101 in 1001 Update

In the past few months I have really gotten serious about my 101 {here}. I realized I have less than a year & I need to crack down. Since then I have checked off 12 items & I am really close on 10 more. I did not realize how hard some of them would be, probably because I didn't know when I made the list how hard college would be. Reading 40 books took me so much longer than it would have taken me in high school. Watching movies has been more difficult (mainly because Netflix doesn't have the classics) because a lot of times I do not have time to sit for two plus hours and fully dedicate myself to an amazing film. But I am chugging along trying to finish as many as possible. My goal is 94 because there are some on the list that after I had done more research I realized were impossible. Some I just do not care about anymore, it is amazing how much your perspectives on things change when you go off to school. But I am doing as many as I can because I have learned a lot about myself along the way...and to be honest I am really excited to make my next list! 
No. 2: Read at least 40 new books total.  This took so.long. And I am kind of disapointed in myself for that. But I have finally check it off & I loved almost all of the books I read that are listed on the 101 list. I am still reading (see No. 1 below) my biographies so I am keeping up with my reading.  No. 6: Unsubscribe from the hundreds of unwanted email lists. Hannah was the one who finally convinced me to do this one! I am very happy to say that my old way of getting emails (100+ a day) is now down to about 50 (and they are all relevant)! I no longer get clothing emails because I never looked at them & certainly never bought anything. I also stopped getting a ton of junk mail that I had always been to lazy to delete! 

No. 12: See a TED Talk Live. When I found out TED was coming to UT I immediately put in my calendar would tickets would go on sale & I am so happy I did because the tickets sold out in 30 minutes. Seeing TED talks live was really cool (sometimes a litte boring) but overall kind of awesome. They were recorded and now people from all over the world can watch them. It is such a cool thing & I really think TED talks are extremely important to learn about the world in a fun way so I would highly encourage anyone to go see them!  No. 12: Do at least 5 DIY projects.  I had not really thought about the fact that all of my Big/Little gifts were DIY projects but when I finally did I realized I had done way more than 5 DIYs!  No. 46: See five Audrey Hepburn films.  My goal was to see Audrey movies I had never seen before but due to issues with not being able to see "Paris When it Sizzles" because I only have access to Netflix streaming & I could not rent it/find it on the Internet, I ended up ending my five with Roman Holiday. My favorite of all of them was definitely Charade, I had no idea I would love it so much! Then My Fair Lady followed by How to Steal a Million, Funny Face & Roman Holiday.  No. 58: Buy a lottery ticket.  A lot of my friends when we turned 18 went and purchased a lottery ticket. What did I do? I turned in my voters registration paperwork (#PoliSciMajorParentProbs). So I finally did this over winter break because there is this thing called the Powerball that I did not really understand but understood enough that it was a big deal so I bought one. Did I win? Hahaha no, that is why I have never bought one in the past and probably never will.  No. 82: Give up soda once and for all [I have the occasional one & it needs to stop!]. Yes. So proud. Done. Check it off. I only drink it when I have a killer headache now because for some reason it really helps. 
No. 86: Find the best BBQ in Texas.  After many months (it might actually be years) I have finally decided on what I think is the best BBQ in Texas. Now let me clarify, I am not just about the meat. I think the atmosphere, meat, and sides all make up a good BBQ place. So my favorite is Black's. They have really good sides, really good meat, and the atmosphere looks like they tried. If we were going just on meat it would be Franklin (is that cliche of my Austin-ite self to say)? I have also loved Salt Lick, Kreuz Market, Terry Black's, and so many others in the state of Texas. But Black's is, what I think, the best. 

No. 91: Visit two friends in college.
This was so.much.fun. I went to Boston a few weeks ago & visited both Bri & Justine. We had a great time (and ate a lot fo great food)! It was so much fun to see each of their schools/dorms/how much their lives are different from mine (I mean come on it snowed while I was there).  No. 93: Watch all of the Best Pictures from the Oscars.  This one was also a real challenge. I saw some of them before they were nominated (Spotlight, The Big Short, Mad Max, The Revenant). The rest I saw right after they were nominated & I really liked all of them. I did not understand why some were nominated for Best Picture but I didn't hate any of them which surprised me! Spotlight was the one I saw that I loved the entire time & I actually screamed & jumped up and down when it won (because let's be real I didn't see it coming).  No. 98: Buy personlized stationary.  So to be perfectly honest I completely forgot I had done this for the longest time. I have this big basket of cards/stationary for all occasions in my apartment and somehow my personalized stationary got pushed to the very back & I never saw it. And let's be honest, it is so cute I don't want to use it! So I actually do have personalized stationary & now I am planning to use it!  No.101: Inspire someone else to make a 101 in 1001 list.  Two of my friends have actually been inspired by my list, Devi & Hannah. Hannah actually started a blog (Pardon my French) & her 101 was difficult to come up with but I helped her & she is very excited to start checking off the items. 
Upcoming Goals: No. 1: Read five biographies.  Currently working on DV & Lilly with plans to find three more very soon!  No. 21: Study in all ten UT libraries.  I have done 7/10 so I am seriously trying to get this completed by the end of the semester. I have been to so many different buildings & seen so many new things by going to each of these libraries. I have learned a lot about my campus just by sitting somewhere surfing BuzzFeed (honestly). I also learned that the Classics Library's three study desks are full by 9am so I have to get there early.  No. 23: Visit Congress Ave. Bridge in summer to see the bats. This is another goal of mine to finish by the end of the semester. The bats should be back & I have never actually done this (which is typically met by disbelief from my friends).  No. 29 Go to at least five live music shows.  Hannah was so surprised that this was only five but as someone who had never been to a concert before freshman year it was a large number for me! I have since been to 4/5! I am so proud of myself for branching out and saying that 3/4 of those were country! (I mean I do live in Texas...) I am currently looking for the final concert to go out with a bang. No. 37 Visit a flea market.  When I was doing research about where to go I stumbled across the Austin Country Market and found out that it was named in the Top 10 best by Travel Channel. So Hannah & I are planning to make a trip out to East Austin very soon!  No. 45: See ten classic films.  This has been one of the most rewarding parts of my list thus far. I can finally talk to my dad about classic movies and not seem like I have never seen anything. I have also discovered that I really love old movies. Lawrence of Arabia has been one of my favorites but so has Giant and then there are all of the musicals like 42nd Street, Singin' in the Rain & An American in Paris! Not to mention the Hitchcock perfection of Rear Window & North by Northwest! Seriously, I have enjoyed all of the films I have seen & I am currently trying to get up the gumption to finish the list with The Bridge on the River Kwai. No. 65: Make a rainbow layer cake.  Right after I made the decision to bake a rainbow layer cake for the last Ladybird meeting I regretted my decision. When I made Hannah's ombre cake I had a rough time but a rainbow cake?! What was I thinking? Oh well, I am going to do it, it may not be perfect or the most beautiful cake ever but I got this...hopefully.  No. 76 Have hot tea and read for at least 30min once a week for three months. You know something is real when you create this as a check list item in your planner for the next three months. Here goes nothing!  No. 94: Brush up on geography of the world.  Wow, this has been so much fun! I had started this with country capitals & I soon realized I needed to focus on certain continents, mainly Africa. So I redid my flashcards and now I am trying to make sure I know all of the countries & their respecitve capitals in Africa, wish my brain luck!