendy. When I saw this book on the list, I was not pleased. I didn't think I was going to like it at all, and I thought it was going to be hard to read. Once again, I was so wrong. I freaking loved this book, and I was so upset I didn't own the series so I could read them all in a row. And now I finally understand all the "Winter is Coming" memes on facebook! Sort of.

The Scarlet Letter - Three things: 1) Did you know that the author NEVER explicitly names Hester's crime? You just assume it's adultery, but it could totally be something darker, like incest. The intro to the book points that out, and it blew my mind. 2) Hester should not have waited 7 years to run away with her baby daddy, because then maybe he wouldn't have gotten all old and sick in the meantime and they could have spent their good years together. She didn't even like her husband. 3) Pearl scared the hell out of me, and I think she scared the hell out of Hester too.

The Odyssey - Yet again, I judged a book by its cover... or rather, by the things I thought I knew about it. I read excerpts of this during my freshman year of high school, and I was terrified this was going to take me months to read. I was completely wrong; it took me less than a week. It was really good! The things I knew took place in the story though (for example, the run-in with the Sirens) were such small pieces of the plot, it makes me wonder why they are the things modern students are taught about when discussing the poem.


At the end of my last blog post regarding this dream, I referenced Don Quixote being my next book from this list, but that was a mistake. It was the next book to read on my bookshelf, but it's not even on this list!!! I read it entirely as some kind of punishment to myself, I guess. And punishment it was. When I began reading it, the guy who sat next to me at work mentioned that it's his favorite book. That made it all the more frustrating when I got to the very end and asked myself what the hell I had just read. Don Quixote is a crazy person who everyone besides him knows is a crazy person, and in the last 3 pages of a 1000 page book he realizes it and just... stops being crazy. What a waste of my time!!! However, tons of other literary works allude to this book, so at least I understand what they're talking about now...

My next book from this list (for real this time) is the New King James version of The Holy Bible. The same guy who told me Don Quixote is his favorite book told me there was no way I could read The Bible in a month, so I bet him $100 I could do it. I would have done it for free, but he threw out the number so I went with it. Yes, The Bible is a large book with lots of words and lots of pages. But I've read those before (see Don Quixote...). I am determined to do it, and I'm going to begin reading it on March 1. Check my next blog post about this dream to see if I made it through in just one month or if I had to put my money where my mouth was!