Challenge Update #1

It has been over a couple of months since I started my 25 before 25 challenge. I'm back in the US of A, quite far from being settled, and long overdue for an update, so here we go:

Goal #5: Complete a half marathon.
Starting out, my central goal was the half marathon. I started out by chosing a race and conveniently found one at home. I gave myself fourteen weeks of training.. I got advice from half finishers, which is SUPER helpful. I welcome any others to just reach out and chat!I looked up a few training schedules and decided to loosely follow a few, while listening to my body. I pushed myself, but am not looking for an injury out of obligation to a program. I read a lot of articles and message boards on running conditions, eating habits, stretches, and the like.

The actual training was a roller coaster. I was really loving it for the first few weeks, running or working out 6 days a week. Then came a week which was really difficult. It started with looking over the map of my chosen race with G. Most of my runs are just intangible numbers made up of distance and a time. Looking at the map, I envisioned myself running from one place to another and it suddenly felt reallllly long. That was followed by a rough post-long run recovery.

I got over that and really enjoyed saying good-bye to Italy while running the Tuscan hills. I really don't believe there is a better place to run, even if I have to walk up the second half of a hill every once in a while. The view is worth every bit of it.

Unfortunately I got off my schedule so the half is put off until the spring. I'm running sporadically since I'm not much of a fan of my neighborhood's dog policy, but looking for new places. Going to do a 5k in a week and a 10k before winter and keep myself in shape for a good half in the spring. Suggestions?

Goal #7: Obtain my dual citizenship...
I am moving along with my dual citizen application. Some of the paperwork has already started arriving. As of today all of the other documents have been requested. I have made a (generous) timeline for when each step should finish up and an appointment at the Consulate in Philadelphia. I have chosen to go along the cheaper route rather than the quick one, which means applying by mail and waiting 4-6 weeks rather than paying $45 a pop and waiting only a few days. Considering I've had to request 9 documents total, the former plan didn't seem to be an option. This part has cost just over $200 and as a owner of private college debt who is looking for employment, I gotta be prudent, y'all. Plus I've got the time and the thrill of the chase exhilarates me.

So far the coolest thing has been playing with the original documents over four generations. We stumbled upon my Great-Grandma Rosie's birth certificate. It was written on a regular piece of legal paper, not a real form. She was born in New York, but the wildest thing--her birth certificate was written in Italian! And the calligraphy... It's GORGEOUS! And when my grandpa was looking through the papers, he told me a story about how his parents used to signal to each other that they were headed to the subway by putting the blinds up and down. Imagine a time before cell phones! Great story about "where there's a will, there's a way," huh? I've already started warning my family about sessions of story telling for Goal #24: Start a "Family Stories" project, recording my favorite family myths and memories.

Goal #1: Read the complete collection of Shakespeare's plays.
I have been reading Shakespeare, but to not burn out I have kept other books in the rotation. I have always been a big reader and perfected following several stories at a time at age 10. I re-read Midsummer Night's Dream and then finished up Measure for Measure in addition to a few more. If you are interested, find me on Goodreads, my favorite book review/networking site. I am working on Twelfth Night with my friend Sean in the most untraditional book club, and saw a tremendous version of Julius Caesar and a poorly directed, yet phenomenally acted As You Like It in Italian at the Globe Theatre replica in Rome. Both got me pumped to read them for myself.

Goal #15: Eat something really different.
In awesomely disturbing and tasty way, I completed this one. My very first challenge completed!!! I've been working on this story for a good while but I'm not quite sure how to tell you all about it. I won't cross it off the list until I've written about the experience, so stay posted.

But if you want to introduce me to any other food, read a play with me, or have anything else to say about my 25 before 25 list, leave a comment or contact me some other way. Looking forward to hear from you!