Another Year, Another Chance

 

Friday I celebrated my 34th birthday. Like most people I used the day for reflection and an excuse to overeat and  party with friends. Well, really that was my weekend. I didn't do any crazy partying but I drank and ate like a queen per my girlfriend Gayima's suggestion. I smiled a lot, I counted my blessings and I took note of those who were around for my day and weekend. 

I remember the things I cared about in my twenties. I loved to go to the club and sometimes I drank until I was sick. I planned my outfits days, sometimes weeks, in advance and I went to all of the big parties. Now, in my mid-thirties I love a low key situation. Partying to me means visiting a winery, brewery or having dinner and being loud with friends. In my thirties I have started traditions like taking a food tour on or around my birthday. This was the fourth birthday that I've taken a food tour with Columbus Food Adventures. Food tours have become one of my favorite activities. I wish twenty year old me discovered food tours long ago. I wish twenty year old me discovered many things before now. I wish I discovered travel so that I would not feel like I was playing catch up now. There are many things I would do differently knowing the things I know now.

 There are also just as many things that I am glad I did. I am glad I went off to Los Angles after high school to go to FIDM even if I only stayed a year.  I can say I lived on the West Coast. I was on the show Change of Heart, where I fell in love with Venice Beach and Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles. I got my first and only tattoo on that date at a parlor on Venice Beach. I saw a lot of movies before they came out those days participating in test audiences. I shopped Rodeo Drive and Melrose Ave. I met amazing people and some that I wanted to strangle. 

I am glad I took a year off then transferred to The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. Everything happens for a reason because I got to spend time with my dad before his untimely death. We went to concerts together, traveled and had arguments. I feel blessed to have been able to argue with my dad just as much as the fun. I would trade so many things to have an  argument with my dad again. 

I am glad that in my late twenties and early thirties, I really started to explore Ohio. My local travels have really opened my eyes to the world. Local travel has created a thirst in me to explore the world. So my hopes are to make that happen while in my thirties. As long as I have another day, week or year, I plan to live my life exploring, learning and sharing. Each day or year is another chance to do something inspiring. Each minute, day or year I am blessed with another chance to work on being happy.

Grateful & Blessed

Kris,

Photos from my weekend

For more photos find me on instagram @krisofohio!

Hello 2015!

photos: Amish Country, Beyonce & Jay souvenir book, my first pumpkin pie, Earth Wind & Fire concert, Christmas Cookie Tour of Inns, my nephew in the Ohio Village, my black and white cookies, The Lion King Broadway Play Bill, Me and Dr. Breakfast after the Columbus Food Adventure Breakfast Tour

I had an incredible 2014! I started this blog. I went to quite a few concerts. I saw Cher, Cyndi Lauper, K Michelle, 2 Chainz ,Beyonce, Jay-Z, Earth Wind & Fire and Aretha Franklin. I was introduced to a group called Foreign Exchange, when a friend invited me to their concert last spring. I realize my list is an odd combination of artists but I love music. I spent the summer exploring Columbus with my eleven year old nephew. We treated our city as if we were tourists and visited the normal places like COSI and the statehouse and not so known places like Krema Nut Company. I tried some new things like canoeing. I discovered the North American Pawpaw and tasted pawpaw dishes at the Ohio Pawpaw Festival. I introduced my sister to Ohio Amish Country.  Then I returned to Amish Country in December for The Christmas Cookie Tour of Inns. I traveled to several Ohio cities that I had not been like Portsmouth, Frazeysburg and Kingston. I got a free Columbus Food Aventures tour which I used to have Breakfast with Nick, one of my favorite local bloggers. I participated in a Room Escape Adventure where I was locked in a room with a zombie with just an hour to escape. My group made it out with just under two minutes to spare.  I saw the Lion King Broadway Musical and the Cirque du Soleil Michael Jackson show. I learned how to make pumpkin pie, paella and New York style black and white cookies. It was a busy year, I can't even name all the shows I saw, new restaurants or recipes I tried, things I did and places I visited.

I hope to do so much more in this year. I want to facilitate the expansion of my business and travel more. I want to organize my closet and the rest of my life. I want to also inspire you and the people around me. I know I am one blogger in a sea of more established bloggers so thank you for your time and interests. Thank you for being a part of my journey!

Be blessed Be free! Be adventurous!

Kris,