Become A "Blogger" (8/366)

"I could write a blog. I have thoughts."
~ Amy Adams as Julie Powell in Julie & Julia


I've always liked to write. One of my most treasured gifts was from a teacher in middle school who gave all of her students books she thought they'd enjoy at the end of the school year. To me, she gave a blank journal and said, "Keep writing".

I've also always tried to be a humble person. Because I'm a Chinese female, it's in my upbringing. Ever watched The Joy Luck Club? It's pretty much spot on. We're taught to be modest -- to a fault. "You look nice today" is responded to with, "Oh no, I look horrible!". "You're so fit!" is met with "Oh no, I'm a tub of goo.". Ah yes, the ultimate source of pride is showing everyone how humble you can be.

Anyway, because I grew up learning that one should always be modest, that humility was one of the greatest virtues, and that you should really just never cause attention to be brought to yourself, I was always kind of "anti-blogs" and pretty much "anti-bloggers". I mean, I've seen some really good ones, where people shared things they were passionate about, not bragging, just sharing - craft patterns, kids' party themes, recipes they created following a specific diet, etc.. Those are really cool. But I still had that stigma in my mind from when blogging had just become the rage, and everyone was starting a blog. I always felt they were just ways for self-absorbed, narcissistic people to spew their mindless dribble all over the internet and feel like they were special if people (albeit their grandmother or cousin) subscribed. I mean, seriously. No one cares what you had for breakfast, dude. Or about your opinion on the length of the crosswalk light on 17th and Guerrero.

Then last year, my brilliant, talented, adventurous, crazy husband Nick started a blog called "I've Never Done That" - and no two days in 2011 were ever the same. Here was a blogger I liked. Here was a blog I could get into!

Through the year, Nick accomplished so much and saw so many new things - 365 of them to be exact - and we had a blast along the way. It was not easy, at times it was pretty stressful, and he had definitely pushed his own boundaries, but it was worth it. Every time we told someone about the project, they were so excited. So many people's faces lit up when we talked about it, or when they got to be involved. It was the craziest year of our lives ... and as the year came to a close, I was just so proud of him. He had done it.

I thought about all the things we had experienced together that were not only his first time, but mine as well. I also thought about all the things he had done that I had already, and all the things he accomplished in 2011 that I still haven't. The project had such a great purpose - to change your life by trying something new every single day. And by sharing it, others could either relive their own experiences, or get a taste of something they might be interested in but hadn't done yet. Plus, it was so fun to read.

As much as it stressed and pushed me just being Nick's partner in the project, I just couldn't bear to watch it end. I realized that even though I had learned and experienced a lot going on the journey that was 2011 with Nick, that there was still so much to be seen and done, and that although I had been there almost every step of the way, I didn't have the first-hand account that Nick did in his great experiment of INDT.

So, I'm taking up the torch. I'm spending this year pushing myself with something new every day. There will be some overlaps with things Nick has done (I've yet to do a full handstand push-up) and my focus will be a bit different (I'm mad at the 7x7 Big Eats list), but for me, it will be all brand-new. I've never done that.