Explore new territory, locally

I live in NY, Brooklyn to be exact. I have a slew of restaurants and shops within walking distance from my home - but even I get in the habit of sticking with what I know.

My home is located a little deeper into Brooklyn, and when it's time to go out locally, I have a tendency to walk west and north towards Manhattan. I don't know why. Maybe because there tend to be more options that way. Recently, I walked east and south to try a new restaurant in a neighborhood I rarely explore. And by golly, I just found one of the best tasting burritos in my life - filled with chipotle chicken, guacamole, onions, rice.... Stop watering, mouth!

Anyway, I encourage you to go out of your way to try something new. You'll never know what you'll find.

Go for a run.

I've always envied the jogger. Many times have I been passed by one while I shuffle down the sidewalk. They seem to go forever without taking a break. Me? I want to collapse and die after a few minutes.

However I'm done with gym memberships (too expensive and I simply don't go enough) and need to find a way to stay active, locally and cheaply. Whilst browsing the app store for fitness applications, I came across something unique. It's called Zombies, Run! I was hesitant at first because it costs a whopping $8 (my limit for apps is usually $2). However, it seemed worth a try, and hey, I guess it's cheaper than going to the gym.

The app is a combo fitness/GPS tracker and story. In it, you are a survivor for a base camp called Abel Township and you are asked to go on missions (there are about 30 missions total within the game). It is more motivational and fun than I expected. I actually enjoy going jogging now! I've run more in the past month than I have since high school (because it was a requirement for P.E.). In fact, I can now run for a mile straight before I get out of breath (that's a milestone for me) and my jogs usually last 45 minutes to an hour. Last time I jogged, I gave up after 20 minutes.

It helps that the app has a "zombie chase" function, meaning an alert sounds during your run telling you zombies are close and you have to run fast to outpace them. The alert beeps faster the closer the zombies are, and it really motivates you to sprint as fast as you can.

Another fun component are the supplies you pick up during your missions. Not real supplies, of course, but the more supplies you get, the more you can build Abel Township; consequently increasing survivor population.

Jogging has become a great stress reliever for me. After a run, I feel much more calm and clearheaded. I hope I stay motivated enough to continue it once I finish the missions in the Zombies, Run! game.

Give jogging a shot, you might just make it your activity of choice.

Volunteer

You may have heard about this tiny little hurricane called Sandy that hit the east coast. It didn't do much except kill 100+ people, ruin hundreds of homes and cost billions and billions in damages. (Yes, this is my attempt at sarcasm.)

Sandy has affected millions of lives in NY and NJ. It also wreaked havoc in the Caribbean before making it's way up north. It truly was no joke.

In my life I've seen so much coverage of hurricanes in the news, never did I think I would live in an area that would be affected by one. I was one of the lucky folks - I didn't lose power and my wonderful neighborhood didn't suffer much more than a bunch of downed trees (my sympathies go out to people who woke up the next morning to find their cars smashed). I didn't want to be one of those people that said "oh, this is terrible" and end up doing nothing. The people affected were basically my neighbors!

I started scouring the webs for volunteer opportunities and quickly got discourages. The Red Cross only accepts donations, NY Cares requires an orientation before any volunteer products. I reached out to a number of orgs and no one got back to me. Then I came across Occupy Sandy. The same people who brought OWS are now putting their time and money towards organizing volunteers and donations directly towards affected areas. Their website has great info on how to help and where to go. I went to the Rockaways, a devastated area that seems under-reported in the news, and organized donations at a local church. You can also sign up to help people clean out their flood-damaged homes. Locals told me the most help they have been getting Is from guerrilla volunteers, not so much FEMA or the Red Cross. It's very inspiring to see folks coming together to help despite the tragedy.

Other ways to help: no donation is too small! You can send money to the Red Cross or preferably a local organization (who seem to be making more of an impact). Before I heard about Occupy Sandy, I stumbled across The Legacy Center while checking out the damages in Coney Island. I literally walked up to these good people and they let me help out with distributing goods to affected families.

Go to Italy

Seriously, go to Italy. Europe in general is awesome (I'm especially fond of Spain) but Italy is one of those places that really has something for everyone: ruins, beautiful beaches, scenic lakes, great wine, great food, cities with canals, amazing art and history galore. If you can only go one country in Europe, I would have to say go to Italy. That tears me up a little, because as I just mentioned I LOVE Spain. The people and food are something else. Also, Austria, Germany, Brussels and the Netherlands are each amazing in their own right. Wasn't too fond of France but that's a different story...

Anyway, Venice is unique. The country side is beautiful and where else can you see the Colosseum? Take a trip!

Blog about it!

Welcome everyone.

We've all felt rundown at one point in our existence. Some of us let the pressures of life overwhelm us: the push to make more money, starting a family, paying taxes, owning a home, etc. But life is more than your job, where you live and what you own. This blog is intended to encourage everyone to make the most of their lives. I'll update this blog regularly sharing my experiences - food, travel, a new hobby, etc. I hope you enjoy!