October was kind of magical around here. Historically, it has been an insane month, with travel and weddings and all sorts of bustling. But this year, it was a little slower. It was my first month of the year, in fact, that I didn't board a plane.
We stayed in town three out of the five weekends and got creative with dating on a budget.
We went on a {free} date to Oakland Cemetery (bucket list #79) and learned that you have to buy tickets for October in August. So instead we just surveyed the perimeter.
We checked out Radial Cafe for the first time, which was delicious - so many healthy options! We went for brunch, which is much cheaper than dinner out.
We carved pumpkins with Melly and got our favorite Thai carryout: Little Bangkok.
We drove to Birmingham for an impromptu trip to see good friends. We sat on their deck with wine and chili and snacks and football, while catching up and reveling in how good a slow Saturday with familiar friends feels.
We also visited Chris' dad in Charlotte. I had the chance to see an old friend and explore my favorite neighborhood on foot: NoDa! I had the most delicious purple and sweet potato hash, alongside a bowl (not mug!) of coffee at littleSpoon. There may not be a faster way to my heart than giving me a vat of coffee.
I ate all the pumpkin in the whole city à la this sausage and root vegetable hash. I wore shorts and tank tops and rejoiced that summer (sweet summer!) had chosen to stay with us just a leeeetle bit longer.
I hustled on The Letter Project, cried tears of joy as I watched it grow, then celebrated with margaritas and guac at Bartaco.
If September was about creating new routines, October was about refining them. I learned to set boundaries on work hours. I also learned that, on days when the words aren't coming or being productive doesn't feel possible, getting up, taking a ten minute walk and regrouping can be just the trick to get the wheels turning again.
Here's how I did on October goals:
1. Blog about our honeymoon // Done, almost :) Santorini post will be up next Wednesday, with the hope of Paros on Friday. I wrote the second post but SquareSpace timed out and I lost it. Try, try again, my friends.
2. Launch phase one of Project to Love Ourselves // DONE. I am overjoyed at how much you all have supported this cause. We wrote more than 100 letters and have 125 letter writers signed up. It has been incredible. Thank you!
3. Start B-School // Started it! Not finished but made some progress.
4. Finish Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist // Done!
5. Make a trip to Athens, GA, to talk to potential volunteers and an intern. // Done! Got two interns (!) and loads of volunteers. Those UGA girls can rock it.
6. Learn more about Design Thinking // Done! And trying it out with The Letter Project.
And now for November Goals!
1. Promote and grow The Letter Project // I am speaking at Emory mid-month and couldn't be more excited. Working to find more ways to spread the word.
2. Finish my presentation for Emory // Preferably before I do #1 :)
3. Read Sully // I love Tom Hanks and really want to see the movie. Book first, baby!
4. Start a new bible study // Chris and I are joining one through our church. Whoop! I hope we meet some new friends; we're both yearning for more community at church.
5. Learn about SEO optimization on SquareSpace // Any advice? I am gladly accepting tips!