(8718,1,'2011-12-30 11:03:35','2011-12-30 18:03:35','Previously, I revealed my <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/27/extra-credit-day-366-top-10-most-curious/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Top 10 Most Curious Moments</strong></a> from my 365 Days of Living Curiously.  At that time (back in October!), I promised to wax philosophically about my year at another time.  \"Another time\" promptly morphed into The Mother of All Procrastinations.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI\'m not sure why I postponed writing this post, considering that the year ranked as My Best Year Yet.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPerhaps I was burned out from writing 365 posts in just a bit more than 365 days?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOr did the magnitude of this endeavor seem too daunting?  (<em>How on earth</em> do you sum up a life-changing year in a single blog post?)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOr maybe I subconsciously didn\'t want to let go of my precious year?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhatever the case, it\'s time to stop making excuses and CELEBRATE the year.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI originally embarked on The Year of Living Curiously when I found myself in The Mother of All Ruts. I won\'t dig up that sob story again, but if you would like a refresher, you can visit <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBefore descending into a full-blown <del>mid-life</del> existential crisis, I summoned my inner Cher and smacked myself upside the head with a <strong><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x-fkSYDtUY\" target=\"_blank\">\"Snap out of it!\"  </a> </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd my way of snapping out of it was taking on insane blog project in which I would not only tackle one \"curious\" mini-adventure each day, but also write about it.  (There are uber-uber-talented Professional Super Bloggers out there who take on <strong><a href=\"http://www.corbettbarr.com/what-i-learned-publishing-every-day-for-30-days\" target=\"_blank\">30 DAYS of consecutive blogging as a challenge</a></strong>.  So when I throw out the word \"insane\", I am not over-exaggerating.  I really was <em>that crazy</em>.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #800080;\"><strong>Here is what I learned from my Crazy, Precious, Curious Year:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><strong>Discipline.</strong>  I have always been a fairly disciplined person.  But I am also human, and therefore, I am seduced by the Big Bad Procrastination Wolf just like 95% of the population.  In the past, I blamed my procrastination on my perfectionism, or life getting in the way, or a host of other various excuses, but this year, I had to \"SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP!\"  Cranking out a post a day (while maintaining a full-time day job) is ultramarathon blogging.  If I slacked off on my schedule, I was doomed.  No Big Bad Procrastination Wolf temptation was worth more than my dream or my pride.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>The true essence of Carpe Diem.</strong>  People have been throwing out the phrase \"Carpe Diem\" for millennia.  It\'s the loveliest of concepts:  Seize the day! <strong><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9781563522956\" target=\"_blank\"> Each day is a gift: That\'s why it\'s called The Present!  </a></strong>Live each day as if it\'s your last!  (The latter always creeps me out a bit, but after losing two family members much too soon, it also resonates.  Loudly.)  Yet who <em>honestly</em> Carpe Diem-s each and every day?  We all know a few of those special people who live Carpe Diem naturally and effortlessly.  I want to be like them.  I strive to be like them.  And this year, I made a <em>conscious choice</em> to live like them each and every day.  I chose one thing that piqued my curiosity each day and embraced it.  Conscious living really works!  Carpe Diem and all that jazz!</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The canine variety.)  </strong>Taking on a 365 day blog project filled almost every second of my day outside of my day job.  I had no room in my life to assume any other responsibilities.  And then Bella (formerly knows as \"Missy\") picked me while I was minding my own beeswax and <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=mingus+manor\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Carpe Diem-ing as a volunteer at an animal sanctuary for senior pets</strong>. </a> My mother advised me to feel the fear and adopt that puppy anyway.  I can\'t imagine this year (and future years) without Little Miss B, the sweetest, smartest, most easygoing <del>muppet</del> pooch on the planet!  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/05/06/day-220-my-dog-hijacked-my-computer/\" target=\"_blank\">(Who is still shamelessly soliciting friends on facebook, by the way!)</a></strong></li>\r\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The unconditional family and friends variety.)  </strong>Every blogger\'s fear is that their only reader will be their mother.  I am proud to report that my mother AND my father read my blog every day AND provided proofreading services at no charge!  Thank you, Parental Unit!  In addition, my sister followed the blog religiously and often added her witty and offbeat commentary in the comments section.  My dear cousins agreed to embark on a <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/09/10/day-349-arrivederci/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Trip of a Lifetime Adventure</strong> </a>with me so that this Late Bloomer could <em>finally</em> see Europe for the first time.  My friends humored me not only with their readership, but with their willingness to Carpe Diem along with me in adventures great, small, weird, backfired, goofy, and downright ridiculous.  And then new friends aka \"blog readers\" entered my world.  Some of you are a few degrees separated from me through family and friends, and others are not connected to me at all.  I\'ve had visits from 52 countries, including Cameroon and Latvia!  I am humbled and honored that you took interest in my curious capers.  I hope that you received a few laughs and a glimmer of inspiration along the way.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Taking Risks/Conquering Fears.  </strong>I\'m not thrilled with heights.  I\'m not <em>deathly</em> afraid of them.  Just your standard, run-of-the-mill unease that makes brings on nauseous and a cold sweat.  And I distinctly remembering telling Sarah at the <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=rock+gym\" target=\"_blank\">Rock Gym,</a></strong> \"If I didn\'t have to write about scaling this bloody wall, I would ask if we could call it a day and grab a coffee instead.\"  Or something to that effect.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/11/day-356-my-very-first-concussion-italian-style/\" target=\"_blank\">I\'m not a fan of falling and nearly splitting my head open either.</a></strong>  And I clearly recall announcing to my cousins, \"If I didn\'t have an audience awaiting news about this Cycling Tour of Tuscany, I would stay the hell away from that bike and sip cappuccinos in the piazza for the rest of the week!\"  You (Readers) + Me = Accountability.  Thank you, my friends!</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Perseverance.  </strong>365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day = Fun and Inspiration.  365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day + Writing one blog post per day = Fun, Inspiration, and Utter Lunacy.  Utter Lunacy x 365 Days = Mini Meltdowns.  Fortunately, these were not full-blown <em>Julie &amp; Julia</em> meltdowns.  Luckily, I had a sounding board aka Mom.  It didn\'t matter if I was too busy, too overwhelmed, PMS-ing, stressing, tired, sad, exhausted, or loopy from a concussion.  I listened to Nike, and I observed the law of physics that states an object of motion stays in motion.  I kept momentum, and I <em>just did it</em>.  (On a serious note, I lost my beloved grandfather this past year.  I was devastated by the loss, and had I not this blog project to return to, I probably could have plummeted into the darkest of ruts.)</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Sacrifice.  </strong>Rome wasn\'t built in a day, and blog posts (at least most of mine) aren\'t written in an hour.  Writing requires many hours of solitude.  I turned down many a social invitation this year because I needed to hunker down and write.  Writing is a passion of mine that I enjoy, but in order to make room for dreams, we often have to let go of other diversions.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Letting Go.  </strong>I always go to bed with a clean kitchen.  Not this year!  I routinely exercise 6 days a week.  Not this year!  I blow out my hair a couple times a week so that I\'m not sporting a ponytail <em>again</em>.  Not this year!  As long as there wasn\'t food left out in the kitchen, it could wait.  Working out 3-4 days a week was enough.  Ponytails rock!  (See <strong>Sacrifice.</strong>)</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Inspiration.  </strong>The beauty of a 365 project is that it doles out daily doses of inspiration.  Even when something goes completely and maddeningly wrong -- like crash-boom-splatting in a foreign country and taking home a mangled shoulder and a head injury as a souvenir -- <em>it\'s all writing material</em>.  Head injuries also require a \"time out\" which frees you up to find ....</li>\r\n	<li><strong><strong>Love.  (The Sexy Italian variety.) </strong></strong>I wrote the \"Engage in Life\" quote on the right sidebar of this blog about a year and a half ago.  It originated as a series of scribbled \"Michelle-isms\" that I sent off to the web designer so that she could get a better feel of  \"this Late Bloomer chick\" when designing the blog.  She loved the quote so much that she asked if she could incorporate it into the design.  I was a bit hesitant at first.  Am I really quote-worthy???  I agreed while second-guessing myself all the while.  Now I NEEDED to hold myself accountable.  <em>If you\'re going to spout wisdom, you better walk your talk, sister!</em>  I walked 365 days of that talk, and then...irony of ironies...while luxuriating in injury-induced free time on a vacation in Italy, the man and the fairy tale found me.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #800080;\"><strong>What happened after 365 Days?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI burned out, of course.  I was still nursing that blasted concussion, and I was <em>exhausted</em>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd here\'s the horrific truth that I must honestly admit to you now:  I stopped Carpe Diem-ing every day.  (<em>Especially</em> after Romeo Mio\'s post-Thanksgiving departure.  Sniff, sniff.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI started watching more and more TV.  My Mom and friends laugh at me when I\'ve mentioned this, but 1-2 shows <em>a night</em> compared to my former 1-2 shows <em>a week</em>, is a lot for me.  Especially when I sank to the TV Pit of Despair:  <em>Toddler\'s &amp; Tiaras</em> and <em>Hoarders</em>.  I told you it was horrific.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIn addition, I started eating too much sugar, stopped working out entirely, and welcomed The Mother of All Procrastinations into my home with open arms.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nUgh.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nArgh.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHumbug.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI suppose I was in a postpartum depression of sorts.  I birthed this blog.  Now what?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a few weeks of this nonsense, I reminded myself that, for me, conscious Carpe Diem-ing is a choice -- a habit that requires honing.  I can live the principles outside of a 365 day project.  Imagine that!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI peeled myself up off my sofa, turned off the damn TV, and kicked The Mother of All Procrastinations to the curb.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI jumped on the green smoothies bandwagon and practiced yoga for 8 days straight.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI soaked up the magic of the holiday season with an Off-Martha-Stewart decorating explosion and a tea party.\r\nI booked a flight for <a href=\"http://www.les3vallees.com/en/accueil.1.l2/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Les Trois Vallées</strong></a> where, after two months apart, Romeo Mio and I will reunite.  How do you say \"Carpe Diem\" in French?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI wishcasted for 2012 along with my <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wish Club</a></strong> inductees, and as soon as I finish tweaking this blog for January 1st\'s launch of Chapter Two, I am beginning my first ever <a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Annual Review à la Chris Guillebeau</strong>.</a>  (Kindly add Chris and June 2011\'s <strong><a href=\"http://worlddominationsummit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">World Domination Summit</a></strong> to the \"Inspiration\" bullet above.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat happens after January 1st?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHint:  It all started <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\r\n<div></div>','Lessons Learned from My Year of Living Curiously','','inherit','open','open','','8636-revision-62','','','2011-12-30 11:03:35','2011-12-30 18:03:35','',8636,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/8636-revision-62/',0,'revision','',0),(8717,1,'2011-12-30 11:02:48','2011-12-30 18:02:48','Previously, I revealed my <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/27/extra-credit-day-366-top-10-most-curious/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Top 10 Most Curious Moments</strong></a> from my 365 Days of Living Curiously.  At that time (back in October!), I promised to wax philosophically about my year at another time.  \"Another time\" promptly morphed into The Mother of All Procrastinations.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI\'m not sure why I postponed writing this post, considering that the year ranked as My Best Year Yet.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPerhaps I was burned out from writing 365 posts in just a bit more than 365 days?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOr did the magnitude of this endeavor seem too daunting?  (<em>How on earth</em> do you sum up a life-changing year in a single blog post?)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOr maybe I subconsciously didn\'t want to let go of my precious year?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhatever the case, it\'s time to stop making excuses and CELEBRATE the year.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI originally embarked on The Year of Living Curiously when I found myself in The Mother of All Ruts. I won\'t dig up that sob story again, but if you would like a refresher, you can visit <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBefore descending into a full-blown <del>mid-life</del> existential crisis, I summoned my inner Cher and smacked myself upside the head with a <strong><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x-fkSYDtUY\" target=\"_blank\">\"Snap out of it!\"  </a> </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd my way of snapping out of it was taking on insane blog project in which I would not only tackle one \"curious\" mini-adventure each day, but also write about it.  (There are uber-uber-talented Professional Super Bloggers out there who take on <strong><a href=\"http://www.corbettbarr.com/what-i-learned-publishing-every-day-for-30-days\" target=\"_blank\">30 DAYS of consecutive blogging as a challenge</a></strong>.  So when I throw out the word \"insane\", I am not over-exaggerating.  I really was <em>that crazy</em>.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #800080;\"><strong>Here is what I learned from my Crazy, Precious, Curious Year:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><strong>Discipline.</strong>  I have always been a fairly disciplined person.  But I am also human, and therefore, I am seduced by the Big Bad Procrastination Wolf just like 95% of the population.  In the past, I blamed my procrastination on my perfectionism, or life getting in the way, or a host of other various excuses, but this year, I had to \"SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP!\"  Cranking out a post a day (while maintaining a full-time day job) is ultramarathon blogging.  If I slacked off on my schedule, I was doomed.  No Big Bad Procrastination Wolf temptation was worth more than my dream or my pride.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>The true essence of Carpe Diem.</strong>  People have been throwing out the phrase \"Carpe Diem\" for millennia.  It\'s the loveliest of concepts:  Seize the day! <strong><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9781563522956\" target=\"_blank\"> Each day is a gift: That\'s why it\'s called The Present!  </a></strong>Live each day as if it\'s your last!  (The latter always creeps me out a bit, but after losing two family members much too soon, it also resonates.  Loudly.)  Yet who <em>honestly</em> Carpe Diem-s each and every day?  We all know a few of those special people who live Carpe Diem naturally and effortlessly.  I want to be like them.  I strive to be like them.  And this year, I made a <em>conscious choice</em> to live like them each and every day.  I chose one thing that piqued my curiosity each day and embraced it.  Conscious living really works!  Carpe Diem and all that jazz!</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The canine variety.)  </strong>Taking on a 365 day blog project filled almost every second of my day outside of my day job.  I had no room in my life to assume any other responsibilities.  And then Bella (formerly knows as \"Missy\") picked me while I was minding my own beeswax and <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=mingus+manor\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Carpe Diem-ing as a volunteer at an animal sanctuary for senior pets</strong>. </a> My mother advised me to feel the fear and adopt that puppy anyway.  I can\'t imagine this year (and future years) without Little Miss B, the sweetest, smartest, most easygoing <del>muppet</del> pooch on the planet!  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/05/06/day-220-my-dog-hijacked-my-computer/\" target=\"_blank\">(Who is still shamelessly soliciting friends on facebook, by the way!)</a></strong></li>\r\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The unconditional family and friends variety.)  </strong>Every blogger\'s fear is that their only reader will be their mother.  I am proud to report that my mother AND my father read my blog every day AND provided proofreading services at no charge!  Thank you, Parental Unit!  In addition, my sister followed the blog religiously and often added her witty and offbeat commentary in the comments section.  My dear cousins agreed to embark on a <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/09/10/day-349-arrivederci/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Trip of a Lifetime Adventure</strong> </a>with me so that this Late Bloomer could <em>finally</em> see Europe for the first time.  My friends humored me not only with their readership, but with their willingness to Carpe Diem along with me in adventures great, small, weird, backfired, goofy, and downright ridiculous.  And then new friends aka \"blog readers\" entered my world.  Some of you are a few degrees separated from me through family and friends, and others are not connected to me at all.  I\'ve had visits from 52 countries, including Cameroon and Latvia!  I am humbled and honored that you took interest in my curious capers.  I hope that you received a few laughs and a glimmer of inspiration along the way.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Taking Risks/Conquering Fears.  </strong>I\'m not thrilled with heights.  I\'m not <em>deathly</em> afraid of them.  Just your standard, run-of-the-mill unease that makes brings on nauseous and a cold sweat.  And I distinctly remembering telling Sarah at the <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=rock+gym\" target=\"_blank\">Rock Gym,</a></strong> \"If I didn\'t have to write about scaling this bloody wall, I would ask if we could call it a day and grab a coffee instead.\"  Or something to that effect.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/11/day-356-my-very-first-concussion-italian-style/\" target=\"_blank\">I\'m not a fan of falling and nearly splitting my head open either.</a></strong>  And I clearly recall announcing to my cousins, \"If I didn\'t have an audience awaiting news about this Cycling Tour of Tuscany, I would stay the hell away from that bike and sip cappuccinos in the piazza for the rest of the week!\"  You (Readers) + Me = Accountability.  Thank you, my friends!</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Perseverance.  </strong>365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day = Fun and Inspiration.  365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day + Writing one blog post per day = Fun, Inspiration, and Utter Lunacy.  Utter Lunacy x 365 Days = Mini Meltdowns.  Fortunately, these were not full-blown <em>Julie &amp; Julia</em> meltdowns.  Luckily, I had a sounding board aka Mom.  It didn\'t matter if I was too busy, too overwhelmed, PMS-ing, stressing, tired, sad, exhausted, or loopy from a concussion.  I listened to Nike, and I observed the law of physics that states an object of motion stays in motion.  I kept momentum, and I <em>just did it</em>.  (On a serious note, I lost my beloved grandfather this past year.  I was devastated by the loss, and had I not this blog project to return to, I probably could have plummeted into the darkest of ruts.)</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Sacrifice.  </strong>Rome wasn\'t built in a day, and blog posts (at least most of mine) aren\'t written in an hour.  Writing requires many hours of solitude.  I turned down many a social invitation this year because I needed to hunker down and write.  Writing is a passion of mine that I enjoy, but in order to make room for dreams, we often have to let go of other diversions.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Letting Go.  </strong>I always go to bed with a clean kitchen.  Not this year!  I routinely exercise 6 days a week.  Not this year!  I blow out my hair a couple times a week so that I\'m not sporting a ponytail <em>again</em>.  Not this year!  As long as there wasn\'t food left out in the kitchen, it could wait.  Working out 3-4 days a week was enough.  Ponytails rock!  (See <strong>Sacrifice.</strong>)</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Inspiration.  </strong>The beauty of a 365 project is that it doles out daily doses of inspiration.  Even when something goes completely and maddeningly wrong -- like crash-boom-splatting in a foreign country and taking home a mangled shoulder and a head injury as a souvenir -- <em>it\'s all writing material</em>.  Head injuries also require a \"time out\" which frees you up to find ....</li>\r\n	<li><strong><strong>Love.  (The Sexy Italian variety.) </strong></strong>I wrote the \"Engage in Life\" quote on the right sidebar of this blog about a year and a half ago.  It originated as a series of scribbled \"Michelle-isms\" that I sent off to the web designer so that she could get a better feel of  \"this Late Bloomer chick\" when designing the blog.  She loved the quote so much that she asked if she could incorporate it into the design.  I was a bit hesitant at first.  Am I really quote-worthy???  I agreed while second-guessing myself all the while.  Now I NEEDED to hold myself accountable.  <em>If you\'re going to spout wisdom, you better walk your talk, sister!</em>  I walked 365 days of that talk, and then...irony of ironies...while luxuriating in injury-induced free time on a vacation in Italy, the man and the fairy tale found me.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #800080;\"><strong>What happened after 365 Days?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI burned out, of course.  I was still nursing that blasted concussion, and I was <em>exhausted</em>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd here\'s the horrific truth that I must honestly admit to you now:  I stopped Carpe Diem-ing every day.  (<em>Especially</em> after Romeo Mio\'s post-Thanksgiving departure.  Sniff, sniff.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI started watching more and more TV.  My Mom and friends laugh at me when I\'ve mentioned this, but 1-2 shows <em>a night</em> compared to my former 1-2 shows <em>a week</em>, is a lot for me.  Especially when I sank to the TV Pit of Despair:  <em>Toddler\'s &amp; Tiaras</em> and <em>Hoarders</em>.  I told you it was horrific.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIn addition, I started eating too much sugar, stopped working out entirely, and welcomed The Mother of All Procrastinations into my home with open arms.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nUgh.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nArgh.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHumbug.\r\n\r\nI suppose I was in a postpartum depression of sorts.  I birthed this blog.  Now what?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a few weeks of this nonsense, I reminded myself that, for me, conscious Carpe Diem-ing is a choice -- a habit that requires honing.  I can live the principles outside of a 365 day project.  Imagine that!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI peeled myself up off my sofa, turned off the damn TV, and kicked The Mother of All Procrastinations to the curb.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI jumped on the green smoothies bandwagon and practiced yoga for 8 days straight.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI soaked up the magic of the holiday season with an Off-Martha-Stewart decorating explosion and a tea party.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\nI booked a flight for <a href=\"http://www.les3vallees.com/en/accueil.1.l2/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Les Trois Vallées</strong></a> where, after two months apart, Romeo Mio and I will reunite.  How do you say \"Carpe Diem\" in French?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI wishcasted for 2012 along with my <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wish Club</a></strong> inductees, and as soon as I finish tweaking this blog for January 1st\'s launch of Chapter Two, I am beginning my first ever <a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Annual Review à la Chris Guillebeau</strong>.</a>  (Kindly add Chris and June 2011\'s <strong><a href=\"http://worlddominationsummit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">World Domination Summit</a></strong> to the \"Inspiration\" bullet above.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat happens after January 1st?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHint:  It all started <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\r\n<div></div>\r\n<div></div>\r\n<div></div>\r\n<div></div>\r\n<div></div>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Lessons Learned from My Year of Living Curiously','','inherit','open','open','','8636-revision-61','','','2011-12-30 11:02:48','2011-12-30 18:02:48','',8636,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/8636-revision-61/',0,'revision','',0),(8719,1,'2011-12-30 11:04:33','2011-12-30 18:04:33','Previously, I revealed my <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/27/extra-credit-day-366-top-10-most-curious/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Top 10 Most Curious Moments</strong></a> from my 365 Days of Living Curiously.  At that time (back in October!), I promised to wax philosophically about my year at another time.  \"Another time\" promptly morphed into The Mother of All Procrastinations.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI\'m not sure why I postponed writing this post, considering that the year ranked as My Best Year Yet.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPerhaps I was burned out from writing 365 posts in just a bit more than 365 days?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOr did the magnitude of this endeavor seem too daunting?  (<em>How on earth</em> do you sum up a life-changing year in a single blog post?)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOr maybe I subconsciously didn\'t want to let go of my precious year?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhatever the case, it\'s time to stop making excuses and CELEBRATE the year.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI originally embarked on The Year of Living Curiously when I found myself in The Mother of All Ruts. I won\'t dig up that sob story again, but if you would like a refresher, you can visit <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBefore descending into a full-blown <del>mid-life</del> existential crisis, I summoned my inner Cher and smacked myself upside the head with a <strong><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x-fkSYDtUY\" target=\"_blank\">\"Snap out of it!\"  </a> </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd my way of snapping out of it was taking on insane blog project in which I would not only tackle one \"curious\" mini-adventure each day, but also write about it.  (There are uber-uber-talented Professional Super Bloggers out there who take on <strong><a href=\"http://www.corbettbarr.com/what-i-learned-publishing-every-day-for-30-days\" target=\"_blank\">30 DAYS of consecutive blogging as a challenge</a></strong>.  So when I throw out the word \"insane\", I am not over-exaggerating.  I really was <em>that crazy</em>.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #800080;\"><strong>Here is what I learned from my Crazy, Precious, Curious Year:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><strong>Discipline.</strong>  I have always been a fairly disciplined person.  But I am also human, and therefore, I am seduced by the Big Bad Procrastination Wolf just like 95% of the population.  In the past, I blamed my procrastination on my perfectionism, or life getting in the way, or a host of other various excuses, but this year, I had to \"SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP!\"  Cranking out a post a day (while maintaining a full-time day job) is ultramarathon blogging.  If I slacked off on my schedule, I was doomed.  No Big Bad Procrastination Wolf temptation was worth more than my dream or my pride.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>The true essence of Carpe Diem.</strong>  People have been throwing out the phrase \"Carpe Diem\" for millennia.  It\'s the loveliest of concepts:  Seize the day! <strong><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9781563522956\" target=\"_blank\"> Each day is a gift: That\'s why it\'s called The Present!  </a></strong>Live each day as if it\'s your last!  (The latter always creeps me out a bit, but after losing two family members much too soon, it also resonates.  Loudly.)  Yet who <em>honestly</em> Carpe Diem-s each and every day?  We all know a few of those special people who live Carpe Diem naturally and effortlessly.  I want to be like them.  I strive to be like them.  And this year, I made a <em>conscious choice</em> to live like them each and every day.  I chose one thing that piqued my curiosity each day and embraced it.  Conscious living really works!  Carpe Diem and all that jazz!</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The canine variety.)  </strong>Taking on a 365 day blog project filled almost every second of my day outside of my day job.  I had no room in my life to assume any other responsibilities.  And then Bella (formerly knows as \"Missy\") picked me while I was minding my own beeswax and <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=mingus+manor\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Carpe Diem-ing as a volunteer at an animal sanctuary for senior pets</strong>. </a> My mother advised me to feel the fear and adopt that puppy anyway.  I can\'t imagine this year (and future years) without Little Miss B, the sweetest, smartest, most easygoing <del>muppet</del> pooch on the planet!  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/05/06/day-220-my-dog-hijacked-my-computer/\" target=\"_blank\">(Who is still shamelessly soliciting friends on facebook, by the way!)</a></strong></li>\r\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The unconditional family and friends variety.)  </strong>Every blogger\'s fear is that their only reader will be their mother.  I am proud to report that my mother AND my father read my blog every day AND provided proofreading services at no charge!  Thank you, Parental Unit!  In addition, my sister followed the blog religiously and often added her witty and offbeat commentary in the comments section.  My dear cousins agreed to embark on a <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/09/10/day-349-arrivederci/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Trip of a Lifetime Adventure</strong> </a>with me so that this Late Bloomer could <em>finally</em> see Europe for the first time.  My friends humored me not only with their readership, but with their willingness to Carpe Diem along with me in adventures great, small, weird, backfired, goofy, and downright ridiculous.  And then new friends aka \"blog readers\" entered my world.  Some of you are a few degrees separated from me through family and friends, and others are not connected to me at all.  I\'ve had visits from 52 countries, including Cameroon and Latvia!  I am humbled and honored that you took interest in my curious capers.  I hope that you received a few laughs and a glimmer of inspiration along the way.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Taking Risks/Conquering Fears.  </strong>I\'m not thrilled with heights.  I\'m not <em>deathly</em> afraid of them.  Just your standard, run-of-the-mill unease that makes brings on nauseous and a cold sweat.  And I distinctly remembering telling Sarah at the <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=rock+gym\" target=\"_blank\">Rock Gym,</a></strong> \"If I didn\'t have to write about scaling this bloody wall, I would ask if we could call it a day and grab a coffee instead.\"  Or something to that effect.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/11/day-356-my-very-first-concussion-italian-style/\" target=\"_blank\">I\'m not a fan of falling and nearly splitting my head open either.</a></strong>  And I clearly recall announcing to my cousins, \"If I didn\'t have an audience awaiting news about this Cycling Tour of Tuscany, I would stay the hell away from that bike and sip cappuccinos in the piazza for the rest of the week!\"  You (Readers) + Me = Accountability.  Thank you, my friends!</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Perseverance.  </strong>365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day = Fun and Inspiration.  365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day + Writing one blog post per day = Fun, Inspiration, and Utter Lunacy.  Utter Lunacy x 365 Days = Mini Meltdowns.  Fortunately, these were not full-blown <em>Julie &amp; Julia</em> meltdowns.  Luckily, I had a sounding board aka Mom.  It didn\'t matter if I was too busy, too overwhelmed, PMS-ing, stressing, tired, sad, exhausted, or loopy from a concussion.  I listened to Nike, and I observed the law of physics that states an object of motion stays in motion.  I kept momentum, and I <em>just did it</em>.  (On a serious note, I lost my beloved grandfather this past year.  I was devastated by the loss, and had I not this blog project to return to, I probably could have plummeted into the darkest of ruts.)</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Sacrifice.  </strong>Rome wasn\'t built in a day, and blog posts (at least most of mine) aren\'t written in an hour.  Writing requires many hours of solitude.  I turned down many a social invitation this year because I needed to hunker down and write.  Writing is a passion of mine that I enjoy, but in order to make room for dreams, we often have to let go of other diversions.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Letting Go.  </strong>I always go to bed with a clean kitchen.  Not this year!  I routinely exercise 6 days a week.  Not this year!  I blow out my hair a couple times a week so that I\'m not sporting a ponytail <em>again</em>.  Not this year!  As long as there wasn\'t food left out in the kitchen, it could wait.  Working out 3-4 days a week was enough.  Ponytails rock!  (See <strong>Sacrifice.</strong>)</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Inspiration.  </strong>The beauty of a 365 project is that it doles out daily doses of inspiration.  Even when something goes completely and maddeningly wrong -- like crash-boom-splatting in a foreign country and taking home a mangled shoulder and a head injury as a souvenir -- <em>it\'s all writing material</em>.  Head injuries also require a \"time out\" which frees you up to find ....</li>\r\n	<li><strong><strong>Love.  (The Sexy Italian variety.) </strong></strong>I wrote the \"Engage in Life\" quote on the right sidebar of this blog about a year and a half ago.  It originated as a series of scribbled \"Michelle-isms\" that I sent off to the web designer so that she could get a better feel of  \"this Late Bloomer chick\" when designing the blog.  She loved the quote so much that she asked if she could incorporate it into the design.  I was a bit hesitant at first.  Am I really quote-worthy???  I agreed while second-guessing myself all the while.  Now I NEEDED to hold myself accountable.  <em>If you\'re going to spout wisdom, you better walk your talk, sister!</em>  I walked 365 days of that talk, and then...irony of ironies...while luxuriating in injury-induced free time on a vacation in Italy, the man and the fairy tale found me.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #800080;\"><strong>What happened after 365 Days?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI burned out, of course.  I was still nursing that blasted concussion, and I was <em>exhausted</em>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd here\'s the horrific truth that I must honestly admit to you now:  I stopped Carpe Diem-ing every day.  (<em>Especially</em> after Romeo Mio\'s post-Thanksgiving departure.  Sniff, sniff.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI started watching more and more TV.  My Mom and friends laugh at me when I\'ve mentioned this, but 1-2 shows <em>a night</em> compared to my former 1-2 shows <em>a week</em>, is a lot for me.  Especially when I sank to the TV Pit of Despair:  <em>Toddler\'s &amp; Tiaras</em> and <em>Hoarders</em>.  I told you it was horrific.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIn addition, I started eating too much sugar, stopped working out entirely, and welcomed The Mother of All Procrastinations into my home with open arms.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nUgh.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nArgh.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHumbug.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI suppose I was in a postpartum depression of sorts.  I birthed this blog.  Now what?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a few weeks of this nonsense, I reminded myself that, for me, conscious Carpe Diem-ing is a choice -- a habit that requires honing.  I can live the principles outside of a 365 day project.  Imagine that!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI peeled myself up off my sofa, turned off the damn TV, and kicked The Mother of All Procrastinations to the curb.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI jumped on the green smoothies bandwagon and practiced yoga for 8 days straight.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI soaked up the magic of the holiday season with an Off-Martha-Stewart decorating explosion and a tea party.\r\nI booked a flight for <a href=\"http://www.les3vallees.com/en/accueil.1.l2/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Les Trois Vallées</strong></a> where, after two months apart, Romeo Mio and I will reunite.  How do you say \"Carpe Diem\" in French?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI wishcasted for 2012 along with my <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wish Club</a></strong> inductees, and as soon as I finish tweaking this blog for January 1st\'s launch of Chapter Two, I am beginning my first ever <a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Annual Review à la Chris Guillebeau</strong>.</a>  (Kindly add Chris and June 2011\'s <strong><a href=\"http://worlddominationsummit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">World Domination Summit</a></strong> to the \"Inspiration\" bullet above.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat happens after January 1st?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHint:  It all started <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\r\n<div></div>','Lessons Learned from My Year of Living Curiously','','inherit','open','open','','8636-revision-63','','','2011-12-30 11:04:33','2011-12-30 18:04:33','',8636,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/8636-revision-63/',0,'revision','',0),(8720,1,'2011-12-30 11:06:15','2011-12-30 18:06:15','Previously, I revealed my <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/27/extra-credit-day-366-top-10-most-curious/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Top 10 Most Curious Moments</strong></a> from my 365 Days of Living Curiously.  At that time (back in October!), I promised to wax philosophically about my year at another time.  \"Another time\" promptly morphed into The Mother of All Procrastinations.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI\'m not sure why I postponed writing this post, considering that the year ranked as My Best Year Yet.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nPerhaps I was burned out from writing 365 posts in just a bit more than 365 days?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOr did the magnitude of this endeavor seem too daunting?  (<em>How on earth</em> do you sum up a life-changing year in a single blog post?)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOr maybe I subconsciously didn\'t want to let go of my precious year?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhatever the case, it\'s time to stop making excuses and CELEBRATE the year.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI originally embarked on The Year of Living Curiously when I found myself in The Mother of All Ruts. I won\'t dig up that sob story again, but if you would like a refresher, you can visit <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBefore descending into a full-blown <del>mid-life</del> existential crisis, I summoned my inner Cher and smacked myself upside the head with a <strong><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x-fkSYDtUY\" target=\"_blank\">\"Snap out of it!\"  </a> </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd my way of snapping out of it was taking on insane blog project in which I would not only tackle one \"curious\" mini-adventure each day, but also write about it.  (There are uber-uber-talented Professional Super Bloggers out there who take on <strong><a href=\"http://www.corbettbarr.com/what-i-learned-publishing-every-day-for-30-days\" target=\"_blank\">30 DAYS of consecutive blogging as a challenge</a></strong>.  So when I throw out the word \"insane\", I am not over-exaggerating.  I really was <em>that crazy</em>.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #800080;\"><strong>Here is what I learned from my Crazy, Precious, Curious Year:</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Discipline.</strong>  I have always been a fairly disciplined person.  But I am also human, and therefore, I am seduced by the Big Bad Procrastination Wolf just like 95% of the population.  In the past, I blamed my procrastination on my perfectionism, or life getting in the way, or a host of other various excuses, but this year, I had to \"SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP!\"  Cranking out a post a day (while maintaining a full-time day job) is ultramarathon blogging.  If I slacked off on my schedule, I was doomed.  No Big Bad Procrastination Wolf temptation was worth more than my dream or my pride.</li>\n	<li><strong>The true essence of Carpe Diem.</strong>  People have been throwing out the phrase \"Carpe Diem\" for millennia.  It\'s the loveliest of concepts:  Seize the day! <strong><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9781563522956\" target=\"_blank\"> Each day is a gift: That\'s why it\'s called The Present!  </a></strong>Live each day as if it\'s your last!  (The latter always creeps me out a bit, but after losing two family members much too soon, it also resonates.  Loudly.)  Yet who <em>honestly</em> Carpe Diem-s each and every day?  We all know a few of those special people who live Carpe Diem naturally and effortlessly.  I want to be like them.  I strive to be like them.  And this year, I made a <em>conscious choice</em> to live like them each and every day.  I chose one thing that piqued my curiosity each day and embraced it.  Conscious living really works!  Carpe Diem and all that jazz!</li>\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The canine variety.)  </strong>Taking on a 365 day blog project filled almost every second of my day outside of my day job.  I had no room in my life to assume any other responsibilities.  And then Bella (formerly knows as \"Missy\") picked me while I was minding my own beeswax and <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=mingus+manor\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Carpe Diem-ing as a volunteer at an animal sanctuary for senior pets</strong>. </a> My mother advised me to feel the fear and adopt that puppy anyway.  I can\'t imagine this year (and future years) without Little Miss B, the sweetest, smartest, most easygoing <del>muppet</del> pooch on the planet!  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/05/06/day-220-my-dog-hijacked-my-computer/\" target=\"_blank\">(Who is still shamelessly soliciting friends on facebook, by the way!)</a></strong></li>\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The unconditional family and friends variety.)  </strong>Every blogger\'s fear is that their only reader will be their mother.  I am proud to report that my mother AND my father read my blog every day AND provided proofreading services at no charge!  Thank you, Parental Unit!  In addition, my sister followed the blog religiously and often added her witty and offbeat commentary in the comments section.  My dear cousins agreed to embark on a <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/09/10/day-349-arrivederci/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Trip of a Lifetime Adventure</strong> </a>with me so that this Late Bloomer could <em>finally</em> see Europe for the first time.  My friends humored me not only with their readership, but with their willingness to Carpe Diem along with me in adventures great, small, weird, backfired, goofy, and downright ridiculous.  And then new friends aka \"blog readers\" entered my world.  Some of you are a few degrees separated from me through family and friends, and others are not connected to me at all.  I\'ve had visits from 52 countries, including Cameroon and Latvia!  I am humbled and honored that you took interest in my curious capers.  I hope that you received a few laughs and a glimmer of inspiration along the way.</li>\n	<li><strong>Taking Risks/Conquering Fears.  </strong>I\'m not thrilled with heights.  I\'m not <em>deathly</em> afraid of them.  Just your standard, run-of-the-mill unease that makes brings on nauseous and a cold sweat.  And I distinctly remembering telling Sarah at the <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=rock+gym\" target=\"_blank\">Rock Gym,</a></strong> \"If I didn\'t have to write about scaling this bloody wall, I would ask if we could call it a day and grab a coffee instead.\"  Or something to that effect.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/11/day-356-my-very-first-concussion-italian-style/\" target=\"_blank\">I\'m not a fan of falling and nearly splitting my head open either.</a></strong>  And I clearly recall announcing to my cousins, \"If I didn\'t have an audience awaiting news about this Cycling Tour of Tuscany, I would stay the hell away from that bike and sip cappuccinos in the piazza for the rest of the week!\"  You (Readers) + Me = Accountability.  Thank you, my friends!</li>\n	<li><strong>Perseverance.  </strong>365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day = Fun and Inspiration.  365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day + Writing one blog post per day = Fun, Inspiration, and Utter Lunacy.  Utter Lunacy x 365 Days = Mini Meltdowns.  Fortunately, these were not full-blown <em>Julie &amp; Julia</em> meltdowns.  Luckily, I had a sounding board aka Mom.  It didn\'t matter if I was too busy, too overwhelmed, PMS-ing, stressing, tired, sad, exhausted, or loopy from a concussion.  I listened to Nike, and I observed the law of physics that states an object of motion stays in motion.  I kept momentum, and I <em>just did it</em>.  (On a serious note, I lost my beloved grandfather this past year.  I was devastated by the loss, and had I not this blog project to return to, I probably could have plummeted into the darkest of ruts.)</li>\n	<li><strong>Sacrifice.  </strong>Rome wasn\'t built in a day, and blog posts (at least most of mine) aren\'t written in an hour.  Writing requires many hours of solitude.  I turned down many a social invitation this year because I needed to hunker down and write.  Writing is a passion of mine that I enjoy, but in order to make room for dreams, we often have to let go of other diversions.</li>\n	<li><strong>Letting Go.  </strong>I always go to bed with a clean kitchen.  Not this year!  I routinely exercise 6 days a week.  Not this year!  I blow out my hair a couple times a week so that I\'m not sporting a ponytail <em>again</em>.  Not this year!  As long as there wasn\'t food left out in the kitchen, it could wait.  Working out 3-4 days a week was enough.  Ponytails rock!  (See <strong>Sacrifice.</strong>)</li>\n	<li><strong>Inspiration.  </strong>The beauty of a 365 project is that it doles out daily doses of inspiration.  Even when something goes completely and maddeningly wrong -- like crash-boom-splatting in a foreign country and taking home a mangled shoulder and a head injury as a souvenir -- <em>it\'s all writing material</em>.  Head injuries also require a \"time out\" which frees you up to find ....</li>\n	<li><strong><strong>Love.  (The Sexy Italian variety.) </strong></strong>I wrote the \"Engage in Life\" quote on the right sidebar of this blog about a year and a half ago.  It originated as a series of scribbled \"Michelle-isms\" that I sent off to the web designer so that she could get a better feel of  \"this Late Bloomer chick\" when designing the blog.  She loved the quote so much that she asked if she could incorporate it into the design.  I was a bit hesitant at first.  Am I really quote-worthy???  I agreed while second-guessing myself all the while.  Now I NEEDED to hold myself accountable.  <em>If you\'re going to spout wisdom, you better walk your talk, sister!</em>  I walked 365 days of that talk, and then...irony of ironies...while luxuriating in injury-induced free time on a vacation in Italy, the man and the fairy tale found me.</li>\n</ul>\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #800080;\"><strong>What happened after 365 Days?</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI burned out, of course.  I was still nursing that blasted concussion, and I was <em>exhausted</em>.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd here\'s the horrific truth that I must honestly admit to you now:  I stopped Carpe Diem-ing every day.  (<em>Especially</em> after Romeo Mio\'s post-Thanksgiving departure.  Sniff, sniff.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI started watching more and more TV.  My Mom and friends laugh at me when I\'ve mentioned this, but 1-2 shows <em>a night</em> compared to my former 1-2 shows <em>a week</em>, is a lot for me.  Especially when I sank to the TV Pit of Despair:  <em>Toddler\'s &amp; Tiaras</em> and <em>Hoarders</em>.  I told you it was horrific.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIn addition, I started eating too much sugar, stopped working out entirely, and welcomed The Mother of All Procrastinations into my home with open arms.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nUgh.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nArgh.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHumbug.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI suppose I was in a postpartum depression of sorts.  I birthed this blog.  Now what?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAfter a few weeks of this nonsense, I reminded myself that, for me, conscious Carpe Diem-ing is a choice -- a habit that requires honing.  I can live the principles outside of a 365 day project.  Imagine that!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI peeled myself up off my sofa, turned off the damn TV, and kicked The Mother of All Procrastinations to the curb.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI jumped on the green smoothies bandwagon and practiced yoga for 8 days straight.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI soaked up the magic of the holiday season with an Off-Martha-Stewart decorating explosion and a tea party.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI booked a flight for <a href=\"http://www.les3vallees.com/en/accueil.1.l2/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Les Trois Vallées</strong></a> where, after two months apart, Romeo Mio and I will reunite.  How do you say \"Carpe Diem\" in French?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI wishcasted for 2012 along with my <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wish Club</a></strong> inductees, and as soon as I finish tweaking this blog for January 1st\'s launch of Chapter Two, I am beginning my first ever <a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Annual Review à la Chris Guillebeau</strong>.</a>  (Kindly add Chris and June 2011\'s <strong><a href=\"http://worlddominationsummit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">World Domination Summit</a></strong> to the \"Inspiration\" bullet above.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat happens after January 1st?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHint:  It all started <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\n<div></div>','Lessons Learned from My Year of Living Curiously','','inherit','open','open','','8636-revision-64','','','2011-12-30 11:06:15','2011-12-30 18:06:15','',8636,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/8636-revision-64/',0,'revision','',0),(8721,1,'2011-12-30 11:08:06','2011-12-30 18:08:06','Previously, I revealed my <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/27/extra-credit-day-366-top-10-most-curious/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Top 10 Most Curious Moments</strong></a> from my 365 Days of Living Curiously.  At that time (back in October!), I promised to wax philosophically about my year at another time.  \"Another time\" promptly morphed into The Mother of All Procrastinations.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI\'m not sure why I postponed writing this post, considering that the year ranked as My Best Year Yet.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nPerhaps I was burned out from writing 365 posts in just a bit more than 365 days?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOr did the magnitude of this endeavor seem too daunting?  (<em>How on earth</em> do you sum up a life-changing year in a single blog post?)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOr maybe I subconsciously didn\'t want to let go of my precious year?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhatever the case, it\'s time to stop making excuses and CELEBRATE the year.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI originally embarked on The Year of Living Curiously when I found myself in The Mother of All Ruts. I won\'t dig up that sob story again, but if you would like a refresher, you can visit <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBefore descending into a full-blown <del>mid-life</del> existential crisis, I summoned my inner Cher and smacked myself upside the head with a <strong><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x-fkSYDtUY\" target=\"_blank\">\"Snap out of it!\"  </a> </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd my way of snapping out of it was taking on an insane blog project in which I would not only tackle one \"curious\" mini-adventure each day, but also write about it.  (There are uber-uber-talented Professional Super Bloggers out there who take on <strong><a href=\"http://www.corbettbarr.com/what-i-learned-publishing-every-day-for-30-days\" target=\"_blank\">30 DAYS of consecutive blogging as a challenge</a></strong>.  So when I throw out the word \"insane\", I am not over-exaggerating.  I really was <em>that crazy</em>.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #800080;\"><strong>Here is what I learned from my Crazy, Precious, Curious Year:</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Discipline.</strong>  I have always been a fairly disciplined person.  But I am also human, and therefore, I am seduced by the Big Bad Procrastination Wolf just like 95% of the population.  In the past, I blamed my procrastination on my perfectionism, or life getting in the way, or a host of other various excuses, but this year, I had to \"SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP!\"  Cranking out a post a day (while maintaining a full-time day job) is ultramarathon blogging.  If I slacked off on my schedule, I was doomed.  No Big Bad Procrastination Wolf temptation was worth more than my dream or my pride.</li>\n	<li><strong>The true essence of Carpe Diem.</strong>  People have been throwing out the phrase \"Carpe Diem\" for millennia.  It\'s the loveliest of concepts:  Seize the day! <strong><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9781563522956\" target=\"_blank\"> Each day is a gift: That\'s why it\'s called The Present!  </a></strong>Live each day as if it\'s your last!  (The latter always creeps me out a bit, but after losing two family members much too soon, it also resonates.  Loudly.)  Yet who <em>honestly</em> Carpe Diem-s each and every day?  We all know a few of those special people who live Carpe Diem naturally and effortlessly.  I want to be like them.  I strive to be like them.  And this year, I made a <em>conscious choice</em> to live like them each and every day.  I chose one thing that piqued my curiosity each day and embraced it.  Conscious living really works!  Carpe Diem and all that jazz!</li>\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The canine variety.)  </strong>Taking on a 365 day blog project filled almost every second of my day outside of my day job.  I had no room in my life to assume any other responsibilities.  And then Bella (formerly knows as \"Missy\") picked me while I was minding my own beeswax and <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=mingus+manor\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Carpe Diem-ing as a volunteer at an animal sanctuary for senior pets</strong>. </a> My mother advised me to feel the fear and adopt that puppy anyway.  I can\'t imagine this year (and future years) without Little Miss B, the sweetest, smartest, most easygoing <del>muppet</del> pooch on the planet!  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/05/06/day-220-my-dog-hijacked-my-computer/\" target=\"_blank\">(Who is still shamelessly soliciting friends on facebook, by the way!)</a></strong></li>\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The unconditional family and friends variety.)  </strong>Every blogger\'s fear is that their only reader will be their mother.  I am proud to report that my mother AND my father read my blog every day AND provided proofreading services at no charge!  Thank you, Parental Unit!  In addition, my sister followed the blog religiously and often added her witty and offbeat commentary in the comments section.  My dear cousins agreed to embark on a <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/09/10/day-349-arrivederci/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Trip of a Lifetime Adventure</strong> </a>with me so that this Late Bloomer could <em>finally</em> see Europe for the first time.  My friends humored me not only with their readership, but with their willingness to Carpe Diem along with me in adventures great, small, weird, backfired, goofy, and downright ridiculous.  And then new friends aka \"blog readers\" entered my world.  Some of you are a few degrees separated from me through family and friends, and others are not connected to me at all.  I\'ve had visits from 52 countries, including Cameroon and Latvia!  I am humbled and honored that you took interest in my curious capers.  I hope that you received a few laughs and a glimmer of inspiration along the way.</li>\n	<li><strong>Taking Risks/Conquering Fears.  </strong>I\'m not thrilled with heights.  I\'m not <em>deathly</em> afraid of them.  Just your standard, run-of-the-mill unease that makes brings on nauseous and a cold sweat.  And I distinctly remembering telling Sarah at the <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=rock+gym\" target=\"_blank\">Rock Gym,</a></strong> \"If I didn\'t have to write about scaling this bloody wall, I would ask if we could call it a day and grab a coffee instead.\"  Or something to that effect.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/11/day-356-my-very-first-concussion-italian-style/\" target=\"_blank\">I\'m not a fan of falling and nearly splitting my head open either.</a></strong>  And I clearly recall announcing to my cousins, \"If I didn\'t have an audience awaiting news about this Cycling Tour of Tuscany, I would stay the hell away from that bike and sip cappuccinos in the piazza for the rest of the week!\"  You (Readers) + Me = Accountability.  Thank you, my friends!</li>\n	<li><strong>Perseverance.  </strong>365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day = Fun and Inspiration.  365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day + Writing one blog post per day = Fun, Inspiration, and Utter Lunacy.  Utter Lunacy x 365 Days = Mini Meltdowns.  Fortunately, these were not full-blown <em>Julie &amp; Julia</em> meltdowns.  Luckily, I had a sounding board aka Mom.  It didn\'t matter if I was too busy, too overwhelmed, PMS-ing, stressing, tired, sad, exhausted, or loopy from a concussion.  I listened to Nike, and I observed the law of physics that states an object of motion stays in motion.  I kept momentum, and I <em>just did it</em>.  (On a serious note, I lost my beloved grandfather this past year.  I was devastated by the loss, and had I not this blog project to return to, I probably could have plummeted into the darkest of ruts.)</li>\n	<li><strong>Sacrifice.  </strong>Rome wasn\'t built in a day, and blog posts (at least most of mine) aren\'t written in an hour.  Writing requires many hours of solitude.  I turned down many a social invitation this year because I needed to hunker down and write.  Writing is a passion of mine that I enjoy, but in order to make room for dreams, we often have to let go of other diversions.</li>\n	<li><strong>Letting Go.  </strong>I always go to bed with a clean kitchen.  Not this year!  I routinely exercise 6 days a week.  Not this year!  I blow out my hair a couple times a week so that I\'m not sporting a ponytail <em>again</em>.  Not this year!  As long as there wasn\'t food left out in the kitchen, it could wait.  Working out 3-4 days a week was enough.  Ponytails rock!  (See <strong>Sacrifice.</strong>)</li>\n	<li><strong>Inspiration.  </strong>The beauty of a 365 project is that it doles out daily doses of inspiration.  Even when something goes completely and maddeningly wrong -- like crash-boom-splatting in a foreign country and taking home a mangled shoulder and a head injury as a souvenir -- <em>it\'s all writing material</em>.  Head injuries also require a \"time out\" which frees you up to find ....</li>\n	<li><strong><strong>Love.  (The Sexy Italian variety.) </strong></strong>I wrote the \"Engage in Life\" quote on the right sidebar of this blog about a year and a half ago.  It originated as a series of scribbled \"Michelle-isms\" that I sent off to the web designer so that she could get a better feel of  \"this Late Bloomer chick\" when designing the blog.  She loved the quote so much that she asked if she could incorporate it into the design.  I was a bit hesitant at first.  Am I really quote-worthy???  I agreed while second-guessing myself all the while.  Now I NEEDED to hold myself accountable.  <em>If you\'re going to spout wisdom, you better walk your talk, sister!</em>  I walked 365 days of that talk, and then...irony of ironies...while luxuriating in injury-induced free time on a vacation in Italy, the man and the fairy tale found me.</li>\n</ul>\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #800080;\"><strong>What happened after 365 Days?</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI burned out, of course.  I was still nursing that blasted concussion, and I was <em>exhausted</em>.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd here\'s the horrific truth that I must honestly admit to you now:  I stopped Carpe Diem-ing every day.  (<em>Especially</em> after Romeo Mio\'s post-Thanksgiving departure.  Sniff, sniff.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI started watching more and more TV.  My Mom and friends laugh at me when I\'ve mentioned this, but 1-2 shows <em>a night</em> compared to my former 1-2 shows <em>a week</em>, is a lot for me.  Especially when I sank to the TV Pit of Despair:  <em>Toddler\'s &amp; Tiaras</em> and <em>Hoarders</em>.  I told you it was horrific.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIn addition, I started eating too much sugar, stopped working out entirely, and welcomed The Mother of All Procrastinations into my home with open arms.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nUgh.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nArgh.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHumbug.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI suppose I was in a postpartum depression of sorts.  I birthed this blog.  Now what?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAfter a few weeks of this nonsense, I reminded myself that, for me, conscious Carpe Diem-ing is a choice -- a habit that requires honing.  I can live the principles outside of a 365 day project.  Imagine that!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI peeled myself up off my sofa, turned off the damn TV, and kicked The Mother of All Procrastinations to the curb.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI jumped on the green smoothies bandwagon and practiced yoga for 8 days straight.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI soaked up the magic of the holiday season with an Off-Martha-Stewart decorating explosion and a tea party.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI booked a flight for <a href=\"http://www.les3vallees.com/en/accueil.1.l2/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Les Trois Vallées</strong></a> where, after two months apart, Romeo Mio and I will reunite.  How do you say \"Carpe Diem\" in French?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI wishcasted for 2012 along with my <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wish Club</a></strong> inductees, and as soon as I finish tweaking this blog for January 1st\'s launch of Chapter Two, I am beginning my first ever <a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Annual Review à la Chris Guillebeau</strong>.</a>  (Kindly add Chris and June 2011\'s <strong><a href=\"http://worlddominationsummit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">World Domination Summit</a></strong> to the \"Inspiration\" bullet above.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat happens after January 1st?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHint:  It all started <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\n<div></div>','Lessons Learned from My Year of Living Curiously','','inherit','open','open','','8636-revision-65','','','2011-12-30 11:08:06','2011-12-30 18:08:06','',8636,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/8636-revision-65/',0,'revision','',0),(8722,1,'2011-12-30 11:09:04','2011-12-30 18:09:04','Previously, I revealed my <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/27/extra-credit-day-366-top-10-most-curious/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Top 10 Most Curious Moments</strong></a> from my 365 Days of Living Curiously.  At that time (back in October!), I promised to wax philosophically about my year at another time.  \"Another time\" promptly morphed into The Mother of All Procrastinations.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI\'m not sure why I postponed writing this post, considering that the year ranked as My Best Year Yet.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPerhaps I was burned out from writing 365 posts in just a bit more than 365 days?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOr did the magnitude of this endeavor seem too daunting?  (<em>How on earth</em> do you sum up a life-changing year in a single blog post?)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOr maybe I subconsciously didn\'t want to let go of my precious year?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhatever the case, it\'s time to stop making excuses and CELEBRATE the year.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI originally embarked on The Year of Living Curiously when I found myself in The Mother of All Ruts. I won\'t dig up that sob story again, but if you would like a refresher, you can visit <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBefore descending into a full-blown <del>mid-life</del> existential crisis, I summoned my inner Cher and smacked myself upside the head with a <strong><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x-fkSYDtUY\" target=\"_blank\">\"Snap out of it!\"  </a> </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd my way of snapping out of it was taking on an insane blog project in which I would not only tackle one \"curious\" mini-adventure each day, but also write about it.  (There are uber-uber-talented Professional Super Bloggers out there who take on <strong><a href=\"http://www.corbettbarr.com/what-i-learned-publishing-every-day-for-30-days\" target=\"_blank\">30 DAYS of consecutive blogging as a challenge</a></strong>.  So when I throw out the word \"insane\", I am not over-exaggerating.  I really was <em>that crazy</em>.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #800080;\"><strong>Here is what I learned from my Crazy, Precious, Curious Year:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><strong>Discipline.</strong>  I have always been a fairly disciplined person.  But I am also human, and therefore, I am seduced by the Big Bad Procrastination Wolf just like 95% of the population.  In the past, I blamed my procrastination on my perfectionism, or life getting in the way, or a host of other various excuses, but this year, I had to \"SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP!\"  Cranking out a post a day (while maintaining a full-time day job) is ultramarathon blogging.  If I slacked off on my schedule, I was doomed.  No Big Bad Procrastination Wolf temptation was worth more than my dream or my pride.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>The true essence of Carpe Diem.</strong>  People have been throwing out the phrase \"Carpe Diem\" for millennia.  It\'s the loveliest of concepts:  Seize the day! <strong><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9781563522956\" target=\"_blank\"> Each day is a gift: That\'s why it\'s called The Present!  </a></strong>Live each day as if it\'s your last!  (The latter always creeps me out a bit, but after losing two family members much too soon, it also resonates.  Loudly.)  Yet who <em>honestly</em> Carpe Diem-s each and every day?  We all know a few of those special people who live Carpe Diem naturally and effortlessly.  I want to be like them.  I strive to be like them.  And this year, I made a <em>conscious choice</em> to live like them each and every day.  I chose one thing that piqued my curiosity and embraced it.  Conscious living really works!  Carpe Diem and all that jazz!</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The canine variety.)  </strong>Taking on a 365 day blog project filled almost every second of my day outside of my day job.  I had no room in my life to assume any other responsibilities.  And then Bella (formerly knows as \"Missy\") picked me while I was minding my own beeswax and <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=mingus+manor\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Carpe Diem-ing as a volunteer at an animal sanctuary for senior pets</strong>. </a> My mother advised me to feel the fear and adopt that puppy anyway.  I can\'t imagine this year (and future years) without Little Miss B, the sweetest, smartest, most easygoing <del>muppet</del> pooch on the planet!  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/05/06/day-220-my-dog-hijacked-my-computer/\" target=\"_blank\">(Who is still shamelessly soliciting friends on facebook, by the way!)</a></strong></li>\r\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The unconditional family and friends variety.)  </strong>Every blogger\'s fear is that their only reader will be their mother.  I am proud to report that my mother AND my father read my blog every day AND provided proofreading services at no charge!  Thank you, Parental Unit!  In addition, my sister followed the blog religiously and often added her witty and offbeat commentary in the comments section.  My dear cousins agreed to embark on a <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/09/10/day-349-arrivederci/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Trip of a Lifetime Adventure</strong> </a>with me so that this Late Bloomer could <em>finally</em> see Europe for the first time.  My friends humored me not only with their readership, but with their willingness to Carpe Diem along with me in adventures great, small, weird, backfired, goofy, and downright ridiculous.  And then new friends aka \"blog readers\" entered my world.  Some of you are a few degrees separated from me through family and friends, and others are not connected to me at all.  I\'ve had visits from 52 countries, including Cameroon and Latvia!  I am humbled and honored that you took interest in my curious capers.  I hope that you received a few laughs and a glimmer of inspiration along the way.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Taking Risks/Conquering Fears.  </strong>I\'m not thrilled with heights.  I\'m not <em>deathly</em> afraid of them.  Just your standard, run-of-the-mill unease that makes brings on nauseous and a cold sweat.  And I distinctly remembering telling Sarah at the <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=rock+gym\" target=\"_blank\">Rock Gym,</a></strong> \"If I didn\'t have to write about scaling this bloody wall, I would ask if we could call it a day and grab a coffee instead.\"  Or something to that effect.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/11/day-356-my-very-first-concussion-italian-style/\" target=\"_blank\">I\'m not a fan of falling and nearly splitting my head open either.</a></strong>  And I clearly recall announcing to my cousins, \"If I didn\'t have an audience awaiting news about this Cycling Tour of Tuscany, I would stay the hell away from that bike and sip cappuccinos in the piazza for the rest of the week!\"  You (Readers) + Me = Accountability.  Thank you, my friends!</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Perseverance.  </strong>365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day = Fun and Inspiration.  365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day + Writing one blog post per day = Fun, Inspiration, and Utter Lunacy.  Utter Lunacy x 365 Days = Mini Meltdowns.  Fortunately, these were not full-blown <em>Julie &amp; Julia</em> meltdowns.  Luckily, I had a sounding board aka Mom.  It didn\'t matter if I was too busy, too overwhelmed, PMS-ing, stressing, tired, sad, exhausted, or loopy from a concussion.  I listened to Nike, and I observed the law of physics that states an object of motion stays in motion.  I kept momentum, and I <em>just did it</em>.  (On a serious note, I lost my beloved grandfather this past year.  I was devastated by the loss, and had I not this blog project to return to, I probably could have plummeted into the darkest of ruts.)</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Sacrifice.  </strong>Rome wasn\'t built in a day, and blog posts (at least most of mine) aren\'t written in an hour.  Writing requires many hours of solitude.  I turned down many a social invitation this year because I needed to hunker down and write.  Writing is a passion of mine that I enjoy, but in order to make room for dreams, we often have to let go of other diversions.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Letting Go.  </strong>I always go to bed with a clean kitchen.  Not this year!  I routinely exercise 6 days a week.  Not this year!  I blow out my hair a couple times a week so that I\'m not sporting a ponytail <em>again</em>.  Not this year!  As long as there wasn\'t food left out in the kitchen, it could wait.  Working out 3-4 days a week was enough.  Ponytails rock!  (See <strong>Sacrifice.</strong>)</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Inspiration.  </strong>The beauty of a 365 project is that it doles out daily doses of inspiration.  Even when something goes completely and maddeningly wrong -- like crash-boom-splatting in a foreign country and taking home a mangled shoulder and a head injury as a souvenir -- <em>it\'s all writing material</em>.  Head injuries also require a \"time out\" which frees you up to find ....</li>\r\n	<li><strong><strong>Love.  (The Sexy Italian variety.) </strong></strong>I wrote the \"Engage in Life\" quote on the right sidebar of this blog about a year and a half ago.  It originated as a series of scribbled \"Michelle-isms\" that I sent off to the web designer so that she could get a better feel of  \"this Late Bloomer chick\" when designing the blog.  She loved the quote so much that she asked if she could incorporate it into the design.  I was a bit hesitant at first.  Am I really quote-worthy???  I agreed while second-guessing myself all the while.  Now I NEEDED to hold myself accountable.  <em>If you\'re going to spout wisdom, you better walk your talk, sister!</em>  I walked 365 days of that talk, and then...irony of ironies...while luxuriating in injury-induced free time on a vacation in Italy, the man and the fairy tale found me.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #800080;\"><strong>What happened after 365 Days?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI burned out, of course.  I was still nursing that blasted concussion, and I was <em>exhausted</em>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd here\'s the horrific truth that I must honestly admit to you now:  I stopped Carpe Diem-ing every day.  (<em>Especially</em> after Romeo Mio\'s post-Thanksgiving departure.  Sniff, sniff.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI started watching more and more TV.  My Mom and friends laugh at me when I\'ve mentioned this, but 1-2 shows <em>a night</em> compared to my former 1-2 shows <em>a week</em>, is a lot for me.  Especially when I sank to the TV Pit of Despair:  <em>Toddler\'s &amp; Tiaras</em> and <em>Hoarders</em>.  I told you it was horrific.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIn addition, I started eating too much sugar, stopped working out entirely, and welcomed The Mother of All Procrastinations into my home with open arms.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nUgh.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nArgh.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHumbug.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI suppose I was in a postpartum depression of sorts.  I birthed this blog.  Now what?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a few weeks of this nonsense, I reminded myself that, for me, conscious Carpe Diem-ing is a choice -- a habit that requires honing.  I can live the principles outside of a 365 day project.  Imagine that!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI peeled myself up off my sofa, turned off the damn TV, and kicked The Mother of All Procrastinations to the curb.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI jumped on the green smoothies bandwagon and practiced yoga for 8 days straight.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI soaked up the magic of the holiday season with an Off-Martha-Stewart decorating explosion and a tea party.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI booked a flight for <a href=\"http://www.les3vallees.com/en/accueil.1.l2/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Les Trois Vallées</strong></a> where, after two months apart, Romeo Mio and I will reunite.  How do you say \"Carpe Diem\" in French?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI wishcasted for 2012 along with my <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wish Club</a></strong> inductees, and as soon as I finish tweaking this blog for January 1st\'s launch of Chapter Two, I am beginning my first ever <a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Annual Review à la Chris Guillebeau</strong>.</a>  (Kindly add Chris and June 2011\'s <strong><a href=\"http://worlddominationsummit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">World Domination Summit</a></strong> to the \"Inspiration\" bullet above.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat happens after January 1st?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHint:  It all started <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\r\n<div></div>','Lessons Learned from My Year of Living Curiously','','inherit','open','open','','8636-revision-66','','','2011-12-30 11:09:04','2011-12-30 18:09:04','',8636,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/8636-revision-66/',0,'revision','',0),(8723,1,'2011-12-30 11:10:59','2011-12-30 18:10:59','Previously, I revealed my <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/27/extra-credit-day-366-top-10-most-curious/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Top 10 Most Curious Moments</strong></a> from my 365 Days of Living Curiously.  At that time (back in October!), I promised to wax philosophically about my year at another time.  \"Another time\" promptly morphed into The Mother of All Procrastinations.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI\'m not sure why I postponed writing this post, considering that the year ranked as My Best Year Yet.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nPerhaps I was burned out from writing 365 posts in just a bit more than 365 days?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOr did the magnitude of this endeavor seem too daunting?  (<em>How on earth</em> do you sum up a life-changing year in a single blog post?)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOr maybe I subconsciously didn\'t want to let go of my precious year?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhatever the case, it\'s time to stop making excuses and CELEBRATE the year.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI originally embarked on The Year of Living Curiously when I found myself in The Mother of All Ruts. I won\'t dig up that sob story again, but if you would like a refresher, you can visit <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBefore descending into a full-blown <del>mid-life</del> existential crisis, I summoned my inner Cher and smacked myself upside the head with a <strong><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x-fkSYDtUY\" target=\"_blank\">\"Snap out of it!\"  </a> </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd my way of snapping out of it was taking on an insane blog project in which I would not only tackle one \"curious\" mini-adventure each day, but also write about it.  (There are uber-uber-talented Professional Super Bloggers out there who take on <strong><a href=\"http://www.corbettbarr.com/what-i-learned-publishing-every-day-for-30-days\" target=\"_blank\">30 DAYS of consecutive blogging as a challenge</a></strong>.  So when I throw out the word \"insane\", I am not over-exaggerating.  I really was <em>that crazy</em>.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #800080;\"><strong>Here is what I learned from my Crazy, Precious, Curious Year:</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Discipline.</strong>  I have always been a fairly disciplined person.  But I am also human, and therefore, I am seduced by the Big Bad Procrastination Wolf just like 95% of the population.  In the past, I blamed my procrastination on my perfectionism, or life getting in the way, or a host of other various excuses, but this year, I had to \"SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP!\"  Cranking out a post a day (while maintaining a full-time day job) is ultramarathon blogging.  If I slacked off on my schedule, I was doomed.  No Big Bad Procrastination Wolf temptation was worth more than my dream or my pride.</li>\n	<li><strong>The true essence of Carpe Diem.</strong>  People have been throwing out the phrase \"Carpe Diem\" for millennia.  It\'s the loveliest of concepts:  Seize the day! <strong><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9781563522956\" target=\"_blank\"> Each day is a gift: That\'s why it\'s called The Present!  </a></strong>Live each day as if it\'s your last!  (The latter always creeps me out a bit, but after losing two family members much too soon, it also resonates.  Loudly.)  Yet who <em>honestly</em> Carpe Diem-s each and every day?  We all know a few of those special people who live Carpe Diem naturally and effortlessly.  I want to be like them.  I strive to be like them.  And this year, I made a <em>conscious choice</em> to live like them each and every day.  I chose one daily thing that piqued my curiosity and embraced it.  Conscious living really works!  Carpe Diem and all that jazz!</li>\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The canine variety.)  </strong>Taking on a 365 day blog project filled almost every second of my day outside of my day job.  I had no room in my life to assume any other responsibilities.  And then Bella (formerly knows as \"Missy\") picked me while I was minding my own beeswax and <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=mingus+manor\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Carpe Diem-ing as a volunteer at an animal sanctuary for senior pets</strong>. </a> My mother advised me to feel the fear and adopt that puppy anyway.  I can\'t imagine this year (and future years) without Little Miss B, the sweetest, smartest, most easygoing <del>muppet</del> pooch on the planet!  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/05/06/day-220-my-dog-hijacked-my-computer/\" target=\"_blank\">(Who is still shamelessly soliciting friends on facebook, by the way!)</a></strong></li>\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The unconditional family and friends variety.)  </strong>Every blogger\'s fear is that their only reader will be their mother.  I am proud to report that my mother AND my father read my blog every day AND provided proofreading services at no charge!  Thank you, Parental Unit!  In addition, my sister followed the blog religiously and often added her witty and offbeat commentary in the comments section.  My dear cousins agreed to embark on a <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/09/10/day-349-arrivederci/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Trip of a Lifetime Adventure</strong> </a>with me so that this Late Bloomer could <em>finally</em> see Europe for the first time.  My friends humored me not only with their readership, but with their willingness to Carpe Diem along with me in adventures great, small, weird, backfired, goofy, and downright ridiculous.  And then new friends aka \"blog readers\" entered my world.  Some of you are a few degrees separated from me through family and friends, and others are not connected to me at all.  I\'ve had visits from 52 countries, including Cameroon and Latvia!  I am humbled and honored that you took interest in my curious capers.  I hope that you received a few laughs and a glimmer of inspiration along the way.</li>\n	<li><strong>Taking Risks/Conquering Fears.  </strong>I\'m not thrilled with heights.  I\'m not <em>deathly</em> afraid of them.  Just your standard, run-of-the-mill unease that makes brings on nauseous and a cold sweat.  And I distinctly remembering telling Sarah at the <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=rock+gym\" target=\"_blank\">Rock Gym,</a></strong> \"If I didn\'t have to write about scaling this bloody wall, I would ask if we could call it a day and grab a coffee instead.\"  Or something to that effect.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/11/day-356-my-very-first-concussion-italian-style/\" target=\"_blank\">I\'m not a fan of falling and nearly splitting my head open either.</a></strong>  And I clearly recall announcing to my cousins, \"If I didn\'t have an audience awaiting news about this Cycling Tour of Tuscany, I would stay the hell away from that bike and sip cappuccinos in the piazza for the rest of the week!\"  You (Readers) + Me = Accountability.  Thank you, my friends!</li>\n	<li><strong>Perseverance.  </strong>365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day = Fun and Inspiration.  365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day + Writing one blog post per day = Fun, Inspiration, and Utter Lunacy.  Utter Lunacy x 365 Days = Mini Meltdowns.  Fortunately, these were not full-blown <em>Julie &amp; Julia</em> meltdowns.  Luckily, I had a sounding board aka Mom.  It didn\'t matter if I was too busy, too overwhelmed, PMS-ing, stressing, tired, sad, exhausted, or loopy from a concussion.  I listened to Nike, and I observed the law of physics that states an object of motion stays in motion.  I kept momentum, and I <em>just did it</em>.  (On a serious note, I lost my beloved grandfather this past year.  I was devastated by the loss, and had I not this blog project to return to, I probably could have plummeted into the darkest of ruts.)</li>\n	<li><strong>Sacrifice.  </strong>Rome wasn\'t built in a day, and blog posts (at least most of mine) aren\'t written in an hour.  Writing requires many hours of solitude.  I turned down many a social invitation this year because I needed to hunker down and write.  Writing is a passion of mine that I enjoy, but in order to make room for dreams, we often have to let go of other diversions.</li>\n	<li><strong>Letting Go.  </strong>I always go to bed with a clean kitchen.  Not this year!  I routinely exercise 6 days a week.  Not this year!  I blow out my hair a couple times a week so that I\'m not sporting a ponytail <em>again</em>.  Not this year!  As long as there wasn\'t food left out in the kitchen, it could wait.  Working out 3-4 days a week was enough.  Ponytails rock!  (See <strong>Sacrifice.</strong>)</li>\n	<li><strong>Inspiration.  </strong>The beauty of a 365 project is that it doles out daily doses of inspiration.  Even when something goes completely and maddeningly wrong -- like crash-boom-splatting in a foreign country and taking home a mangled shoulder and a head injury as a souvenir -- <em>it\'s all writing material</em>.  Head injuries also require a \"time out\" which frees you up to find ....</li>\n	<li><strong><strong>Love.  (The Sexy Italian variety.) </strong></strong>I wrote the \"Engage in Life\" quote on the right sidebar of this blog about a year and a half ago.  It originated as a series of scribbled \"Michelle-isms\" that I sent off to the web designer so that she could get a better feel of  \"this Late Bloomer chick\" when designing the blog.  She loved the quote so much that she asked if she could incorporate it into the design.  I was a bit hesitant at first.  Am I really quote-worthy???  I agreed while second-guessing myself all the while.  Now I NEEDED to hold myself accountable.  <em>If you\'re going to spout wisdom, you better walk your talk, sister!</em>  I walked 365 days of that talk, and then...irony of ironies...while luxuriating in injury-induced free time on a vacation in Italy, the man and the fairy tale found me.</li>\n</ul>\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #800080;\"><strong>What happened after 365 Days?</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI burned out, of course.  I was still nursing that blasted concussion, and I was <em>exhausted</em>.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd here\'s the horrific truth that I must honestly admit to you now:  I stopped Carpe Diem-ing every day.  (<em>Especially</em> after Romeo Mio\'s post-Thanksgiving departure.  Sniff, sniff.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI started watching more and more TV.  My Mom and friends laugh at me when I\'ve mentioned this, but 1-2 shows <em>a night</em> compared to my former 1-2 shows <em>a week</em>, is a lot for me.  Especially when I sank to the TV Pit of Despair:  <em>Toddler\'s &amp; Tiaras</em> and <em>Hoarders</em>.  I told you it was horrific.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIn addition, I started eating too much sugar, stopped working out entirely, and welcomed The Mother of All Procrastinations into my home with open arms.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nUgh.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nArgh.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHumbug.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI suppose I was in a postpartum depression of sorts.  I birthed this blog.  Now what?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAfter a few weeks of this nonsense, I reminded myself that, for me, conscious Carpe Diem-ing is a choice -- a habit that requires honing.  I can live the principles outside of a 365 day project.  Imagine that!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI peeled myself up off my sofa, turned off the damn TV, and kicked The Mother of All Procrastinations to the curb.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI jumped on the green smoothies bandwagon and practiced yoga for 8 days straight.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI soaked up the magic of the holiday season with an Off-Martha-Stewart decorating explosion and a tea party.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI booked a flight for <a href=\"http://www.les3vallees.com/en/accueil.1.l2/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Les Trois Vallées</strong></a> where, after two months apart, Romeo Mio and I will reunite.  How do you say \"Carpe Diem\" in French?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI wishcasted for 2012 along with my <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wish Club</a></strong> inductees, and as soon as I finish tweaking this blog for January 1st\'s launch of Chapter Two, I am beginning my first ever <a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Annual Review à la Chris Guillebeau</strong>.</a>  (Kindly add Chris and June 2011\'s <strong><a href=\"http://worlddominationsummit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">World Domination Summit</a></strong> to the \"Inspiration\" bullet above.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat happens after January 1st?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHint:  It all started <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\n<div></div>','Lessons Learned from My Year of Living Curiously','','inherit','open','open','','8636-revision-67','','','2011-12-30 11:10:59','2011-12-30 18:10:59','',8636,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/8636-revision-67/',0,'revision','',0),(8724,1,'2011-12-30 11:13:17','2011-12-30 18:13:17','Previously, I revealed my <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/27/extra-credit-day-366-top-10-most-curious/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Top 10 Most Curious Moments</strong></a> from my 365 Days of Living Curiously.  At that time (back in October!), I promised to wax philosophically about my year at another time.  \"Another time\" promptly morphed into The Mother of All Procrastinations.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI\'m not sure why I postponed writing this post, considering that the year ranked as My Best Year Yet.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nPerhaps I was burned out from writing 365 posts in just a bit more than 365 days?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOr did the magnitude of this endeavor seem too daunting?  (<em>How on earth</em> do you sum up a life-changing year in a single blog post?)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOr maybe I subconsciously didn\'t want to let go of my precious year?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhatever the case, it\'s time to stop making excuses and CELEBRATE the year.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI originally embarked on The Year of Living Curiously when I found myself in The Mother of All Ruts. I won\'t dig up that sob story again, but if you would like a refresher, you can visit <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBefore descending into a full-blown <del>mid-life</del> existential crisis, I summoned my inner Cher and smacked myself upside the head with a <strong><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x-fkSYDtUY\" target=\"_blank\">\"Snap out of it!\"  </a> </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd my way of snapping out of it was taking on an insane blog project in which I would not only tackle one \"curious\" mini-adventure each day, but also write about it.  (There are uber-uber-talented Professional Super Bloggers out there who take on <strong><a href=\"http://www.corbettbarr.com/what-i-learned-publishing-every-day-for-30-days\" target=\"_blank\">30 DAYS of consecutive blogging as a challenge</a></strong>.  So when I throw out the word \"insane\", I am not over-exaggerating.  I really was <em>that crazy</em>.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #800080;\"><strong>Here is what I learned from my Crazy, Precious, Curious Year:</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Discipline.</strong>  I have always been a fairly disciplined person.  But I am also human, and therefore, I am seduced by the Big Bad Procrastination Wolf just like 95% of the population.  In the past, I blamed my procrastination on my perfectionism, or life getting in the way, or a host of other various excuses, but this year, I had to \"SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP!\"  Cranking out a post a day (while maintaining a full-time day job) is ultramarathon blogging.  If I slacked off on my schedule, I was doomed.  No Big Bad Procrastination Wolf temptation was worth more than my dream or my pride.</li>\n	<li><strong>The true essence of Carpe Diem.</strong>  People have been throwing out the phrase \"Carpe Diem\" for millennia.  It\'s the loveliest of concepts:  Seize the day! <strong><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9781563522956\" target=\"_blank\"> Each day is a gift: That\'s why it\'s called The Present!  </a></strong>Live each day as if it\'s your last!  (The latter always creeps me out a bit, but after losing two family members much too soon, it also resonates.  Loudly.)  Yet who <em>honestly</em> Carpe Diem-s each and every day?  We all know a few of those special people who live Carpe Diem naturally and effortlessly.  I want to be like them.  I strive to be like them.  And this year, I made a <em>conscious choice</em> to live like them each and every day.  I chose one daily thing that piqued my curiosity and embraced it.  Conscious living really works!  Carpe Diem and all that jazz!</li>\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The canine variety.)  </strong>Taking on a 365 day blog project filled almost every second of my day outside of my day job.  I had no room in my life to assume any other responsibilities.  And then Bella (formerly knows as \"Missy\") picked me while I was minding my own beeswax and <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=mingus+manor\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Carpe Diem-ing as a volunteer at an animal sanctuary for senior pets</strong>. </a> My mother advised me to feel the fear and adopt that puppy anyway.  I can\'t imagine this year (and future years) without Little Miss B, the sweetest, smartest, most easygoing <del>muppet</del> pooch on the planet!  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/05/06/day-220-my-dog-hijacked-my-computer/\" target=\"_blank\">(Who is still shamelessly soliciting friends on facebook, by the way!)</a></strong></li>\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The unconditional family and friends variety.)  </strong>Every blogger\'s fear is that their only reader will be their mother.  I am proud to report that my mother AND my father read my blog every day AND provided proofreading services at no charge!  Thank you, Parental Unit!  In addition, my sister followed the blog religiously and often added her witty and offbeat commentary in the comments section.  My dear cousins agreed to embark on a <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/09/10/day-349-arrivederci/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Trip of a Lifetime Adventure</strong> </a>with me so that this Late Bloomer could <em>finally</em> see Europe for the first time.  My friends humored me not only with their readership, but with their willingness to Carpe Diem along with me in adventures great, small, weird, backfired, goofy, and downright ridiculous.  And then new friends aka \"blog readers\" entered my world.  Some of you are a few degrees separated from me through family and friends, and others are not connected to me at all.  I\'ve had visits from 52 countries, including Cameroon and Latvia!  I am humbled and honored that you took interest in my curious capers.  I hope that you received a few laughs and glimmers of inspiration along the way.</li>\n	<li><strong>Taking Risks/Conquering Fears.  </strong>I\'m not thrilled with heights.  I\'m not <em>deathly</em> afraid of them. Just your standard, run-of-the-mill unease that makes brings on nauseous and a cold sweat.  And I distinctly remembering telling Sarah at the <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=rock+gym\" target=\"_blank\">Rock Gym,</a></strong> \"If I didn\'t have to write about scaling this bloody wall, I would ask if we could call it a day and grab a coffee instead.\"  Or something to that effect.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/11/day-356-my-very-first-concussion-italian-style/\" target=\"_blank\">I\'m not a fan of falling and nearly splitting my head open either.</a></strong>  And I clearly recall announcing to my cousins, \"If I didn\'t have an audience awaiting news about this Cycling Tour of Tuscany, I would stay the hell away from that bike and sip cappuccinos in the piazza for the rest of the week!\"  You (Readers) + Me = Accountability.  Thank you, my friends!</li>\n	<li><strong>Perseverance.  </strong>365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day = Fun and Inspiration.  365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day + Writing one blog post per day = Fun, Inspiration, and Utter Lunacy.  Utter Lunacy x 365 Days = Mini Meltdowns.  Fortunately, these were not full-blown <em>Julie &amp; Julia</em> meltdowns.  Luckily, I had a sounding board aka Mom.  It didn\'t matter if I was too busy, too overwhelmed, PMS-ing, stressing, tired, sad, exhausted, or loopy from a concussion.  I listened to Nike, and I observed the law of physics that states an object of motion stays in motion.  I kept momentum, and I <em>just did it</em>.  (On a serious note, I lost my beloved grandfather this past year.  I was devastated by the loss, and had I not this blog project to return to, I probably could have plummeted into the darkest of ruts.)</li>\n	<li><strong>Sacrifice.  </strong>Rome wasn\'t built in a day, and blog posts (at least most of mine) aren\'t written in an hour.  Writing requires many hours of solitude.  I turned down many a social invitation this year because I needed to hunker down and write.  Writing is a passion of mine that I enjoy, but in order to make room for dreams, we often have to let go of other diversions.</li>\n	<li><strong>Letting Go.  </strong>I always go to bed with a clean kitchen.  Not this year!  I routinely exercise 6 days a week.  Not this year!  I blow out my hair a couple times a week so that I\'m not sporting a ponytail <em>again</em>.  Not this year!  As long as there wasn\'t food left out in the kitchen, it could wait.  Working out 3-4 days a week was enough.  Ponytails rock!  (See <strong>Sacrifice.</strong>)</li>\n	<li><strong>Inspiration.  </strong>The beauty of a 365 project is that it doles out daily doses of inspiration.  Even when something goes completely and maddeningly wrong -- like crash-boom-splatting in a foreign country and taking home a mangled shoulder and a head injury as a souvenir -- <em>it\'s all writing material</em>.  Head injuries also require a \"time out\" which frees you up to find ....</li>\n	<li><strong><strong>Love.  (The Sexy Italian variety.) </strong></strong>I wrote the \"Engage in Life\" quote on the right sidebar of this blog about a year and a half ago.  It originated as a series of scribbled \"Michelle-isms\" that I sent off to the web designer so that she could get a better feel of  \"this Late Bloomer chick\" when designing the blog.  She loved the quote so much that she asked if she could incorporate it into the design.  I was a bit hesitant at first.  Am I really quote-worthy???  I agreed while second-guessing myself all the while.  Now I NEEDED to hold myself accountable.  <em>If you\'re going to spout wisdom, you better walk your talk, sister!</em>  I walked 365 days of that talk, and then...irony of ironies...while luxuriating in injury-induced free time on a vacation in Italy, the man and the fairy tale found me.</li>\n</ul>\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #800080;\"><strong>What happened after 365 Days?</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI burned out, of course.  I was still nursing that blasted concussion, and I was <em>exhausted</em>.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd here\'s the horrific truth that I must honestly admit to you now:  I stopped Carpe Diem-ing every day.  (<em>Especially</em> after Romeo Mio\'s post-Thanksgiving departure.  Sniff, sniff.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI started watching more and more TV.  My Mom and friends laugh at me when I\'ve mentioned this, but 1-2 shows <em>a night</em> compared to my former 1-2 shows <em>a week</em>, is a lot for me.  Especially when I sank to the TV Pit of Despair:  <em>Toddler\'s &amp; Tiaras</em> and <em>Hoarders</em>.  I told you it was horrific.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIn addition, I started eating too much sugar, stopped working out entirely, and welcomed The Mother of All Procrastinations into my home with open arms.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nUgh.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nArgh.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHumbug.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI suppose I was in a postpartum depression of sorts.  I birthed this blog.  Now what?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAfter a few weeks of this nonsense, I reminded myself that, for me, conscious Carpe Diem-ing is a choice -- a habit that requires honing.  I can live the principles outside of a 365 day project.  Imagine that!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI peeled myself up off my sofa, turned off the damn TV, and kicked The Mother of All Procrastinations to the curb.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI jumped on the green smoothies bandwagon and practiced yoga for 8 days straight.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI soaked up the magic of the holiday season with an Off-Martha-Stewart decorating explosion and a tea party.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI booked a flight for <a href=\"http://www.les3vallees.com/en/accueil.1.l2/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Les Trois Vallées</strong></a> where, after two months apart, Romeo Mio and I will reunite.  How do you say \"Carpe Diem\" in French?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI wishcasted for 2012 along with my <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wish Club</a></strong> inductees, and as soon as I finish tweaking this blog for January 1st\'s launch of Chapter Two, I am beginning my first ever <a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Annual Review à la Chris Guillebeau</strong>.</a>  (Kindly add Chris and June 2011\'s <strong><a href=\"http://worlddominationsummit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">World Domination Summit</a></strong> to the \"Inspiration\" bullet above.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat happens after January 1st?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHint:  It all started <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\n<div></div>','Lessons Learned from My Year of Living Curiously','','inherit','open','open','','8636-revision-68','','','2011-12-30 11:13:17','2011-12-30 18:13:17','',8636,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/8636-revision-68/',0,'revision','',0),(8725,1,'2011-12-30 11:14:26','2011-12-30 18:14:26','Previously, I revealed my <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/27/extra-credit-day-366-top-10-most-curious/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Top 10 Most Curious Moments</strong></a> from my 365 Days of Living Curiously.  At that time (back in October!), I promised to wax philosophically about my year at another time.  \"Another time\" promptly morphed into The Mother of All Procrastinations.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI\'m not sure why I postponed writing this post, considering that the year ranked as My Best Year Yet.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nPerhaps I was burned out from writing 365 posts in just a bit more than 365 days?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOr did the magnitude of this endeavor seem too daunting?  (<em>How on earth</em> do you sum up a life-changing year in a single blog post?)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOr maybe I subconsciously didn\'t want to let go of my precious year?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhatever the case, it\'s time to stop making excuses and CELEBRATE the year.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI originally embarked on The Year of Living Curiously when I found myself in The Mother of All Ruts. I won\'t dig up that sob story again, but if you would like a refresher, you can visit <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBefore descending into a full-blown <del>mid-life</del> existential crisis, I summoned my inner Cher and smacked myself upside the head with a <strong><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x-fkSYDtUY\" target=\"_blank\">\"Snap out of it!\"  </a> </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd my way of snapping out of it was taking on an insane blog project in which I would not only tackle one \"curious\" mini-adventure each day, but also write about it.  (There are uber-uber-talented Professional Super Bloggers out there who take on <strong><a href=\"http://www.corbettbarr.com/what-i-learned-publishing-every-day-for-30-days\" target=\"_blank\">30 DAYS of consecutive blogging as a challenge</a></strong>.  So when I throw out the word \"insane\", I am not over-exaggerating.  I really was <em>that crazy</em>.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #800080;\"><strong>Here is what I learned from my Crazy, Precious, Curious Year:</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Discipline.</strong>  I have always been a fairly disciplined person.  But I am also human, and therefore, I am seduced by the Big Bad Procrastination Wolf just like 95% of the population.  In the past, I blamed my procrastination on my perfectionism, or life getting in the way, or a host of other various excuses, but this year, I had to \"SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP!\"  Cranking out a post a day (while maintaining a full-time day job) is ultramarathon blogging.  If I slacked off on my schedule, I was doomed.  No Big Bad Procrastination Wolf temptation was worth more than my dream or my pride.</li>\n	<li><strong>The true essence of Carpe Diem.</strong>  People have been throwing out the phrase \"Carpe Diem\" for millennia.  It\'s the loveliest of concepts:  Seize the day! <strong><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9781563522956\" target=\"_blank\"> Each day is a gift: That\'s why it\'s called The Present!  </a></strong>Live each day as if it\'s your last!  (The latter always creeps me out a bit, but after losing two family members much too soon, it also resonates.  Loudly.)  Yet who <em>honestly</em> Carpe Diem-s each and every day?  We all know a few of those special people who live Carpe Diem naturally and effortlessly.  I want to be like them.  I strive to be like them.  And this year, I made a <em>conscious choice</em> to live like them each and every day.  I chose one daily thing that piqued my curiosity and embraced it.  Conscious living really works!  Carpe Diem and all that jazz!</li>\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The canine variety.)  </strong>Taking on a 365 day blog project filled almost every second of my day outside of my day job.  I had no room in my life to assume any other responsibilities.  And then Bella (formerly knows as \"Missy\") picked me while I was minding my own beeswax and <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=mingus+manor\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Carpe Diem-ing as a volunteer at an animal sanctuary for senior pets</strong>. </a> My mother advised me to feel the fear and adopt that puppy anyway.  I can\'t imagine this year (and future years) without Little Miss B, the sweetest, smartest, most easygoing <del>muppet</del> pooch on the planet!  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/05/06/day-220-my-dog-hijacked-my-computer/\" target=\"_blank\">(Who is still shamelessly soliciting friends on facebook, by the way!)</a></strong></li>\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The unconditional family and friends variety.)  </strong>Every blogger\'s fear is that their only reader will be their mother.  I am proud to report that my mother AND my father read my blog every day AND provided proofreading services at no charge!  Thank you, Parental Unit!  In addition, my sister followed the blog religiously and often added her witty and offbeat commentary in the comments section.  My dear cousins agreed to embark on a <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/09/10/day-349-arrivederci/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Trip of a Lifetime Adventure</strong> </a>with me so that this Late Bloomer could <em>finally</em> see Europe for the first time.  My friends humored me not only with their readership, but with their willingness to Carpe Diem along with me in adventures great, small, weird, backfired, goofy, and downright ridiculous.  And then new friends aka \"blog readers\" entered my world.  Some of you are a few degrees separated from me through family and friends, and others are not connected to me at all.  I\'ve had visits from 52 countries, including Cameroon and Latvia!  I am humbled and honored that you took interest in my curious capers.  I hope that you received a few laughs and glimmers of inspiration along the way.</li>\n	<li><strong>Taking Risks/Conquering Fears.  </strong>I\'m not thrilled with heights.  I\'m not <em>deathly</em> afraid of them. Just your standard, run-of-the-mill unease that makes brings on nausea and a cold sweat.  And I distinctly remembering telling Sarah at the <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=rock+gym\" target=\"_blank\">Rock Gym,</a></strong> \"If I didn\'t have to write about scaling this bloody wall, I would ask if we could call it a day and grab a coffee instead.\"  Or something to that effect.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/11/day-356-my-very-first-concussion-italian-style/\" target=\"_blank\">I\'m not a fan of falling and nearly splitting my head open either.</a></strong>  And I clearly recall announcing to my cousins, \"If I didn\'t have an audience awaiting news about this Cycling Tour of Tuscany, I would stay the hell away from that bike and sip cappuccinos in the piazza for the rest of the week!\"  You (Readers) + Me = Accountability.  Thank you, my friends!</li>\n	<li><strong>Perseverance.  </strong>365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day = Fun and Inspiration.  365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day + Writing one blog post per day = Fun, Inspiration, and Utter Lunacy.  Utter Lunacy x 365 Days = Mini Meltdowns.  Fortunately, these were not full-blown <em>Julie &amp; Julia</em> meltdowns.  Luckily, I had a sounding board aka Mom.  It didn\'t matter if I was too busy, too overwhelmed, PMS-ing, stressing, tired, sad, exhausted, or loopy from a concussion.  I listened to Nike, and I observed the law of physics that states an object of motion stays in motion.  I kept momentum, and I <em>just did it</em>.  (On a serious note, I lost my beloved grandfather this past year.  I was devastated by the loss, and had I not this blog project to return to, I probably could have plummeted into the darkest of ruts.)</li>\n	<li><strong>Sacrifice.  </strong>Rome wasn\'t built in a day, and blog posts (at least most of mine) aren\'t written in an hour.  Writing requires many hours of solitude.  I turned down many a social invitation this year because I needed to hunker down and write.  Writing is a passion of mine that I enjoy, but in order to make room for dreams, we often have to let go of other diversions.</li>\n	<li><strong>Letting Go.  </strong>I always go to bed with a clean kitchen.  Not this year!  I routinely exercise 6 days a week.  Not this year!  I blow out my hair a couple times a week so that I\'m not sporting a ponytail <em>again</em>.  Not this year!  As long as there wasn\'t food left out in the kitchen, it could wait.  Working out 3-4 days a week was enough.  Ponytails rock!  (See <strong>Sacrifice.</strong>)</li>\n	<li><strong>Inspiration.  </strong>The beauty of a 365 project is that it doles out daily doses of inspiration.  Even when something goes completely and maddeningly wrong -- like crash-boom-splatting in a foreign country and taking home a mangled shoulder and a head injury as a souvenir -- <em>it\'s all writing material</em>.  Head injuries also require a \"time out\" which frees you up to find ....</li>\n	<li><strong><strong>Love.  (The Sexy Italian variety.) </strong></strong>I wrote the \"Engage in Life\" quote on the right sidebar of this blog about a year and a half ago.  It originated as a series of scribbled \"Michelle-isms\" that I sent off to the web designer so that she could get a better feel of  \"this Late Bloomer chick\" when designing the blog.  She loved the quote so much that she asked if she could incorporate it into the design.  I was a bit hesitant at first.  Am I really quote-worthy???  I agreed while second-guessing myself all the while.  Now I NEEDED to hold myself accountable.  <em>If you\'re going to spout wisdom, you better walk your talk, sister!</em>  I walked 365 days of that talk, and then...irony of ironies...while luxuriating in injury-induced free time on a vacation in Italy, the man and the fairy tale found me.</li>\n</ul>\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #800080;\"><strong>What happened after 365 Days?</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI burned out, of course.  I was still nursing that blasted concussion, and I was <em>exhausted</em>.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd here\'s the horrific truth that I must honestly admit to you now:  I stopped Carpe Diem-ing every day.  (<em>Especially</em> after Romeo Mio\'s post-Thanksgiving departure.  Sniff, sniff.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI started watching more and more TV.  My Mom and friends laugh at me when I\'ve mentioned this, but 1-2 shows <em>a night</em> compared to my former 1-2 shows <em>a week</em>, is a lot for me.  Especially when I sank to the TV Pit of Despair:  <em>Toddler\'s &amp; Tiaras</em> and <em>Hoarders</em>.  I told you it was horrific.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIn addition, I started eating too much sugar, stopped working out entirely, and welcomed The Mother of All Procrastinations into my home with open arms.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nUgh.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nArgh.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHumbug.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI suppose I was in a postpartum depression of sorts.  I birthed this blog.  Now what?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAfter a few weeks of this nonsense, I reminded myself that, for me, conscious Carpe Diem-ing is a choice -- a habit that requires honing.  I can live the principles outside of a 365 day project.  Imagine that!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI peeled myself up off my sofa, turned off the damn TV, and kicked The Mother of All Procrastinations to the curb.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI jumped on the green smoothies bandwagon and practiced yoga for 8 days straight.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI soaked up the magic of the holiday season with an Off-Martha-Stewart decorating explosion and a tea party.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI booked a flight for <a href=\"http://www.les3vallees.com/en/accueil.1.l2/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Les Trois Vallées</strong></a> where, after two months apart, Romeo Mio and I will reunite.  How do you say \"Carpe Diem\" in French?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI wishcasted for 2012 along with my <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wish Club</a></strong> inductees, and as soon as I finish tweaking this blog for January 1st\'s launch of Chapter Two, I am beginning my first ever <a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Annual Review à la Chris Guillebeau</strong>.</a>  (Kindly add Chris and June 2011\'s <strong><a href=\"http://worlddominationsummit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">World Domination Summit</a></strong> to the \"Inspiration\" bullet above.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat happens after January 1st?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHint:  It all started <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\n<div></div>','Lessons Learned from My Year of Living Curiously','','inherit','open','open','','8636-revision-69','','','2011-12-30 11:14:26','2011-12-30 18:14:26','',8636,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/8636-revision-69/',0,'revision','',0),(8726,1,'2011-12-30 11:15:19','2011-12-30 18:15:19','Previously, I revealed my <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/27/extra-credit-day-366-top-10-most-curious/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Top 10 Most Curious Moments</strong></a> from my 365 Days of Living Curiously.  At that time (back in October!), I promised to wax philosophically about my year at another time.  \"Another time\" promptly morphed into The Mother of All Procrastinations.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI\'m not sure why I postponed writing this post, considering that the year ranked as My Best Year Yet.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPerhaps I was burned out from writing 365 posts in just a bit more than 365 days?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOr did the magnitude of this endeavor seem too daunting?  (<em>How on earth</em> do you sum up a life-changing year in a single blog post?)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOr maybe I subconsciously didn\'t want to let go of my precious year?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhatever the case, it\'s time to stop making excuses and CELEBRATE the year.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI originally embarked on The Year of Living Curiously when I found myself in The Mother of All Ruts. I won\'t dig up that sob story again, but if you would like a refresher, you can visit <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBefore descending into a full-blown <del>mid-life</del> existential crisis, I summoned my inner Cher and smacked myself upside the head with a <strong><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x-fkSYDtUY\" target=\"_blank\">\"Snap out of it!\"  </a> </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd my way of snapping out of it was taking on an insane blog project in which I would not only tackle one \"curious\" mini-adventure each day, but also write about it.  (There are uber-uber-talented Professional Super Bloggers out there who take on <strong><a href=\"http://www.corbettbarr.com/what-i-learned-publishing-every-day-for-30-days\" target=\"_blank\">30 DAYS of consecutive blogging as a challenge</a></strong>.  So when I throw out the word \"insane\", I am not over-exaggerating.  I really was <em>that crazy</em>.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #800080;\"><strong>Here is what I learned from my Crazy, Precious, Curious Year:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><strong>Discipline.</strong>  I have always been a fairly disciplined person.  But I am also human, and therefore, I am seduced by the Big Bad Procrastination Wolf just like 95% of the population.  In the past, I blamed my procrastination on my perfectionism, or life getting in the way, or a host of other various excuses, but this year, I had to \"SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP!\"  Cranking out a post a day (while maintaining a full-time day job) is ultramarathon blogging.  If I slacked off on my schedule, I was doomed.  No Big Bad Procrastination Wolf temptation was worth more than my dream or my pride.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>The true essence of Carpe Diem.</strong>  People have been throwing out the phrase \"Carpe Diem\" for millennia.  It\'s the loveliest of concepts:  Seize the day! <strong><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9781563522956\" target=\"_blank\"> Each day is a gift: That\'s why it\'s called The Present!  </a></strong>Live each day as if it\'s your last!  (The latter always creeps me out a bit, but after losing two family members much too soon, it also resonates.  Loudly.)  Yet who <em>honestly</em> Carpe Diem-s each and every day?  We all know a few of those special people who live Carpe Diem naturally and effortlessly.  I want to be like them.  I strive to be like them.  And this year, I made a <em>conscious choice</em> to live like them each and every day.  I chose one daily thing that piqued my curiosity and embraced it.  Conscious living really works!  Carpe Diem and all that jazz!</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The canine variety.)  </strong>Taking on a 365 day blog project filled almost every second of my day outside of my day job.  I had no room in my life to assume any other responsibilities.  And then Bella (formerly knows as \"Missy\") picked me while I was minding my own beeswax and <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=mingus+manor\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Carpe Diem-ing as a volunteer at an animal sanctuary for senior pets</strong>. </a> My mother advised me to feel the fear and adopt that puppy anyway.  I can\'t imagine this year (and future years) without Little Miss B, the sweetest, smartest, most easygoing <del>muppet</del> pooch on the planet!  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/05/06/day-220-my-dog-hijacked-my-computer/\" target=\"_blank\">(Who is still shamelessly soliciting friends on facebook, by the way!)</a></strong></li>\r\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The unconditional family and friends variety.)  </strong>Every blogger\'s fear is that their only reader will be their mother.  I am proud to report that my mother AND my father read my blog every day AND provided proofreading services at no charge!  Thank you, Parental Unit!  In addition, my sister followed the blog religiously and often added her witty and offbeat commentary in the comments section.  My dear cousins agreed to embark on a <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/09/10/day-349-arrivederci/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Trip of a Lifetime Adventure</strong> </a>with me so that this Late Bloomer could <em>finally</em> see Europe for the first time.  My friends humored me not only with their readership, but with their willingness to Carpe Diem along with me in adventures great, small, weird, backfired, goofy, and downright ridiculous.  And then new friends aka \"blog readers\" entered my world.  Some of you are a few degrees separated from me through family and friends, and others are not connected to me at all.  I\'ve had visits from 52 countries, including Cameroon and Latvia!  I am humbled and honored that you took interest in my curious capers.  I hope that you received a few laughs and glimmers of inspiration along the way.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Taking Risks/Conquering Fears.  </strong>I\'m not thrilled with heights.  I\'m not <em>deathly</em> afraid of them. Just your standard, run-of-the-mill unease that makes brings on nausea and a cold sweat.  And I distinctly remembering telling Sarah at the <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=rock+gym\" target=\"_blank\">Rock Gym,</a></strong> \"If I didn\'t have to write about scaling this bloody wall, I would ask if we could call it a day and grab a coffee instead.\"  Or something to that effect.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/11/day-356-my-very-first-concussion-italian-style/\" target=\"_blank\">I\'m not a fan of falling and nearly splitting my head open either.</a></strong>  And I clearly recall announcing to my cousins, \"If I didn\'t have an audience awaiting news about this Cycling Tour of Tuscany, I would stay the hell away from that bike and sip cappuccinos in the piazza for the rest of the week!\"  You (Readers) + Me = Accountability.  Thank you, my friends!</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Perseverance.  </strong>365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day = Fun and Inspiration.  365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day + Writing one blog post per day = Fun, Inspiration, and Utter Lunacy.  Utter Lunacy x 365 Days = Mini Meltdowns.  Fortunately, these were not full-blown <em>Julie &amp; Julia</em> meltdowns.  Luckily, I had a sounding board aka Mom.  It didn\'t matter if I was too busy, too overwhelmed, PMS-ing, stressing, tired, sad, exhausted, or loopy from a concussion.  I listened to Nike, and I observed the law of physics that states an object of motion stays in motion.  I kept up momentum, and I <em>just did it</em>.  (On a serious note, I lost my beloved grandfather this past year.  I was devastated by the loss, and had I not this blog project to return to, I probably could have plummeted into the darkest of ruts.)</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Sacrifice.  </strong>Rome wasn\'t built in a day, and blog posts (at least most of mine) aren\'t written in an hour.  Writing requires many hours of solitude.  I turned down many a social invitation this year because I needed to hunker down and write.  Writing is a passion of mine that I enjoy, but in order to make room for dreams, we often have to let go of other diversions.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Letting Go.  </strong>I always go to bed with a clean kitchen.  Not this year!  I routinely exercise 6 days a week.  Not this year!  I blow out my hair a couple times a week so that I\'m not sporting a ponytail <em>again</em>.  Not this year!  As long as there wasn\'t food left out in the kitchen, it could wait.  Working out 3-4 days a week was enough.  Ponytails rock!  (See <strong>Sacrifice.</strong>)</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Inspiration.  </strong>The beauty of a 365 project is that it doles out daily doses of inspiration.  Even when something goes completely and maddeningly wrong -- like crash-boom-splatting in a foreign country and taking home a mangled shoulder and a head injury as a souvenir -- <em>it\'s all writing material</em>.  Head injuries also require a \"time out\" which frees you up to find ....</li>\r\n	<li><strong><strong>Love.  (The Sexy Italian variety.) </strong></strong>I wrote the \"Engage in Life\" quote on the right sidebar of this blog about a year and a half ago.  It originated as a series of scribbled \"Michelle-isms\" that I sent off to the web designer so that she could get a better feel of  \"this Late Bloomer chick\" when designing the blog.  She loved the quote so much that she asked if she could incorporate it into the design.  I was a bit hesitant at first.  Am I really quote-worthy???  I agreed while second-guessing myself all the while.  Now I NEEDED to hold myself accountable.  <em>If you\'re going to spout wisdom, you better walk your talk, sister!</em>  I walked 365 days of that talk, and then...irony of ironies...while luxuriating in injury-induced free time on a vacation in Italy, the man and the fairy tale found me.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #800080;\"><strong>What happened after 365 Days?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI burned out, of course.  I was still nursing that blasted concussion, and I was <em>exhausted</em>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd here\'s the horrific truth that I must honestly admit to you now:  I stopped Carpe Diem-ing every day.  (<em>Especially</em> after Romeo Mio\'s post-Thanksgiving departure.  Sniff, sniff.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI started watching more and more TV.  My Mom and friends laugh at me when I\'ve mentioned this, but 1-2 shows <em>a night</em> compared to my former 1-2 shows <em>a week</em>, is a lot for me.  Especially when I sank to the TV Pit of Despair:  <em>Toddler\'s &amp; Tiaras</em> and <em>Hoarders</em>.  I told you it was horrific.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIn addition, I started eating too much sugar, stopped working out entirely, and welcomed The Mother of All Procrastinations into my home with open arms.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nUgh.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nArgh.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHumbug.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI suppose I was in a postpartum depression of sorts.  I birthed this blog.  Now what?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a few weeks of this nonsense, I reminded myself that, for me, conscious Carpe Diem-ing is a choice -- a habit that requires honing.  I can live the principles outside of a 365 day project.  Imagine that!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI peeled myself up off my sofa, turned off the damn TV, and kicked The Mother of All Procrastinations to the curb.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI jumped on the green smoothies bandwagon and practiced yoga for 8 days straight.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI soaked up the magic of the holiday season with an Off-Martha-Stewart decorating explosion and a tea party.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI booked a flight for <a href=\"http://www.les3vallees.com/en/accueil.1.l2/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Les Trois Vallées</strong></a> where, after two months apart, Romeo Mio and I will reunite.  How do you say \"Carpe Diem\" in French?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI wishcasted for 2012 along with my <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wish Club</a></strong> inductees, and as soon as I finish tweaking this blog for January 1st\'s launch of Chapter Two, I am beginning my first ever <a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Annual Review à la Chris Guillebeau</strong>.</a>  (Kindly add Chris and June 2011\'s <strong><a href=\"http://worlddominationsummit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">World Domination Summit</a></strong> to the \"Inspiration\" bullet above.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat happens after January 1st?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHint:  It all started <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\r\n<div></div>','Lessons Learned from My Year of Living Curiously','','inherit','open','open','','8636-revision-70','','','2011-12-30 11:15:19','2011-12-30 18:15:19','',8636,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/8636-revision-70/',0,'revision','',0),(8727,1,'2011-12-30 11:17:21','2011-12-30 18:17:21','Previously, I revealed my <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/27/extra-credit-day-366-top-10-most-curious/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Top 10 Most Curious Moments</strong></a> from my 365 Days of Living Curiously.  At that time (back in October!), I promised to wax philosophically about my year at another time.  \"Another time\" promptly morphed into The Mother of All Procrastinations.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI\'m not sure why I postponed writing this post, considering that the year ranked as My Best Year Yet.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nPerhaps I was burned out from writing 365 posts in just a bit more than 365 days?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOr did the magnitude of this endeavor seem too daunting?  (<em>How on earth</em> do you sum up a life-changing year in a single blog post?)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOr maybe I subconsciously didn\'t want to let go of my precious year?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhatever the case, it\'s time to stop making excuses and CELEBRATE the year.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI originally embarked on The Year of Living Curiously when I found myself in The Mother of All Ruts. I won\'t dig up that sob story again, but if you would like a refresher, you can visit <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBefore descending into a full-blown <del>mid-life</del> existential crisis, I summoned my inner Cher and smacked myself upside the head with a <strong><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x-fkSYDtUY\" target=\"_blank\">\"Snap out of it!\"  </a> </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd my way of snapping out of it was taking on an insane blog project in which I would not only tackle one \"curious\" mini-adventure each day, but also write about it.  (There are uber-uber-talented Professional Super Bloggers out there who take on <strong><a href=\"http://www.corbettbarr.com/what-i-learned-publishing-every-day-for-30-days\" target=\"_blank\">30 DAYS of consecutive blogging as a challenge</a></strong>.  So when I throw out the word \"insane\", I am not over-exaggerating.  I really was <em>that crazy</em>.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #800080;\"><strong>Here is what I learned from my Crazy, Precious, Curious Year:</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Discipline.</strong>  I have always been a fairly disciplined person.  But I am also human, and therefore, I am seduced by the Big Bad Procrastination Wolf just like 95% of the population.  In the past, I blamed my procrastination on my perfectionism, or life getting in the way, or a host of other various excuses, but this year, I had to \"SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP!\"  Cranking out a post a day (while maintaining a full-time day job) is ultramarathon blogging.  If I slacked off on my schedule, I was doomed.  No Big Bad Procrastination Wolf temptation was worth more than my dream or my pride.</li>\n	<li><strong>The true essence of Carpe Diem.</strong>  People have been throwing out the phrase \"Carpe Diem\" for millennia.  It\'s the loveliest of concepts:  Seize the day! <strong><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9781563522956\" target=\"_blank\"> Each day is a gift: That\'s why it\'s called The Present!  </a></strong>Live each day as if it\'s your last!  (The latter always creeps me out a bit, but after losing two family members much too soon, it also resonates.  Loudly.)  Yet who <em>honestly</em> Carpe Diem-s each and every day?  We all know a few of those special people who live Carpe Diem naturally and effortlessly.  I want to be like them.  I strive to be like them.  And this year, I made a <em>conscious choice</em> to live like them each and every day.  I chose one daily thing that piqued my curiosity and embraced it.  Conscious living really works!  Carpe Diem and all that jazz!</li>\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The canine variety.)  </strong>Taking on a 365 day blog project filled almost every second of my day outside of my day job.  I had no room in my life to assume any other responsibilities.  And then Bella (formerly knows as \"Missy\") picked me while I was minding my own beeswax and <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=mingus+manor\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Carpe Diem-ing as a volunteer at an animal sanctuary for senior pets</strong>. </a> My mother advised me to feel the fear and adopt that puppy anyway.  I can\'t imagine this year (and future years) without Little Miss B, the sweetest, smartest, most easygoing <del>muppet</del> pooch on the planet!  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/05/06/day-220-my-dog-hijacked-my-computer/\" target=\"_blank\">(Who is still shamelessly soliciting friends on facebook, by the way!)</a></strong></li>\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The unconditional family and friends variety.)  </strong>Every blogger\'s fear is that their only reader will be their mother.  I am proud to report that my mother AND my father read my blog every day AND provided proofreading services at no charge!  Thank you, Parental Unit!  In addition, my sister followed the blog religiously and often added her witty and offbeat commentary in the comments section.  My dear cousins agreed to embark on a <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/09/10/day-349-arrivederci/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Trip of a Lifetime Adventure</strong> </a>with me so that this Late Bloomer could <em>finally</em> see Europe for the first time.  My friends humored me not only with their readership, but with their willingness to Carpe Diem along with me in adventures great, small, weird, backfired, goofy, and downright ridiculous.  And then new friends aka \"blog readers\" entered my world.  Some of you are a few degrees separated from me through family and friends, and others are not connected to me at all.  I\'ve had visits from 52 countries, including Cameroon and Latvia!  I am humbled and honored that you took interest in my curious capers.  I hope that you received a few laughs and glimmers of inspiration along the way.</li>\n	<li><strong>Taking Risks/Conquering Fears.  </strong>I\'m not thrilled with heights.  I\'m not <em>deathly</em> afraid of them. Just your standard, run-of-the-mill unease that makes brings on nausea and a cold sweat.  And I distinctly remembering telling Sarah at the <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=rock+gym\" target=\"_blank\">Rock Gym,</a></strong> \"If I didn\'t have to write about scaling this bloody wall, I would ask if we could call it a day and grab a coffee instead.\"  Or something to that effect.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/11/day-356-my-very-first-concussion-italian-style/\" target=\"_blank\">I\'m not a fan of falling and nearly splitting my head open either.</a></strong>  And I clearly recall announcing to my cousins, \"If I didn\'t have an audience awaiting news about this Cycling Tour of Tuscany, I would stay the hell away from that bike and sip cappuccinos in the piazza for the rest of the week!\"  You (Readers) + Me = Accountability.  Thank you, my friends!</li>\n	<li><strong>Perseverance.  </strong>365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day = Fun and Inspiration.  365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day + Writing one blog post per day = Fun, Inspiration, and Utter Lunacy.  Utter Lunacy x 365 Days = Mini Meltdowns.  Fortunately, these were not full-blown <em>Julie &amp; Julia</em> meltdowns.  Luckily, I had a sounding board aka Mom.  It didn\'t matter if I was too busy, too overwhelmed, PMS-ing, stressing, tired, sad, exhausted, or loopy from a concussion.  I listened to Nike, and I observed the law of physics that states an object of motion stays in motion.  I kept up momentum, and I <em>just did it</em>.  (On a serious note, I lost my beloved grandfather this past year.  I was devastated by the loss, and if I didn\'t have the blog project to return to, I probably could have plummeted into the darkest of ruts.)</li>\n	<li><strong>Sacrifice.  </strong>Rome wasn\'t built in a day, and blog posts (at least most of mine) aren\'t written in an hour.  Writing requires many hours of solitude.  I turned down many a social invitation this year because I needed to hunker down and write.  Writing is a passion of mine that I enjoy, and in order to make room for dreams, we often have to let go of other diversions.</li>\n	<li><strong>Letting Go.  </strong>I always go to bed with a clean kitchen.  Not this year!  I routinely exercise 6 days a week.  Not this year!  I blow out my hair a couple times a week so that I\'m not sporting a ponytail <em>again</em>.  Not this year!  As long as there wasn\'t food left out in the kitchen, it could wait.  Working out 3-4 days a week was enough.  Ponytails rock!  (See <strong>Sacrifice.</strong>)</li>\n	<li><strong>Inspiration.  </strong>The beauty of a 365 project is that it doles out daily doses of inspiration.  Even when something goes completely and maddeningly wrong -- like crash-boom-splatting in a foreign country and taking home a mangled shoulder and a head injury as a souvenir -- <em>it\'s all writing material</em>.  Head injuries also require a \"time out\" which frees you up to find ....</li>\n	<li><strong><strong>Love.  (The Sexy Italian variety.) </strong></strong>I wrote the \"Engage in Life\" quote on the right sidebar of this blog about a year and a half ago.  It originated as a series of scribbled \"Michelle-isms\" that I sent off to the web designer so that she could get a better feel of  \"this Late Bloomer chick\" when designing the blog.  She loved the quote so much that she asked if she could incorporate it into the design.  I was a bit hesitant at first.  Am I really quote-worthy???  I agreed while second-guessing myself all the while.  Now I NEEDED to hold myself accountable.  <em>If you\'re going to spout wisdom, you better walk your talk, sister!</em>  I walked 365 days of that talk, and then...irony of ironies...while luxuriating in injury-induced free time on a vacation in Italy, the man and the fairy tale found me.</li>\n</ul>\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #800080;\"><strong>What happened after 365 Days?</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI burned out, of course.  I was still nursing that blasted concussion, and I was <em>exhausted</em>.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd here\'s the horrific truth that I must honestly admit to you now:  I stopped Carpe Diem-ing every day.  (<em>Especially</em> after Romeo Mio\'s post-Thanksgiving departure.  Sniff, sniff.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI started watching more and more TV.  My Mom and friends laugh at me when I\'ve mentioned this, but 1-2 shows <em>a night</em> compared to my former 1-2 shows <em>a week</em>, is a lot for me.  Especially when I sank to the TV Pit of Despair:  <em>Toddler\'s &amp; Tiaras</em> and <em>Hoarders</em>.  I told you it was horrific.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIn addition, I started eating too much sugar, stopped working out entirely, and welcomed The Mother of All Procrastinations into my home with open arms.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nUgh.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nArgh.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHumbug.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI suppose I was in a postpartum depression of sorts.  I birthed this blog.  Now what?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAfter a few weeks of this nonsense, I reminded myself that, for me, conscious Carpe Diem-ing is a choice -- a habit that requires honing.  I can live the principles outside of a 365 day project.  Imagine that!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI peeled myself up off my sofa, turned off the damn TV, and kicked The Mother of All Procrastinations to the curb.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI jumped on the green smoothies bandwagon and practiced yoga for 8 days straight.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI soaked up the magic of the holiday season with an Off-Martha-Stewart decorating explosion and a tea party.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI booked a flight for <a href=\"http://www.les3vallees.com/en/accueil.1.l2/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Les Trois Vallées</strong></a> where, after two months apart, Romeo Mio and I will reunite.  How do you say \"Carpe Diem\" in French?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI wishcasted for 2012 along with my <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wish Club</a></strong> inductees, and as soon as I finish tweaking this blog for January 1st\'s launch of Chapter Two, I am beginning my first ever <a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Annual Review à la Chris Guillebeau</strong>.</a>  (Kindly add Chris and June 2011\'s <strong><a href=\"http://worlddominationsummit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">World Domination Summit</a></strong> to the \"Inspiration\" bullet above.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat happens after January 1st?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHint:  It all started <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\n<div></div>','Lessons Learned from My Year of Living Curiously','','inherit','open','open','','8636-revision-71','','','2011-12-30 11:17:21','2011-12-30 18:17:21','',8636,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/8636-revision-71/',0,'revision','',0),(8728,1,'2011-12-30 11:20:27','2011-12-30 18:20:27','Previously, I revealed my <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/27/extra-credit-day-366-top-10-most-curious/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Top 10 Most Curious Moments</strong></a> from my 365 Days of Living Curiously.  At that time (back in October!), I promised to wax philosophically about my year at another time.  \"Another time\" promptly morphed into The Mother of All Procrastinations.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI\'m not sure why I postponed writing this post, considering that the year ranked as My Best Year Yet.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nPerhaps I was burned out from writing 365 posts in just a bit more than 365 days?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOr did the magnitude of this endeavor seem too daunting?  (<em>How on earth</em> do you sum up a life-changing year in a single blog post?)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOr maybe I subconsciously didn\'t want to let go of my precious year?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhatever the case, it\'s time to stop making excuses and CELEBRATE the year.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI originally embarked on The Year of Living Curiously when I found myself in The Mother of All Ruts. I won\'t dig up that sob story again, but if you would like a refresher, you can visit <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBefore descending into a full-blown <del>mid-life</del> existential crisis, I summoned my inner Cher and smacked myself upside the head with a <strong><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x-fkSYDtUY\" target=\"_blank\">\"Snap out of it!\"  </a> </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd my way of snapping out of it was taking on an insane blog project in which I would not only tackle one \"curious\" mini-adventure each day, but also write about it.  (There are uber-uber-talented Professional Super Bloggers out there who take on <strong><a href=\"http://www.corbettbarr.com/what-i-learned-publishing-every-day-for-30-days\" target=\"_blank\">30 DAYS of consecutive blogging as a challenge</a></strong>.  So when I throw out the word \"insane\", I am not over-exaggerating.  I really was <em>that crazy</em>.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #800080;\"><strong>Here is what I learned from my Crazy, Precious, Curious Year:</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Discipline.</strong>  I have always been a fairly disciplined person.  But I am also human, and therefore, I am seduced by the Big Bad Procrastination Wolf just like 95% of the population.  In the past, I blamed my procrastination on my perfectionism, or life getting in the way, or a host of other various excuses, but this year, I had to \"SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP!\"  Cranking out a post a day (while maintaining a full-time day job) is ultramarathon blogging.  If I slacked off on my schedule, I was doomed.  No Big Bad Procrastination Wolf temptation was worth more than my dream or my pride.</li>\n	<li><strong>The true essence of Carpe Diem.</strong>  People have been throwing out the phrase \"Carpe Diem\" for millennia.  It\'s the loveliest of concepts:  Seize the day! <strong><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9781563522956\" target=\"_blank\"> Each day is a gift: That\'s why it\'s called The Present!  </a></strong>Live each day as if it\'s your last!  (The latter always creeps me out a bit, but after losing two family members much too soon, it also resonates.  Loudly.)  Yet who <em>honestly</em> Carpe Diem-s each and every day?  We all know a few of those special people who live Carpe Diem naturally and effortlessly.  I want to be like them.  I strive to be like them.  And this year, I made a <em>conscious choice</em> to live like them each and every day.  I chose one daily thing that piqued my curiosity and embraced it.  Conscious living really works!  Carpe Diem and all that jazz!</li>\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The canine variety.)  </strong>Taking on a 365 day blog project filled almost every second of my day outside of my day job.  I had no room in my life to assume any other responsibilities.  And then Bella (formerly knows as \"Missy\") picked me while I was minding my own beeswax and <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=mingus+manor\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Carpe Diem-ing as a volunteer at an animal sanctuary for senior pets</strong>. </a> My mother advised me to feel the fear and adopt that puppy anyway.  I can\'t imagine this year (and future years) without Little Miss B, the sweetest, smartest, most easygoing <del>muppet</del> pooch on the planet!  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/05/06/day-220-my-dog-hijacked-my-computer/\" target=\"_blank\">(Who is still shamelessly soliciting friends on facebook, by the way!)</a></strong></li>\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The unconditional family and friends variety.)  </strong>Every blogger\'s fear is that their only reader will be their mother.  I am proud to report that my mother AND my father read my blog every day AND provided proofreading services at no charge!  Thank you, Parental Unit!  In addition, my sister followed the blog religiously and often added her witty and offbeat commentary in the comments section.  My dear cousins agreed to embark on a <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/09/10/day-349-arrivederci/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Trip of a Lifetime Adventure</strong> </a>with me so that this Late Bloomer could <em>finally</em> see Europe for the first time.  My friends humored me not only with their readership, but with their willingness to Carpe Diem along with me in adventures great, small, weird, backfired, goofy, and downright ridiculous.  And then new friends aka \"blog readers\" entered my world.  Some of you are a few degrees separated from me through family and friends, and others are not connected to me at all.  I\'ve had visits from 52 countries, including Cameroon and Latvia!  I am humbled and honored that you took interest in my curious capers.  I hope that you received a few laughs and glimmers of inspiration along the way.</li>\n	<li><strong>Taking Risks/Conquering Fears.  </strong>I\'m not thrilled with heights.  I\'m not <em>deathly</em> afraid of them. Just your standard, run-of-the-mill unease that makes brings on nausea and a cold sweat.  And I distinctly remembering telling Sarah at the <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=rock+gym\" target=\"_blank\">Rock Gym,</a></strong> \"If I didn\'t have to write about scaling this bloody wall, I would ask if we could call it a day and grab a coffee instead.\"  Or something to that effect.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/11/day-356-my-very-first-concussion-italian-style/\" target=\"_blank\">I\'m not a fan of falling and nearly splitting my head open either.</a></strong>  And I clearly recall announcing to my cousins, \"If I didn\'t have an audience awaiting news about this Cycling Tour of Tuscany, I would stay the hell away from that bike and sip cappuccinos in the piazza for the rest of the week!\"  You (Readers) + Me = Accountability.  Thank you, my friends!</li>\n	<li><strong>Perseverance.  </strong>365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day = Fun and Inspiration.  365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day + Writing one blog post per day = Fun, Inspiration, and Utter Lunacy.  Utter Lunacy x 365 Days = Mini Meltdowns.  Fortunately, these were not full-blown <em>Julie &amp; Julia</em> meltdowns.  Luckily, I had a sounding board aka Mom.  It didn\'t matter if I was too busy, too overwhelmed, PMS-ing, stressing, tired, sad, exhausted, or loopy from a concussion.  I listened to Nike, and I observed the law of physics that states an object of motion stays in motion.  I kept up momentum, and I <em>just did it</em>.  (On a serious note, I lost my beloved grandfather this past year.  I was devastated by the loss, and if I didn\'t have the blog project to return to, I probably could have plummeted into the darkest of ruts.)</li>\n	<li><strong>Sacrifice.  </strong>Rome wasn\'t built in a day, and blog posts (at least most of mine) aren\'t written in an hour.  Writing requires many hours of solitude.  I turned down many a social invitation this year because I needed to hunker down and write.  Writing is a passion of mine that I enjoy, and in order to make room for dreams, we often have to let go of other diversions.</li>\n	<li><strong>Letting Go.  </strong>I always go to bed with a clean kitchen.  Not this year!  I routinely exercise 6 days a week.  Not this year!  I blow out my hair a couple times a week so that I\'m not sporting a ponytail <em>again</em>.  Not this year!  As long as there wasn\'t food left out in the kitchen, it could wait.  Working out 3-4 days a week was enough.  Ponytails rock!  (See <strong>Sacrifice.</strong>)</li>\n	<li><strong>Inspiration.  </strong>The beauty of a 365 project is that it doles out daily doses of inspiration.  Even when something goes completely and maddeningly wrong -- like crash-boom-splatting in a foreign country and taking home a mangled shoulder and a head injury as a souvenir -- <em>it\'s all writing material</em>.  Head injuries also require a \"time out\" which frees you up to find ....</li>\n	<li><strong><strong>Love.  (The Sexy Italian variety.) </strong></strong>I wrote the \"Engage in Life\" quote on the right sidebar of this blog about a year and a half ago.  It originated as a series of scribbled \"Michelle-isms\" that I sent off to the web designer so that she could get a better feel of  \"this Late Bloomer chick\" when designing the blog.  She loved the quote so much that she asked if she could incorporate it into the design.  I was a bit hesitant at first.  Am I really quote-worthy???  I agreed while second-guessing myself all the while.  Now I NEEDED to hold myself accountable.  <em>If you\'re going to spout wisdom, you better walk your talk, sister!</em>  I walked 365 days of that talk, and then...irony of ironies...while luxuriating in injury-induced free time on a vacation in Italy, the man and the fairy tale found me.</li>\n</ul>\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #800080;\"><strong>What happened after 365 Days?</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI burned out, of course.  I was still nursing that blasted concussion, and I was <em>exhausted</em>.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd here\'s the horrific truth that I must honestly admit to you now:  I stopped Carpe Diem-ing every day.  (<em>Especially</em> after Romeo Mio\'s post-Thanksgiving departure.  Sniff, sniff.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI started watching more and more TV.  My Mom and friends laugh at me when I\'ve mentioned this, but 1-2 shows <em>a night</em> compared to my former 1-2 shows <em>a week</em>, is a lot for me.  Especially when I sank to the TV Pit of Despair:  <em>Toddler\'s &amp; Tiaras</em> and <em>Hoarders</em>.  I told you it was horrific.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIn addition, I started eating too much sugar, stopped working out entirely, and welcomed The Mother of All Procrastinations into my home with open arms.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nUgh.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nArgh.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHumbug.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI suppose I was in a postpartum depression of sorts.  I birthed this blog.  Now what?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAfter a few weeks of this nonsense, I reminded myself that, for me, conscious Carpe Diem-ing is a choice -- a habit that requires honing.  I can live the principles outside of a 365 day project.  Imagine that!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI peeled myself up off my sofa, turned off the damn TV, and kicked The Mother of All Procrastinations to the curb.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI jumped on the green smoothies bandwagon and practiced yoga for 8 days straight.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>I soaked up the magic of the holiday season with an Off-Martha-Stewart decorating explosion and a tea party.</strong></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI booked a flight for <a href=\"http://www.les3vallees.com/en/accueil.1.l2/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Les Trois Vallées</strong></a> where, after two months apart, Romeo Mio and I will reunite.  How do you say \"Carpe Diem\" in French?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI wishcasted for 2012 along with my <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wish Club</a></strong> inductees, and as soon as I finish tweaking this blog for January 1st\'s launch of Chapter Two, I am beginning my first ever <a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Annual Review à la Chris Guillebeau</strong>.</a>  (Kindly add Chris and June 2011\'s <strong><a href=\"http://worlddominationsummit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">World Domination Summit</a></strong> to the \"Inspiration\" bullet above.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat happens after January 1st?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHint:  It all started <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\n<div></div>','Lessons Learned from My Year of Living Curiously','','inherit','open','open','','8636-revision-72','','','2011-12-30 11:20:27','2011-12-30 18:20:27','',8636,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/8636-revision-72/',0,'revision','',0),(8729,1,'2011-12-30 11:22:27','2011-12-30 18:22:27','Previously, I revealed my <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/27/extra-credit-day-366-top-10-most-curious/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Top 10 Most Curious Moments</strong></a> from my 365 Days of Living Curiously.  At that time (back in October!), I promised to wax philosophically about my year at another time.  \"Another time\" promptly morphed into The Mother of All Procrastinations.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI\'m not sure why I postponed writing this post, considering that the year ranked as My Best Year Yet.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nPerhaps I was burned out from writing 365 posts in just a bit more than 365 days?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOr did the magnitude of this endeavor seem too daunting?  (<em>How on earth</em> do you sum up a life-changing year in a single blog post?)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOr maybe I subconsciously didn\'t want to let go of my precious year?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhatever the case, it\'s time to stop making excuses and CELEBRATE the year.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI originally embarked on The Year of Living Curiously when I found myself in The Mother of All Ruts. I won\'t dig up that sob story again, but if you would like a refresher, you can visit <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBefore descending into a full-blown <del>mid-life</del> existential crisis, I summoned my inner Cher and smacked myself upside the head with a <strong><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x-fkSYDtUY\" target=\"_blank\">\"Snap out of it!\"  </a> </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd my way of snapping out of it was taking on an insane blog project in which I would not only tackle one \"curious\" mini-adventure each day, but also write about it.  (There are uber-uber-talented Professional Super Bloggers out there who take on <strong><a href=\"http://www.corbettbarr.com/what-i-learned-publishing-every-day-for-30-days\" target=\"_blank\">30 DAYS of consecutive blogging as a challenge</a></strong>.  So when I throw out the word \"insane\", I am not over-exaggerating.  I really was <em>that crazy</em>.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #800080;\"><strong>Here is what I learned from my Crazy, Precious, Curious Year:</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Discipline.</strong>  I have always been a fairly disciplined person.  But I am also human, and therefore, I am seduced by the Big Bad Procrastination Wolf just like 95% of the population.  In the past, I blamed my procrastination on my perfectionism, or life getting in the way, or a host of other various excuses, but this year, I had to \"SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP!\"  Cranking out a post a day (while maintaining a full-time day job) is ultramarathon blogging.  If I slacked off on my schedule, I was doomed.  No Big Bad Procrastination Wolf temptation was worth more than my dream or my pride.</li>\n	<li><strong>The true essence of Carpe Diem.</strong>  People have been throwing out the phrase \"Carpe Diem\" for millennia.  It\'s the loveliest of concepts:  Seize the day! <strong><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9781563522956\" target=\"_blank\"> Each day is a gift: That\'s why it\'s called The Present!  </a></strong>Live each day as if it\'s your last!  (The latter always creeps me out a bit, but after losing two family members much too soon, it also resonates.  Loudly.)  Yet who <em>honestly</em> Carpe Diem-s each and every day?  We all know a few of those special people who live Carpe Diem naturally and effortlessly.  I want to be like them.  I strive to be like them.  And this year, I made a <em>conscious choice</em> to live like them each and every day.  I chose one daily thing that piqued my curiosity and embraced it.  Conscious living really works!  Carpe Diem and all that jazz!</li>\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The canine variety.)  </strong>Taking on a 365 day blog project filled almost every second of my day outside of my day job.  I had no room in my life to assume any other responsibilities.  And then Bella (formerly knows as \"Missy\") picked me while I was minding my own beeswax and <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=mingus+manor\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Carpe Diem-ing as a volunteer at an animal sanctuary for senior pets</strong>. </a> My mother advised me to feel the fear and adopt that puppy anyway.  I can\'t imagine this year (and future years) without Little Miss B, the sweetest, smartest, most easygoing <del>muppet</del> pooch on the planet!  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/05/06/day-220-my-dog-hijacked-my-computer/\" target=\"_blank\">(Who is still shamelessly soliciting friends on facebook, by the way!)</a></strong></li>\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The unconditional family and friends variety.)  </strong>Every blogger\'s fear is that their only reader will be their mother.  I am proud to report that my mother AND my father read my blog every day AND provided proofreading services at no charge!  Thank you, Parental Unit!  In addition, my sister followed the blog religiously and often added her witty and offbeat commentary in the comments section.  My dear cousins agreed to embark on a <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/09/10/day-349-arrivederci/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Trip of a Lifetime Adventure</strong> </a>with me so that this Late Bloomer could <em>finally</em> see Europe for the first time.  My friends humored me not only with their readership, but with their willingness to Carpe Diem along with me in adventures great, small, weird, backfired, goofy, and downright ridiculous.  And then new friends aka \"blog readers\" entered my world.  Some of you are a few degrees separated from me through family and friends, and others are not connected to me at all.  I\'ve had visits from 52 countries, including Cameroon and Latvia!  I am humbled and honored that you took interest in my curious capers.  I hope that you received a few laughs and glimmers of inspiration along the way.</li>\n	<li><strong>Taking Risks/Conquering Fears.  </strong>I\'m not thrilled with heights.  I\'m not <em>deathly</em> afraid of them. Just your standard, run-of-the-mill unease that makes brings on nausea and a cold sweat.  And I distinctly remembering telling Sarah at the <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=rock+gym\" target=\"_blank\">Rock Gym,</a></strong> \"If I didn\'t have to write about scaling this bloody wall, I would ask if we could call it a day and grab a coffee instead.\"  Or something to that effect.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/11/day-356-my-very-first-concussion-italian-style/\" target=\"_blank\">I\'m not a fan of falling and nearly splitting my head open either.</a></strong>  And I clearly recall announcing to my cousins, \"If I didn\'t have an audience awaiting news about this Cycling Tour of Tuscany, I would stay the hell away from that bike and sip cappuccinos in the piazza for the rest of the week!\"  You (Readers) + Me = Accountability.  Thank you, my friends!</li>\n	<li><strong>Perseverance.  </strong>365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day = Fun and Inspiration.  365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day + Writing one blog post per day = Fun, Inspiration, and Utter Lunacy.  Utter Lunacy x 365 Days = Mini Meltdowns.  Fortunately, these were not full-blown <em>Julie &amp; Julia</em> meltdowns.  Luckily, I had a sounding board aka Mom.  It didn\'t matter if I was too busy, too overwhelmed, PMS-ing, stressing, tired, sad, exhausted, or loopy from a concussion.  I listened to Nike, and I observed the law of physics that states an object of motion stays in motion.  I kept up momentum, and I <em>just did it</em>.  (On a serious note, I lost my beloved grandfather this past year.  I was devastated by the loss, and if I didn\'t have the blog project to return to, I probably could have plummeted into the darkest of ruts.)</li>\n	<li><strong>Sacrifice.  </strong>Rome wasn\'t built in a day, and blog posts (at least most of mine) aren\'t written in an hour.  Writing requires many hours of solitude.  I turned down many a social invitation this year because I needed to hunker down and write.  Writing is a passion of mine that I enjoy, and in order to make room for dreams, we often have to let go of other diversions.</li>\n	<li><strong>Letting Go.  </strong>I always go to bed with a clean kitchen.  Not this year!  I routinely exercise 6 days a week.  Not this year!  I blow out my hair a couple times a week so that I\'m not sporting a ponytail <em>again</em>.  Not this year!  As long as there wasn\'t food left out in the kitchen, it could wait.  Working out 3-4 days a week was enough.  Ponytails rock!  (See <strong>Sacrifice.</strong>)</li>\n	<li><strong>Inspiration.  </strong>The beauty of a 365 project is that it doles out daily doses of inspiration.  Even when something goes completely and maddeningly wrong -- like crash-boom-splatting in a foreign country and taking home a mangled shoulder and a head injury as a souvenir -- <em>it\'s all writing material</em>.  Head injuries also require a \"time out\" which frees you up to find ....</li>\n	<li><strong><strong>Love.  (The Sexy Italian variety.) </strong></strong>I wrote the \"Engage in Life\" quote on the right sidebar of this blog about a year and a half ago.  It originated as a series of scribbled \"Michelle-isms\" that I sent off to the web designer so that she could get a better feel of  \"this Late Bloomer chick\" when designing the blog.  She loved the quote so much that she asked if she could incorporate it into the design.  I was a bit hesitant at first.  Am I really quote-worthy???  I agreed while second-guessing myself all the while.  Now I NEEDED to hold myself accountable.  <em>If you\'re going to spout wisdom, you better walk your talk, sister!</em>  I walked 365 days of that talk, and then...irony of ironies...while luxuriating in injury-induced free time on a vacation in Italy, the man and the fairy tale found me.</li>\n</ul>\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #800080;\"><strong>What happened after 365 Days?</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI burned out, of course.  I was still nursing that blasted concussion, and I was <em>exhausted</em>.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd here\'s the horrific truth that I must honestly admit to you now:  I stopped Carpe Diem-ing every day.  (<em>Especially</em> after Romeo Mio\'s post-Thanksgiving departure.  Sniff, sniff.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI started watching more and more TV.  My Mom and friends laugh at me when I\'ve mentioned this, but 1-2 shows <em>a night</em> compared to my former 1-2 shows <em>a week</em>, is a lot for me.  Especially when I sank to the TV Pit of Despair:  <em>Toddler\'s &amp; Tiaras</em> and <em>Hoarders</em>.  I told you it was horrific.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIn addition, I started eating too much sugar, stopped working out entirely, and welcomed The Mother of All Procrastinations into my home with open arms.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nUgh.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nArgh.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHumbug.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\">I suppose I was in a postpartum depression of sorts.  I birthed this blog.  Now what?</span></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAfter a few weeks of this nonsense, I reminded myself that, for me, conscious Carpe Diem-ing is a choice -- a habit that requires honing.  I can live the principles outside of a 365 day project.  Imagine that!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI peeled myself up off my sofa, turned off the damn TV, and kicked The Mother of All Procrastinations to the curb.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI jumped on the green smoothies bandwagon and practiced yoga for 8 days straight.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>I soaked up the magic of the holiday season with an Off-Martha-Stewart decorating explosion and a tea party.</strong></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI booked a flight for <a href=\"http://www.les3vallees.com/en/accueil.1.l2/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Les Trois Vallées</strong></a> where, after two months apart, Romeo Mio and I will reunite.  How do you say \"Carpe Diem\" in French?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI wishcasted for 2012 along with my <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wish Club</a></strong> inductees, and as soon as I finish tweaking this blog for January 1st\'s launch of Chapter Two, I am beginning my first ever <a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Annual Review à la Chris Guillebeau</strong>.</a>  (Kindly add Chris and June 2011\'s <strong><a href=\"http://worlddominationsummit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">World Domination Summit</a></strong> to the \"Inspiration\" bullet above.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat happens after January 1st?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHint:  It all started <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\n<div></div>','Lessons Learned from My Year of Living Curiously','','inherit','open','open','','8636-revision-73','','','2011-12-30 11:22:27','2011-12-30 18:22:27','',8636,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/8636-revision-73/',0,'revision','',0),(8730,1,'2011-12-30 11:22:29','2011-12-30 18:22:29','Previously, I revealed my <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/27/extra-credit-day-366-top-10-most-curious/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Top 10 Most Curious Moments</strong></a> from my 365 Days of Living Curiously.  At that time (back in October!), I promised to wax philosophically about my year at another time.  \"Another time\" promptly morphed into The Mother of All Procrastinations.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI\'m not sure why I postponed writing this post, considering that the year ranked as My Best Year Yet.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPerhaps I was burned out from writing 365 posts in just a bit more than 365 days?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOr did the magnitude of this endeavor seem too daunting?  (<em>How on earth</em> do you sum up a life-changing year in a single blog post?)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOr maybe I subconsciously didn\'t want to let go of my precious year?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhatever the case, it\'s time to stop making excuses and CELEBRATE the year.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI originally embarked on The Year of Living Curiously when I found myself in The Mother of All Ruts. I won\'t dig up that sob story again, but if you would like a refresher, you can visit <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBefore descending into a full-blown <del>mid-life</del> existential crisis, I summoned my inner Cher and smacked myself upside the head with a <strong><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x-fkSYDtUY\" target=\"_blank\">\"Snap out of it!\"  </a> </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd my way of snapping out of it was taking on an insane blog project in which I would not only tackle one \"curious\" mini-adventure each day, but also write about it.  (There are uber-uber-talented Professional Super Bloggers out there who take on <strong><a href=\"http://www.corbettbarr.com/what-i-learned-publishing-every-day-for-30-days\" target=\"_blank\">30 DAYS of consecutive blogging as a challenge</a></strong>.  So when I throw out the word \"insane\", I am not over-exaggerating.  I really was <em>that crazy</em>.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #800080;\"><strong>Here is what I learned from my Crazy, Precious, Curious Year:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><strong>Discipline.</strong>  I have always been a fairly disciplined person.  But I am also human, and therefore, I am seduced by the Big Bad Procrastination Wolf just like 95% of the population.  In the past, I blamed my procrastination on my perfectionism, or life getting in the way, or a host of other various excuses, but this year, I had to \"SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP!\"  Cranking out a post a day (while maintaining a full-time day job) is ultramarathon blogging.  If I slacked off on my schedule, I was doomed.  No Big Bad Procrastination Wolf temptation was worth more than my dream or my pride.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>The true essence of Carpe Diem.</strong>  People have been throwing out the phrase \"Carpe Diem\" for millennia.  It\'s the loveliest of concepts:  Seize the day! <strong><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9781563522956\" target=\"_blank\"> Each day is a gift: That\'s why it\'s called The Present!  </a></strong>Live each day as if it\'s your last!  (The latter always creeps me out a bit, but after losing two family members much too soon, it also resonates.  Loudly.)  Yet who <em>honestly</em> Carpe Diem-s each and every day?  We all know a few of those special people who live Carpe Diem naturally and effortlessly.  I want to be like them.  I strive to be like them.  And this year, I made a <em>conscious choice</em> to live like them each and every day.  I chose one daily thing that piqued my curiosity and embraced it.  Conscious living really works!  Carpe Diem and all that jazz!</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The canine variety.)  </strong>Taking on a 365 day blog project filled almost every second of my day outside of my day job.  I had no room in my life to assume any other responsibilities.  And then Bella (formerly knows as \"Missy\") picked me while I was minding my own beeswax and <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=mingus+manor\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Carpe Diem-ing as a volunteer at an animal sanctuary for senior pets</strong>. </a> My mother advised me to feel the fear and adopt that puppy anyway.  I can\'t imagine this year (and future years) without Little Miss B, the sweetest, smartest, most easygoing <del>muppet</del> pooch on the planet!  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/05/06/day-220-my-dog-hijacked-my-computer/\" target=\"_blank\">(Who is still shamelessly soliciting friends on facebook, by the way!)</a></strong></li>\r\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The unconditional family and friends variety.)  </strong>Every blogger\'s fear is that their only reader will be their mother.  I am proud to report that my mother AND my father read my blog every day AND provided proofreading services at no charge!  Thank you, Parental Unit!  In addition, my sister followed the blog religiously and often added her witty and offbeat commentary in the comments section.  My dear cousins agreed to embark on a <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/09/10/day-349-arrivederci/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Trip of a Lifetime Adventure</strong> </a>with me so that this Late Bloomer could <em>finally</em> see Europe for the first time.  My friends humored me not only with their readership, but with their willingness to Carpe Diem along with me in adventures great, small, weird, backfired, goofy, and downright ridiculous.  And then new friends aka \"blog readers\" entered my world.  Some of you are a few degrees separated from me through family and friends, and others are not connected to me at all.  I\'ve had visits from 52 countries, including Cameroon and Latvia!  I am humbled and honored that you took interest in my curious capers.  I hope that you received a few laughs and glimmers of inspiration along the way.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Taking Risks/Conquering Fears.  </strong>I\'m not thrilled with heights.  I\'m not <em>deathly</em> afraid of them. Just your standard, run-of-the-mill unease that makes brings on nausea and a cold sweat.  And I distinctly remembering telling Sarah at the <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=rock+gym\" target=\"_blank\">Rock Gym,</a></strong> \"If I didn\'t have to write about scaling this bloody wall, I would ask if we could call it a day and grab a coffee instead.\"  Or something to that effect.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/11/day-356-my-very-first-concussion-italian-style/\" target=\"_blank\">I\'m not a fan of falling and nearly splitting my head open either.</a></strong>  And I clearly recall announcing to my cousins, \"If I didn\'t have an audience awaiting news about this Cycling Tour of Tuscany, I would stay the hell away from that bike and sip cappuccinos in the piazza for the rest of the week!\"  You (Readers) + Me = Accountability.  Thank you, my friends!</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Perseverance.  </strong>365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day = Fun and Inspiration.  365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day + Writing one blog post per day = Fun, Inspiration, and Utter Lunacy.  Utter Lunacy x 365 Days = Mini Meltdowns.  Fortunately, these were not full-blown <em>Julie &amp; Julia</em> meltdowns.  Luckily, I had a sounding board aka Mom.  It didn\'t matter if I was too busy, too overwhelmed, PMS-ing, stressing, tired, sad, exhausted, or loopy from a concussion.  I listened to Nike, and I observed the law of physics that states an object of motion stays in motion.  I kept up momentum, and I <em>just did it</em>.  (On a serious note, I lost my beloved grandfather this past year.  I was devastated by the loss, and if I didn\'t have the blog project to return to, I probably could have plummeted into the darkest of ruts.)</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Sacrifice.  </strong>Rome wasn\'t built in a day, and blog posts (at least most of mine) aren\'t written in an hour.  Writing requires many hours of solitude.  I turned down many a social invitation this year because I needed to hunker down and write.  Writing is a passion of mine that I enjoy, and in order to make room for dreams, we often have to let go of other diversions.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Letting Go.  </strong>I always go to bed with a clean kitchen.  Not this year!  I routinely exercise 6 days a week.  Not this year!  I blow out my hair a couple times a week so that I\'m not sporting a ponytail <em>again</em>.  Not this year!  As long as there wasn\'t food left out in the kitchen, it could wait.  Working out 3-4 days a week was enough.  Ponytails rock!  (See <strong>Sacrifice.</strong>)</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Inspiration.  </strong>The beauty of a 365 project is that it doles out daily doses of inspiration.  Even when something goes completely and maddeningly wrong -- like crash-boom-splatting in a foreign country and taking home a mangled shoulder and a head injury as a souvenir -- <em>it\'s all writing material</em>.  Head injuries also require a \"time out\" which frees you up to find ....</li>\r\n	<li><strong><strong>Love.  (The Sexy Italian variety.) </strong></strong>I wrote the \"Engage in Life\" quote on the right sidebar of this blog about a year and a half ago.  It originated as a series of scribbled \"Michelle-isms\" that I sent off to the web designer so that she could get a better feel of  \"this Late Bloomer chick\" when designing the blog.  She loved the quote so much that she asked if she could incorporate it into the design.  I was a bit hesitant at first.  Am I really quote-worthy???  I agreed while second-guessing myself all the while.  Now I NEEDED to hold myself accountable.  <em>If you\'re going to spout wisdom, you better walk your talk, sister!</em>  I walked 365 days of that talk, and then...irony of ironies...while luxuriating in injury-induced free time on a vacation in Italy, the man and the fairy tale found me.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #800080;\"><strong>What happened after 365 Days?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI burned out, of course.  I was still nursing that blasted concussion, and I was <em>exhausted</em>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd here\'s the horrific truth that I must honestly admit to you now:  I stopped Carpe Diem-ing every day.  (<em>Especially</em> after Romeo Mio\'s post-Thanksgiving departure.  Sniff, sniff.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI started watching more and more TV.  My Mom and friends laugh at me when I\'ve mentioned this, but 1-2 shows <em>a night</em> compared to my former 1-2 shows <em>a week</em>, is a lot for me.  Especially when I sank to the TV Pit of Despair:  <em>Toddler\'s &amp; Tiaras</em> and <em>Hoarders</em>.  I told you it was horrific.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIn addition, I started eating too much sugar, stopped working out entirely, and welcomed The Mother of All Procrastinations into my home with open arms.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nUgh.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nArgh.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHumbug.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\">I suppose I was in a postpartum depression of sorts.  I birthed this blog.  Now what?</span></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a few weeks of this nonsense, I reminded myself that, for me, conscious Carpe Diem-ing is a choice -- a habit that requires honing.  I can live the principles outside of a 365 day project.  Imagine that!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI peeled myself up off my sofa, turned off the damn TV, and kicked The Mother of All Procrastinations to the curb.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI jumped on the green smoothies bandwagon and practiced yoga for 8 days straight.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>I soaked up the magic of the holiday season with an Off-Martha-Stewart decorating explosion and a tea party.</strong></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI booked a flight for <a href=\"http://www.les3vallees.com/en/accueil.1.l2/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Les Trois Vallées</strong></a> where, after two months apart, Romeo Mio and I will reunite.  How do you say \"Carpe Diem\" in French?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI wishcasted for 2012 along with my <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wish Club</a></strong> inductees, and as soon as I finish tweaking this blog for January 1st\'s launch of Chapter Two, I am beginning my first ever <a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Annual Review à la Chris Guillebeau</strong>.</a>  (Kindly add Chris and June 2011\'s <strong><a href=\"http://worlddominationsummit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">World Domination Summit</a></strong> to the \"Inspiration\" bullet above.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat happens after January 1st?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHint:  It all started <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\r\n<div></div>','Lessons Learned from My Year of Living Curiously','','inherit','open','open','','8636-revision-74','','','2011-12-30 11:22:29','2011-12-30 18:22:29','',8636,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/8636-revision-74/',0,'revision','',0),(8731,1,'2011-12-30 11:23:17','2011-12-30 18:23:17','Previously, I revealed my <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/27/extra-credit-day-366-top-10-most-curious/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Top 10 Most Curious Moments</strong></a> from my 365 Days of Living Curiously.  At that time (back in October!), I promised to wax philosophically about my year at another time.  \"Another time\" promptly morphed into The Mother of All Procrastinations.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI\'m not sure why I postponed writing this post, considering that the year ranked as My Best Year Yet.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPerhaps I was burned out from writing 365 posts in just a bit more than 365 days?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOr did the magnitude of this endeavor seem too daunting?  (<em>How on earth</em> do you sum up a life-changing year in a single blog post?)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOr maybe I subconsciously didn\'t want to let go of my precious year?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhatever the case, it\'s time to stop making excuses and CELEBRATE the year.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI originally embarked on The Year of Living Curiously when I found myself in The Mother of All Ruts. I won\'t dig up that sob story again, but if you would like a refresher, you can visit <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBefore descending into a full-blown <del>mid-life</del> existential crisis, I summoned my inner Cher and smacked myself upside the head with a <strong><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x-fkSYDtUY\" target=\"_blank\">\"Snap out of it!\"  </a> </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd my way of snapping out of it was taking on an insane blog project in which I would not only tackle one \"curious\" mini-adventure each day, but also write about it.  (There are uber-uber-talented Professional Super Bloggers out there who take on <strong><a href=\"http://www.corbettbarr.com/what-i-learned-publishing-every-day-for-30-days\" target=\"_blank\">30 DAYS of consecutive blogging as a challenge</a></strong>.  So when I throw out the word \"insane\", I am not over-exaggerating.  I really was <em>that crazy</em>.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #800080;\"><strong>Here is what I learned from my Crazy, Precious, Curious Year:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><strong>Discipline.</strong>  I have always been a fairly disciplined person.  But I am also human, and therefore, I am seduced by the Big Bad Procrastination Wolf just like 95% of the population.  In the past, I blamed my procrastination on my perfectionism, or life getting in the way, or a host of other various excuses, but this year, I had to \"SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP!\"  Cranking out a post a day (while maintaining a full-time day job) is ultramarathon blogging.  If I slacked off on my schedule, I was doomed.  No Big Bad Procrastination Wolf temptation was worth more than my dream or my pride.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>The true essence of Carpe Diem.</strong>  People have been throwing out the phrase \"Carpe Diem\" for millennia.  It\'s the loveliest of concepts:  Seize the day! <strong><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9781563522956\" target=\"_blank\"> Each day is a gift: That\'s why it\'s called The Present!  </a></strong>Live each day as if it\'s your last!  (The latter always creeps me out a bit, but after losing two family members much too soon, it also resonates.  Loudly.)  Yet who <em>honestly</em> Carpe Diem-s each and every day?  We all know a few of those special people who live Carpe Diem naturally and effortlessly.  I want to be like them.  I strive to be like them.  And this year, I made a <em>conscious choice</em> to live like them each and every day.  I chose one daily thing that piqued my curiosity and embraced it.  Conscious living really works!  Carpe Diem and all that jazz!</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The canine variety.)  </strong>Taking on a 365 day blog project filled almost every second of my day outside of my day job.  I had no room in my life to assume any other responsibilities.  And then Bella (formerly knows as \"Missy\") picked me while I was minding my own beeswax and <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=mingus+manor\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Carpe Diem-ing as a volunteer at an animal sanctuary for senior pets</strong>. </a> My mother advised me to feel the fear and adopt that puppy anyway.  I can\'t imagine this year (and future years) without Little Miss B, the sweetest, smartest, most easygoing <del>muppet</del> pooch on the planet!  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/05/06/day-220-my-dog-hijacked-my-computer/\" target=\"_blank\">(Who is still shamelessly soliciting friends on facebook, by the way!)</a></strong></li>\r\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The unconditional family and friends variety.)  </strong>Every blogger\'s fear is that their only reader will be their mother.  I am proud to report that my mother AND my father read my blog every day AND provided proofreading services at no charge!  Thank you, Parental Unit!  In addition, my sister followed the blog religiously and often added her witty and offbeat commentary in the comments section.  My dear cousins agreed to embark on a <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/09/10/day-349-arrivederci/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Trip of a Lifetime Adventure</strong> </a>with me so that this Late Bloomer could <em>finally</em> see Europe for the first time.  My friends humored me not only with their readership, but with their willingness to Carpe Diem along with me in adventures great, small, weird, backfired, goofy, and downright ridiculous.  And then new friends aka \"blog readers\" entered my world.  Some of you are a few degrees separated from me through family and friends, and others are not connected to me at all.  I\'ve had visits from 52 countries, including Cameroon and Latvia!  I am humbled and honored that you took interest in my curious capers.  I hope that you received a few laughs and glimmers of inspiration along the way.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Taking Risks/Conquering Fears.  </strong>I\'m not thrilled with heights.  I\'m not <em>deathly</em> afraid of them. Just your standard, run-of-the-mill unease that makes brings on nausea and a cold sweat.  And I distinctly remembering telling Sarah at the <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=rock+gym\" target=\"_blank\">Rock Gym,</a></strong> \"If I didn\'t have to write about scaling this bloody wall, I would ask if we could call it a day and grab a coffee instead.\"  Or something to that effect.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/11/day-356-my-very-first-concussion-italian-style/\" target=\"_blank\">I\'m not a fan of falling and nearly splitting my head open either.</a></strong>  And I clearly recall announcing to my cousins, \"If I didn\'t have an audience awaiting news about this Cycling Tour of Tuscany, I would stay the hell away from that bike and sip cappuccinos in the piazza for the rest of the week!\"  You (Readers) + Me = Accountability.  Thank you, my friends!</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Perseverance.  </strong>365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day = Fun and Inspiration.  365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day + Writing one blog post per day = Fun, Inspiration, and Utter Lunacy.  Utter Lunacy x 365 Days = Mini Meltdowns.  Fortunately, these were not full-blown <em>Julie &amp; Julia</em> meltdowns.  Luckily, I had a sounding board aka Mom.  It didn\'t matter if I was too busy, too overwhelmed, PMS-ing, stressing, tired, sad, exhausted, or loopy from a concussion.  I listened to Nike, and I observed the law of physics that states an object of motion stays in motion.  I kept up momentum, and I <em>just did it</em>.  (On a serious note, I lost my beloved grandfather this past year.  I was devastated by the loss, and if I didn\'t have the blog project to return to, I probably could have plummeted into the darkest of ruts.)</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Sacrifice.  </strong>Rome wasn\'t built in a day, and blog posts (at least most of mine) aren\'t written in an hour.  Writing requires many hours of solitude.  I turned down many a social invitation this year because I needed to hunker down and write.  Writing is a passion of mine that I enjoy, and in order to make room for dreams, we often have to let go of other diversions.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Letting Go.  </strong>I always go to bed with a clean kitchen.  Not this year!  I routinely exercise 6 days a week.  Not this year!  I blow out my hair a couple times a week so that I\'m not sporting a ponytail <em>again</em>.  Not this year!  As long as there wasn\'t food left out in the kitchen, it could wait.  Working out 3-4 days a week was enough.  Ponytails rock!  (See <strong>Sacrifice.</strong>)</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Inspiration.  </strong>The beauty of a 365 project is that it doles out daily doses of inspiration.  Even when something goes completely and maddeningly wrong -- like crash-boom-splatting in a foreign country and taking home a mangled shoulder and a head injury as a souvenir -- <em>it\'s all writing material</em>.  Head injuries also require a \"time out\" which frees you up to find ....</li>\r\n	<li><strong><strong>Love.  (The Sexy Italian variety.) </strong></strong>I wrote the \"Engage in Life\" quote on the right sidebar of this blog about a year and a half ago.  It originated as a series of scribbled \"Michelle-isms\" that I sent off to the web designer so that she could get a better feel of  \"this Late Bloomer chick\" when designing the blog.  She loved the quote so much that she asked if she could incorporate it into the design.  I was a bit hesitant at first.  Am I really quote-worthy???  I agreed while second-guessing myself all the while.  Now I NEEDED to hold myself accountable.  <em>If you\'re going to spout wisdom, you better walk your talk, sister!</em>  I walked 365 days of that talk, and then...irony of ironies...while luxuriating in injury-induced free time on a vacation in Italy, the man and the fairy tale found me.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #800080;\"><strong>What happened after 365 Days?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI burned out, of course.  I was still nursing that blasted concussion, and I was <em>exhausted</em>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd here\'s the horrific truth that I must honestly admit to you now:  I stopped Carpe Diem-ing every day.  (<em>Especially</em> after Romeo Mio\'s post-Thanksgiving departure.  Sniff, sniff.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI started watching more and more TV.  My Mom and friends laugh at me when I\'ve mentioned this, but 1-2 shows <em>a night</em> compared to my former 1-2 shows <em>a week</em>, is a lot for me.  Especially when I sank to the TV Pit of Despair:  <em>Toddler\'s &amp; Tiaras</em> and <em>Hoarders</em>.  I told you it was horrific.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIn addition, I started eating too much sugar, stopped working out entirely, and welcomed The Mother of All Procrastinations into my home with open arms.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nUgh.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nArgh.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHumbug.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">I suppose I was in a postpartum depression of sorts.  I birthed this blog.  Now what?</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a few weeks of this nonsense, I reminded myself that, for me, conscious Carpe Diem-ing is a choice -- a habit that requires honing.  I can live the principles outside of a 365 day project.  Imagine that!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI peeled myself up off my sofa, turned off the damn TV, and kicked The Mother of All Procrastinations to the curb.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI jumped on the green smoothies bandwagon and practiced yoga for 8 days straight.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>I soaked up the magic of the holiday season with an Off-Martha-Stewart decorating explosion and a tea party.</strong></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI booked a flight for <a href=\"http://www.les3vallees.com/en/accueil.1.l2/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Les Trois Vallées</strong></a> where, after two months apart, Romeo Mio and I will reunite.  How do you say \"Carpe Diem\" in French?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI wishcasted for 2012 along with my <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wish Club</a></strong> inductees, and as soon as I finish tweaking this blog for January 1st\'s launch of Chapter Two, I am beginning my first ever <a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Annual Review à la Chris Guillebeau</strong>.</a>  (Kindly add Chris and June 2011\'s <strong><a href=\"http://worlddominationsummit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">World Domination Summit</a></strong> to the \"Inspiration\" bullet above.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat happens after January 1st?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHint:  It all started <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\r\n<div></div>','Lessons Learned from My Year of Living Curiously','','inherit','open','open','','8636-revision-75','','','2011-12-30 11:23:17','2011-12-30 18:23:17','',8636,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/8636-revision-75/',0,'revision','',0),(8732,1,'2011-12-30 11:25:09','2011-12-30 18:25:09','Previously, I revealed my <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/27/extra-credit-day-366-top-10-most-curious/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Top 10 Most Curious Moments</strong></a> from my 365 Days of Living Curiously.  At that time (back in October!), I promised to wax philosophically about my year at another time.  \"Another time\" promptly morphed into The Mother of All Procrastinations.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI\'m not sure why I postponed writing this post, considering that the year ranked as My Best Year Yet.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nPerhaps I was burned out from writing 365 posts in just a bit more than 365 days?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOr did the magnitude of this endeavor seem too daunting?  (<em>How on earth</em> do you sum up a life-changing year in a single blog post?)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOr maybe I subconsciously didn\'t want to let go of my precious year?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhatever the case, it\'s time to stop making excuses and CELEBRATE the year.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI originally embarked on The Year of Living Curiously when I found myself in The Mother of All Ruts. I won\'t dig up that sob story again, but if you would like a refresher, you can visit <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBefore descending into a full-blown <del>mid-life</del> existential crisis, I summoned my inner Cher and smacked myself upside the head with a <strong><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x-fkSYDtUY\" target=\"_blank\">\"Snap out of it!\"  </a> </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd my way of snapping out of it was taking on an insane blog project in which I would not only tackle one \"curious\" mini-adventure each day, but also write about it.  (There are uber-uber-talented Professional Super Bloggers out there who take on <strong><a href=\"http://www.corbettbarr.com/what-i-learned-publishing-every-day-for-30-days\" target=\"_blank\">30 DAYS of consecutive blogging as a challenge</a></strong>.  So when I throw out the word \"insane\", I am not over-exaggerating.  I really was <em>that crazy</em>.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: x-large;\"><strong>Here is what I learned from my Crazy, Precious, Curious Year:</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Discipline.</strong>  I have always been a fairly disciplined person.  But I am also human, and therefore, I am seduced by the Big Bad Procrastination Wolf just like 95% of the population.  In the past, I blamed my procrastination on my perfectionism, or life getting in the way, or a host of other various excuses, but this year, I had to \"SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP!\"  Cranking out a post a day (while maintaining a full-time day job) is ultramarathon blogging.  If I slacked off on my schedule, I was doomed.  No Big Bad Procrastination Wolf temptation was worth more than my dream or my pride.</li>\n	<li><strong>The true essence of Carpe Diem.</strong>  People have been throwing out the phrase \"Carpe Diem\" for millennia.  It\'s the loveliest of concepts:  Seize the day! <strong><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9781563522956\" target=\"_blank\"> Each day is a gift: That\'s why it\'s called The Present!  </a></strong>Live each day as if it\'s your last!  (The latter always creeps me out a bit, but after losing two family members much too soon, it also resonates.  Loudly.)  Yet who <em>honestly</em> Carpe Diem-s each and every day?  We all know a few of those special people who live Carpe Diem naturally and effortlessly.  I want to be like them.  I strive to be like them.  And this year, I made a <em>conscious choice</em> to live like them each and every day.  I chose one daily thing that piqued my curiosity and embraced it.  Conscious living really works!  Carpe Diem and all that jazz!</li>\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The canine variety.)  </strong>Taking on a 365 day blog project filled almost every second of my day outside of my day job.  I had no room in my life to assume any other responsibilities.  And then Bella (formerly knows as \"Missy\") picked me while I was minding my own beeswax and <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=mingus+manor\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Carpe Diem-ing as a volunteer at an animal sanctuary for senior pets</strong>. </a> My mother advised me to feel the fear and adopt that puppy anyway.  I can\'t imagine this year (and future years) without Little Miss B, the sweetest, smartest, most easygoing <del>muppet</del> pooch on the planet!  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/05/06/day-220-my-dog-hijacked-my-computer/\" target=\"_blank\">(Who is still shamelessly soliciting friends on facebook, by the way!)</a></strong></li>\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The unconditional family and friends variety.)  </strong>Every blogger\'s fear is that their only reader will be their mother.  I am proud to report that my mother AND my father read my blog every day AND provided proofreading services at no charge!  Thank you, Parental Unit!  In addition, my sister followed the blog religiously and often added her witty and offbeat commentary in the comments section.  My dear cousins agreed to embark on a <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/09/10/day-349-arrivederci/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Trip of a Lifetime Adventure</strong> </a>with me so that this Late Bloomer could <em>finally</em> see Europe for the first time.  My friends humored me not only with their readership, but with their willingness to Carpe Diem along with me in adventures great, small, weird, backfired, goofy, and downright ridiculous.  And then new friends aka \"blog readers\" entered my world.  Some of you are a few degrees separated from me through family and friends, and others are not connected to me at all.  I\'ve had visits from 52 countries, including Cameroon and Latvia!  I am humbled and honored that you took interest in my curious capers.  I hope that you received a few laughs and glimmers of inspiration along the way.</li>\n	<li><strong>Taking Risks/Conquering Fears.  </strong>I\'m not thrilled with heights.  I\'m not <em>deathly</em> afraid of them. Just your standard, run-of-the-mill unease that makes brings on nausea and a cold sweat.  And I distinctly remembering telling Sarah at the <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=rock+gym\" target=\"_blank\">Rock Gym,</a></strong> \"If I didn\'t have to write about scaling this bloody wall, I would ask if we could call it a day and grab a coffee instead.\"  Or something to that effect.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/11/day-356-my-very-first-concussion-italian-style/\" target=\"_blank\">I\'m not a fan of falling and nearly splitting my head open either.</a></strong>  And I clearly recall announcing to my cousins, \"If I didn\'t have an audience awaiting news about this Cycling Tour of Tuscany, I would stay the hell away from that bike and sip cappuccinos in the piazza for the rest of the week!\"  You (Readers) + Me = Accountability.  Thank you, my friends!</li>\n	<li><strong>Perseverance.  </strong>365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day = Fun and Inspiration.  365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day + Writing one blog post per day = Fun, Inspiration, and Utter Lunacy.  Utter Lunacy x 365 Days = Mini Meltdowns.  Fortunately, these were not full-blown <em>Julie &amp; Julia</em> meltdowns.  Luckily, I had a sounding board aka Mom.  It didn\'t matter if I was too busy, too overwhelmed, PMS-ing, stressing, tired, sad, exhausted, or loopy from a concussion.  I listened to Nike, and I observed the law of physics that states an object of motion stays in motion.  I kept up momentum, and I <em>just did it</em>.  (On a serious note, I lost my beloved grandfather this past year.  I was devastated by the loss, and if I didn\'t have the blog project to return to, I probably could have plummeted into the darkest of ruts.)</li>\n	<li><strong>Sacrifice.  </strong>Rome wasn\'t built in a day, and blog posts (at least most of mine) aren\'t written in an hour.  Writing requires many hours of solitude.  I turned down many a social invitation this year because I needed to hunker down and write.  Writing is a passion of mine that I enjoy, and in order to make room for dreams, we often have to let go of other diversions.</li>\n	<li><strong>Letting Go.  </strong>I always go to bed with a clean kitchen.  Not this year!  I routinely exercise 6 days a week.  Not this year!  I blow out my hair a couple times a week so that I\'m not sporting a ponytail <em>again</em>.  Not this year!  As long as there wasn\'t food left out in the kitchen, it could wait.  Working out 3-4 days a week was enough.  Ponytails rock!  (See <strong>Sacrifice.</strong>)</li>\n	<li><strong>Inspiration.  </strong>The beauty of a 365 project is that it doles out daily doses of inspiration.  Even when something goes completely and maddeningly wrong -- like crash-boom-splatting in a foreign country and taking home a mangled shoulder and a head injury as a souvenir -- <em>it\'s all writing material</em>.  Head injuries also require a \"time out\" which frees you up to find ....</li>\n	<li><strong><strong>Love.  (The Sexy Italian variety.) </strong></strong>I wrote the \"Engage in Life\" quote on the right sidebar of this blog about a year and a half ago.  It originated as a series of scribbled \"Michelle-isms\" that I sent off to the web designer so that she could get a better feel of  \"this Late Bloomer chick\" when designing the blog.  She loved the quote so much that she asked if she could incorporate it into the design.  I was a bit hesitant at first.  Am I really quote-worthy???  I agreed while second-guessing myself all the while.  Now I NEEDED to hold myself accountable.  <em>If you\'re going to spout wisdom, you better walk your talk, sister!</em>  I walked 365 days of that talk, and then...irony of ironies...while luxuriating in injury-induced free time on a vacation in Italy, the man and the fairy tale found me.</li>\n</ul>\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: x-large;\"><strong>What happened after 365 Days?</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI burned out, of course.  I was still nursing that blasted concussion, and I was <em>exhausted</em>.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd here\'s the horrific truth that I must honestly admit to you now:  I stopped Carpe Diem-ing every day.  (<em>Especially</em> after Romeo Mio\'s post-Thanksgiving departure.  Sniff, sniff.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI started watching more and more TV.  My Mom and friends laugh at me when I\'ve mentioned this, but 1-2 shows <em>a night</em> compared to my former 1-2 shows <em>a week</em>, is a lot for me.  Especially when I sank to the TV Pit of Despair:  <em>Toddler\'s &amp; Tiaras</em> and <em>Hoarders</em>.  I told you it was horrific.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIn addition, I started eating too much sugar, stopped working out entirely, and welcomed The Mother of All Procrastinations into my home with open arms.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nUgh.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nArgh.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHumbug.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">I suppose I was in a postpartum depression of sorts.  I birthed this blog.  Now what?</span></strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAfter a few weeks of this nonsense, I reminded myself that, for me, conscious Carpe Diem-ing is a choice -- a habit that requires honing.  I can live the principles outside of a 365 day project.  Imagine that!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI peeled myself up off my sofa, turned off the damn TV, and kicked The Mother of All Procrastinations to the curb.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI jumped on the green smoothies bandwagon and practiced yoga for 8 days straight.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>I soaked up the magic of the holiday season with an Off-Martha-Stewart decorating explosion and a tea party.</strong></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI booked a flight for <a href=\"http://www.les3vallees.com/en/accueil.1.l2/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Les Trois Vallées</strong></a> where, after two months apart, Romeo Mio and I will reunite.  How do you say \"Carpe Diem\" in French?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI wishcasted for 2012 along with my <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wish Club</a></strong> inductees, and as soon as I finish tweaking this blog for January 1st\'s launch of Chapter Two, I am beginning my first ever <a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Annual Review à la Chris Guillebeau</strong>.</a>  (Kindly add Chris and June 2011\'s <strong><a href=\"http://worlddominationsummit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">World Domination Summit</a></strong> to the \"Inspiration\" bullet above.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat happens after January 1st?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHint:  It all started <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\n<div></div>','Lessons Learned from My Year of Living Curiously','','inherit','open','open','','8636-revision-76','','','2011-12-30 11:25:09','2011-12-30 18:25:09','',8636,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/8636-revision-76/',0,'revision','',0),(8733,1,'2011-12-30 11:25:31','2011-12-30 18:25:31','Previously, I revealed my <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/27/extra-credit-day-366-top-10-most-curious/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Top 10 Most Curious Moments</strong></a> from my 365 Days of Living Curiously.  At that time (back in October!), I promised to wax philosophically about my year at another time.  \"Another time\" promptly morphed into The Mother of All Procrastinations.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">I\'m not sure why I postponed writing this post, considering that the year ranked as My Best Year Yet.</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPerhaps I was burned out from writing 365 posts in just a bit more than 365 days?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOr did the magnitude of this endeavor seem too daunting?  (<em>How on earth</em> do you sum up a life-changing year in a single blog post?)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOr maybe I subconsciously didn\'t want to let go of my precious year?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhatever the case, it\'s time to stop making excuses and CELEBRATE the year.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI originally embarked on The Year of Living Curiously when I found myself in The Mother of All Ruts. I won\'t dig up that sob story again, but if you would like a refresher, you can visit <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBefore descending into a full-blown <del>mid-life</del> existential crisis, I summoned my inner Cher and smacked myself upside the head with a <strong><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x-fkSYDtUY\" target=\"_blank\">\"Snap out of it!\"  </a> </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd my way of snapping out of it was taking on an insane blog project in which I would not only tackle one \"curious\" mini-adventure each day, but also write about it.  (There are uber-uber-talented Professional Super Bloggers out there who take on <strong><a href=\"http://www.corbettbarr.com/what-i-learned-publishing-every-day-for-30-days\" target=\"_blank\">30 DAYS of consecutive blogging as a challenge</a></strong>.  So when I throw out the word \"insane\", I am not over-exaggerating.  I really was <em>that crazy</em>.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: x-large;\"><strong>Here is what I learned from my Crazy, Precious, Curious Year:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><strong>Discipline.</strong>  I have always been a fairly disciplined person.  But I am also human, and therefore, I am seduced by the Big Bad Procrastination Wolf just like 95% of the population.  In the past, I blamed my procrastination on my perfectionism, or life getting in the way, or a host of other various excuses, but this year, I had to \"SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP!\"  Cranking out a post a day (while maintaining a full-time day job) is ultramarathon blogging.  If I slacked off on my schedule, I was doomed.  No Big Bad Procrastination Wolf temptation was worth more than my dream or my pride.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>The true essence of Carpe Diem.</strong>  People have been throwing out the phrase \"Carpe Diem\" for millennia.  It\'s the loveliest of concepts:  Seize the day! <strong><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9781563522956\" target=\"_blank\"> Each day is a gift: That\'s why it\'s called The Present!  </a></strong>Live each day as if it\'s your last!  (The latter always creeps me out a bit, but after losing two family members much too soon, it also resonates.  Loudly.)  Yet who <em>honestly</em> Carpe Diem-s each and every day?  We all know a few of those special people who live Carpe Diem naturally and effortlessly.  I want to be like them.  I strive to be like them.  And this year, I made a <em>conscious choice</em> to live like them each and every day.  I chose one daily thing that piqued my curiosity and embraced it.  Conscious living really works!  Carpe Diem and all that jazz!</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The canine variety.)  </strong>Taking on a 365 day blog project filled almost every second of my day outside of my day job.  I had no room in my life to assume any other responsibilities.  And then Bella (formerly knows as \"Missy\") picked me while I was minding my own beeswax and <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=mingus+manor\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Carpe Diem-ing as a volunteer at an animal sanctuary for senior pets</strong>. </a> My mother advised me to feel the fear and adopt that puppy anyway.  I can\'t imagine this year (and future years) without Little Miss B, the sweetest, smartest, most easygoing <del>muppet</del> pooch on the planet!  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/05/06/day-220-my-dog-hijacked-my-computer/\" target=\"_blank\">(Who is still shamelessly soliciting friends on facebook, by the way!)</a></strong></li>\r\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The unconditional family and friends variety.)  </strong>Every blogger\'s fear is that their only reader will be their mother.  I am proud to report that my mother AND my father read my blog every day AND provided proofreading services at no charge!  Thank you, Parental Unit!  In addition, my sister followed the blog religiously and often added her witty and offbeat commentary in the comments section.  My dear cousins agreed to embark on a <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/09/10/day-349-arrivederci/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Trip of a Lifetime Adventure</strong> </a>with me so that this Late Bloomer could <em>finally</em> see Europe for the first time.  My friends humored me not only with their readership, but with their willingness to Carpe Diem along with me in adventures great, small, weird, backfired, goofy, and downright ridiculous.  And then new friends aka \"blog readers\" entered my world.  Some of you are a few degrees separated from me through family and friends, and others are not connected to me at all.  I\'ve had visits from 52 countries, including Cameroon and Latvia!  I am humbled and honored that you took interest in my curious capers.  I hope that you received a few laughs and glimmers of inspiration along the way.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Taking Risks/Conquering Fears.  </strong>I\'m not thrilled with heights.  I\'m not <em>deathly</em> afraid of them. Just your standard, run-of-the-mill unease that makes brings on nausea and a cold sweat.  And I distinctly remembering telling Sarah at the <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=rock+gym\" target=\"_blank\">Rock Gym,</a></strong> \"If I didn\'t have to write about scaling this bloody wall, I would ask if we could call it a day and grab a coffee instead.\"  Or something to that effect.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/11/day-356-my-very-first-concussion-italian-style/\" target=\"_blank\">I\'m not a fan of falling and nearly splitting my head open either.</a></strong>  And I clearly recall announcing to my cousins, \"If I didn\'t have an audience awaiting news about this Cycling Tour of Tuscany, I would stay the hell away from that bike and sip cappuccinos in the piazza for the rest of the week!\"  You (Readers) + Me = Accountability.  Thank you, my friends!</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Perseverance.  </strong>365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day = Fun and Inspiration.  365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day + Writing one blog post per day = Fun, Inspiration, and Utter Lunacy.  Utter Lunacy x 365 Days = Mini Meltdowns.  Fortunately, these were not full-blown <em>Julie &amp; Julia</em> meltdowns.  Luckily, I had a sounding board aka Mom.  It didn\'t matter if I was too busy, too overwhelmed, PMS-ing, stressing, tired, sad, exhausted, or loopy from a concussion.  I listened to Nike, and I observed the law of physics that states an object of motion stays in motion.  I kept up momentum, and I <em>just did it</em>.  (On a serious note, I lost my beloved grandfather this past year.  I was devastated by the loss, and if I didn\'t have the blog project to return to, I probably could have plummeted into the darkest of ruts.)</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Sacrifice.  </strong>Rome wasn\'t built in a day, and blog posts (at least most of mine) aren\'t written in an hour.  Writing requires many hours of solitude.  I turned down many a social invitation this year because I needed to hunker down and write.  Writing is a passion of mine that I enjoy, and in order to make room for dreams, we often have to let go of other diversions.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Letting Go.  </strong>I always go to bed with a clean kitchen.  Not this year!  I routinely exercise 6 days a week.  Not this year!  I blow out my hair a couple times a week so that I\'m not sporting a ponytail <em>again</em>.  Not this year!  As long as there wasn\'t food left out in the kitchen, it could wait.  Working out 3-4 days a week was enough.  Ponytails rock!  (See <strong>Sacrifice.</strong>)</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Inspiration.  </strong>The beauty of a 365 project is that it doles out daily doses of inspiration.  Even when something goes completely and maddeningly wrong -- like crash-boom-splatting in a foreign country and taking home a mangled shoulder and a head injury as a souvenir -- <em>it\'s all writing material</em>.  Head injuries also require a \"time out\" which frees you up to find ....</li>\r\n	<li><strong><strong>Love.  (The Sexy Italian variety.) </strong></strong>I wrote the \"Engage in Life\" quote on the right sidebar of this blog about a year and a half ago.  It originated as a series of scribbled \"Michelle-isms\" that I sent off to the web designer so that she could get a better feel of  \"this Late Bloomer chick\" when designing the blog.  She loved the quote so much that she asked if she could incorporate it into the design.  I was a bit hesitant at first.  Am I really quote-worthy???  I agreed while second-guessing myself all the while.  Now I NEEDED to hold myself accountable.  <em>If you\'re going to spout wisdom, you better walk your talk, sister!</em>  I walked 365 days of that talk, and then...irony of ironies...while luxuriating in injury-induced free time on a vacation in Italy, the man and the fairy tale found me.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: x-large;\"><strong>What happened after 365 Days?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI burned out, of course.  I was still nursing that blasted concussion, and I was <em>exhausted</em>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd here\'s the horrific truth that I must honestly admit to you now:  I stopped Carpe Diem-ing every day.  (<em>Especially</em> after Romeo Mio\'s post-Thanksgiving departure.  Sniff, sniff.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI started watching more and more TV.  My Mom and friends laugh at me when I\'ve mentioned this, but 1-2 shows <em>a night</em> compared to my former 1-2 shows <em>a week</em>, is a lot for me.  Especially when I sank to the TV Pit of Despair:  <em>Toddler\'s &amp; Tiaras</em> and <em>Hoarders</em>.  I told you it was horrific.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIn addition, I started eating too much sugar, stopped working out entirely, and welcomed The Mother of All Procrastinations into my home with open arms.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nUgh.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nArgh.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHumbug.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">I suppose I was in a postpartum depression of sorts.  I birthed this blog.  Now what?</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a few weeks of this nonsense, I reminded myself that, for me, conscious Carpe Diem-ing is a choice -- a habit that requires honing.  I can live the principles outside of a 365 day project.  Imagine that!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI peeled myself up off my sofa, turned off the damn TV, and kicked The Mother of All Procrastinations to the curb.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI jumped on the green smoothies bandwagon and practiced yoga for 8 days straight.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>I soaked up the magic of the holiday season with an Off-Martha-Stewart decorating explosion and a tea party.</strong></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI booked a flight for <a href=\"http://www.les3vallees.com/en/accueil.1.l2/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Les Trois Vallées</strong></a> where, after two months apart, Romeo Mio and I will reunite.  How do you say \"Carpe Diem\" in French?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI wishcasted for 2012 along with my <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wish Club</a></strong> inductees, and as soon as I finish tweaking this blog for January 1st\'s launch of Chapter Two, I am beginning my first ever <a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Annual Review à la Chris Guillebeau</strong>.</a>  (Kindly add Chris and June 2011\'s <strong><a href=\"http://worlddominationsummit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">World Domination Summit</a></strong> to the \"Inspiration\" bullet above.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat happens after January 1st?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHint:  It all started <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\r\n<div></div>','Lessons Learned from My Year of Living Curiously','','inherit','open','open','','8636-revision-77','','','2011-12-30 11:25:31','2011-12-30 18:25:31','',8636,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/8636-revision-77/',0,'revision','',0),(8735,1,'2011-12-30 11:31:11','2011-12-30 18:31:11','','5955324903_c4f3f8d85d','','inherit','open','open','','5955324903_c4f3f8d85d','','','2011-12-30 11:31:11','2011-12-30 18:31:11','',8636,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/5955324903_c4f3f8d85d.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(8734,1,'2011-12-30 11:25:46','2011-12-30 18:25:46','Previously, I revealed my <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/27/extra-credit-day-366-top-10-most-curious/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Top 10 Most Curious Moments</strong></a> from my 365 Days of Living Curiously.  At that time (back in October!), I promised to wax philosophically about my year at another time.  \"Another time\" promptly morphed into The Mother of All Procrastinations.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">I\'m not sure why I postponed writing this post, considering that the year ranked as My Best Year Yet.</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPerhaps I was burned out from writing 365 posts in just a bit more than 365 days?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOr did the magnitude of this endeavor seem too daunting?  (<em>How on earth</em> do you sum up a life-changing year in a single blog post?)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOr maybe I subconsciously didn\'t want to let go of my precious year?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhatever the case, it\'s time to stop making excuses and CELEBRATE the year.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI originally embarked on The Year of Living Curiously when I found myself in The Mother of All Ruts. I won\'t dig up that sob story again, but if you would like a refresher, you can visit <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBefore descending into a full-blown <del>mid-life</del> existential crisis, I summoned my inner Cher and smacked myself upside the head with a <strong><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x-fkSYDtUY\" target=\"_blank\">\"Snap out of it!\"  </a> </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd my way of snapping out of it was taking on an insane blog project in which I would not only tackle one \"curious\" mini-adventure each day, but also write about it.  (There are uber-uber-talented Professional Super Bloggers out there who take on <strong><a href=\"http://www.corbettbarr.com/what-i-learned-publishing-every-day-for-30-days\" target=\"_blank\">30 DAYS of consecutive blogging as a challenge</a></strong>.  So when I throw out the word \"insane\", I am not over-exaggerating.  I really was <em>that crazy</em>.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: x-large;\"><strong>Here is what I learned from my Crazy, Precious, Curious Year:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><strong>Discipline.</strong>  I have always been a fairly disciplined person.  But I am also human, and therefore, I am seduced by the Big Bad Procrastination Wolf just like 95% of the population.  In the past, I blamed my procrastination on my perfectionism, or life getting in the way, or a host of other various excuses, but this year, I had to \"SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP!\"  Cranking out a post a day (while maintaining a full-time day job) is ultramarathon blogging.  If I slacked off on my schedule, I was doomed.  No Big Bad Procrastination Wolf temptation was worth more than my dream or my pride.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>The true essence of Carpe Diem.</strong>  People have been throwing out the phrase \"Carpe Diem\" for millennia.  It\'s the loveliest of concepts:  Seize the day! <strong><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9781563522956\" target=\"_blank\"> Each day is a gift: That\'s why it\'s called The Present!  </a></strong>Live each day as if it\'s your last!  (The latter always creeps me out a bit, but after losing two family members much too soon, it also resonates.  Loudly.)  Yet who <em>honestly</em> Carpe Diem-s each and every day?  We all know a few of those special people who live Carpe Diem naturally and effortlessly.  I want to be like them.  I strive to be like them.  And this year, I made a <em>conscious choice</em> to live like them each and every day.  I chose one daily thing that piqued my curiosity and embraced it.  Conscious living really works!  Carpe Diem and all that jazz!</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The canine variety.)  </strong>Taking on a 365 day blog project filled almost every second of my day outside of my day job.  I had no room in my life to assume any other responsibilities.  And then Bella (formerly knows as \"Missy\") picked me while I was minding my own beeswax and <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=mingus+manor\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Carpe Diem-ing as a volunteer at an animal sanctuary for senior pets</strong>. </a> My mother advised me to feel the fear and adopt that puppy anyway.  I can\'t imagine this year (and future years) without Little Miss B, the sweetest, smartest, most easygoing <del>muppet</del> pooch on the planet!  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/05/06/day-220-my-dog-hijacked-my-computer/\" target=\"_blank\">(Who is still shamelessly soliciting friends on facebook, by the way!)</a></strong></li>\r\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The unconditional family and friends variety.)  </strong>Every blogger\'s fear is that their only reader will be their mother.  I am proud to report that my mother AND my father read my blog every day AND provided proofreading services at no charge!  Thank you, Parental Unit!  In addition, my sister followed the blog religiously and often added her witty and offbeat commentary in the comments section.  My dear cousins agreed to embark on a <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/09/10/day-349-arrivederci/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Trip of a Lifetime Adventure</strong> </a>with me so that this Late Bloomer could <em>finally</em> see Europe for the first time.  My friends humored me not only with their readership, but with their willingness to Carpe Diem along with me in adventures great, small, weird, backfired, goofy, and downright ridiculous.  And then new friends aka \"blog readers\" entered my world.  Some of you are a few degrees separated from me through family and friends, and others are not connected to me at all.  I\'ve had visits from 52 countries, including Cameroon and Latvia!  I am humbled and honored that you took interest in my curious capers.  I hope that you received a few laughs and glimmers of inspiration along the way.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Taking Risks/Conquering Fears.  </strong>I\'m not thrilled with heights.  I\'m not <em>deathly</em> afraid of them. Just your standard, run-of-the-mill unease that makes brings on nausea and a cold sweat.  And I distinctly remembering telling Sarah at the <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=rock+gym\" target=\"_blank\">Rock Gym,</a></strong> \"If I didn\'t have to write about scaling this bloody wall, I would ask if we could call it a day and grab a coffee instead.\"  Or something to that effect.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/11/day-356-my-very-first-concussion-italian-style/\" target=\"_blank\">I\'m not a fan of falling and nearly splitting my head open either.</a></strong>  And I clearly recall announcing to my cousins, \"If I didn\'t have an audience awaiting news about this Cycling Tour of Tuscany, I would stay the hell away from that bike and sip cappuccinos in the piazza for the rest of the week!\"  You (Readers) + Me = Accountability.  Thank you, my friends!</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Perseverance.  </strong>365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day = Fun and Inspiration.  365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day + Writing one blog post per day = Fun, Inspiration, and Utter Lunacy.  Utter Lunacy x 365 Days = Mini Meltdowns.  Fortunately, these were not full-blown <em>Julie &amp; Julia</em> meltdowns.  Luckily, I had a sounding board aka Mom.  It didn\'t matter if I was too busy, too overwhelmed, PMS-ing, stressing, tired, sad, exhausted, or loopy from a concussion.  I listened to Nike, and I observed the law of physics that states an object of motion stays in motion.  I kept up momentum, and I <em>just did it</em>.  (On a serious note, I lost my beloved grandfather this past year.  I was devastated by the loss, and if I didn\'t have the blog project to return to, I probably could have plummeted into the darkest of ruts.)</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Sacrifice.  </strong>Rome wasn\'t built in a day, and blog posts (at least most of mine) aren\'t written in an hour.  Writing requires many hours of solitude.  I turned down many a social invitation this year because I needed to hunker down and write.  Writing is a passion of mine that I enjoy, and in order to make room for dreams, we often have to let go of other diversions.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Letting Go.  </strong>I always go to bed with a clean kitchen.  Not this year!  I routinely exercise 6 days a week.  Not this year!  I blow out my hair a couple times a week so that I\'m not sporting a ponytail <em>again</em>.  Not this year!  As long as there wasn\'t food left out in the kitchen, it could wait.  Working out 3-4 days a week was enough.  Ponytails rock!  (See <strong>Sacrifice.</strong>)</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Inspiration.  </strong>The beauty of a 365 project is that it doles out daily doses of inspiration.  Even when something goes completely and maddeningly wrong -- like crash-boom-splatting in a foreign country and taking home a mangled shoulder and a head injury as a souvenir -- <em>it\'s all writing material</em>.  Head injuries also require a \"time out\" which frees you up to find ....</li>\r\n	<li><strong><strong>Love.  (The Sexy Italian variety.) </strong></strong>I wrote the \"Engage in Life\" quote on the right sidebar of this blog about a year and a half ago.  It originated as a series of scribbled \"Michelle-isms\" that I sent off to the web designer so that she could get a better feel of  \"this Late Bloomer chick\" when designing the blog.  She loved the quote so much that she asked if she could incorporate it into the design.  I was a bit hesitant at first.  Am I really quote-worthy???  I agreed while second-guessing myself all the while.  Now I NEEDED to hold myself accountable.  <em>If you\'re going to spout wisdom, you better walk your talk, sister!</em>  I walked 365 days of that talk, and then...irony of ironies...while luxuriating in injury-induced free time on a vacation in Italy, the man and the fairy tale found me.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: x-large;\"><strong>What happened after 365 Days?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI burned out, of course.  I was still nursing that blasted concussion, and I was <em>exhausted</em>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd here\'s the horrific truth that I must honestly admit to you now:  I stopped Carpe Diem-ing every day.  (<em>Especially</em> after Romeo Mio\'s post-Thanksgiving departure.  Sniff, sniff.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI started watching more and more TV.  My Mom and friends laugh at me when I\'ve mentioned this, but 1-2 shows <em>a night</em> compared to my former 1-2 shows <em>a week</em>, is a lot for me.  Especially when I sank to the TV Pit of Despair:  <em>Toddler\'s &amp; Tiaras</em> and <em>Hoarders</em>.  I told you it was horrific.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIn addition, I started eating too much sugar, stopped working out entirely, and welcomed The Mother of All Procrastinations into my home with open arms.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nUgh.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nArgh.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHumbug.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">I suppose I was in a postpartum depression of sorts.  I birthed this blog.  Now what?</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a few weeks of this nonsense, I reminded myself that, for me, conscious Carpe Diem-ing is a choice -- a habit that requires honing.  I can live the principles outside of a 365 day project.  Imagine that!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI peeled myself up off my sofa, turned off the damn TV, and kicked The Mother of All Procrastinations to the curb.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI jumped on the green smoothies bandwagon and practiced yoga for 8 days straight.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>I soaked up the magic of the holiday season with an Off-Martha-Stewart decorating explosion and a tea party.</strong></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI booked a flight for <a href=\"http://www.les3vallees.com/en/accueil.1.l2/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Les Trois Vallées</strong></a> where, after two months apart, Romeo Mio and I will reunite.  How do you say \"Carpe Diem\" in French?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI wishcasted for 2012 along with my <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wish Club</a></strong> inductees, and as soon as I finish tweaking this blog for January 1st\'s launch of Chapter Two, I am beginning my first ever <a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Annual Review à la Chris Guillebeau</strong>.</a>  (Kindly add Chris and June 2011\'s <strong><a href=\"http://worlddominationsummit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">World Domination Summit</a></strong> to the \"Inspiration\" bullet above.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat happens after January 1st?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHint:  It all started <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\r\n<div></div>','Lessons Learned from My Year of Living Curiously','','inherit','open','open','','8636-revision-78','','','2011-12-30 11:25:46','2011-12-30 18:25:46','',8636,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/8636-revision-78/',0,'revision','',0),(8736,1,'2011-12-30 11:27:20','2011-12-30 18:27:20','Previously, I revealed my <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/27/extra-credit-day-366-top-10-most-curious/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Top 10 Most Curious Moments</strong></a> from my 365 Days of Living Curiously.  At that time (back in October!), I promised to wax philosophically about my year at another time.  \"Another time\" promptly morphed into The Mother of All Procrastinations.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">I\'m not sure why I postponed writing this post, considering that the year ranked as My Best Year Yet.</span></strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nPerhaps I was burned out from writing 365 posts in just a bit more than 365 days?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOr did the magnitude of this endeavor seem too daunting?  (<em>How on earth</em> do you sum up a life-changing year in a single blog post?)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOr maybe I subconsciously didn\'t want to let go of my precious year?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhatever the case, it\'s time to stop making excuses and CELEBRATE the year.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI originally embarked on The Year of Living Curiously when I found myself in The Mother of All Ruts. I won\'t dig up that sob story again, but if you would like a refresher, you can visit <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBefore descending into a full-blown <del>mid-life</del> existential crisis, I summoned my inner Cher and smacked myself upside the head with a <strong><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x-fkSYDtUY\" target=\"_blank\">\"Snap out of it!\"  </a> </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd my way of snapping out of it was taking on an insane blog project in which I would not only tackle one \"curious\" mini-adventure each day, but also write about it.  (There are uber-uber-talented Professional Super Bloggers out there who take on <strong><a href=\"http://www.corbettbarr.com/what-i-learned-publishing-every-day-for-30-days\" target=\"_blank\">30 DAYS of consecutive blogging as a challenge</a></strong>.  So when I throw out the word \"insane\", I am not over-exaggerating.  I really was <em>that crazy</em>.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: x-large;\"><strong>Here is what I learned from my Crazy, Precious, Curious Year:</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Discipline.</strong>  I have always been a fairly disciplined person.  But I am also human, and therefore, I am seduced by the Big Bad Procrastination Wolf just like 95% of the population.  In the past, I blamed my procrastination on my perfectionism, or life getting in the way, or a host of other various excuses, but this year, I had to \"SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP!\"  Cranking out a post a day (while maintaining a full-time day job) is ultramarathon blogging.  If I slacked off on my schedule, I was doomed.  No Big Bad Procrastination Wolf temptation was worth more than my dream or my pride.</li>\n	<li><strong>The true essence of Carpe Diem.</strong>  People have been throwing out the phrase \"Carpe Diem\" for millennia.  It\'s the loveliest of concepts:  Seize the day! <strong><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9781563522956\" target=\"_blank\"> Each day is a gift: That\'s why it\'s called The Present!  </a></strong>Live each day as if it\'s your last!  (The latter always creeps me out a bit, but after losing two family members much too soon, it also resonates.  Loudly.)  Yet who <em>honestly</em> Carpe Diem-s each and every day?  We all know a few of those special people who live Carpe Diem naturally and effortlessly.  I want to be like them.  I strive to be like them.  And this year, I made a <em>conscious choice</em> to live like them each and every day.  I chose one daily thing that piqued my curiosity and embraced it.  Conscious living really works!  Carpe Diem and all that jazz!</li>\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The canine variety.)  </strong>Taking on a 365 day blog project filled almost every second of my day outside of my day job.  I had no room in my life to assume any other responsibilities.  And then Bella (formerly knows as \"Missy\") picked me while I was minding my own beeswax and <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=mingus+manor\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Carpe Diem-ing as a volunteer at an animal sanctuary for senior pets</strong>. </a> My mother advised me to feel the fear and adopt that puppy anyway.  I can\'t imagine this year (and future years) without Little Miss B, the sweetest, smartest, most easygoing <del>muppet</del> pooch on the planet!  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/05/06/day-220-my-dog-hijacked-my-computer/\" target=\"_blank\">(Who is still shamelessly soliciting friends on facebook, by the way!)</a></strong></li>\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The unconditional family and friends variety.)  </strong>Every blogger\'s fear is that their only reader will be their mother.  I am proud to report that my mother AND my father read my blog every day AND provided proofreading services at no charge!  Thank you, Parental Unit!  In addition, my sister followed the blog religiously and often added her witty and offbeat commentary in the comments section.  My dear cousins agreed to embark on a <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/09/10/day-349-arrivederci/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Trip of a Lifetime Adventure</strong> </a>with me so that this Late Bloomer could <em>finally</em> see Europe for the first time.  My friends humored me not only with their readership, but with their willingness to Carpe Diem along with me in adventures great, small, weird, backfired, goofy, and downright ridiculous.  And then new friends aka \"blog readers\" entered my world.  Some of you are a few degrees separated from me through family and friends, and others are not connected to me at all.  I\'ve had visits from 52 countries, including Cameroon and Latvia!  I am humbled and honored that you took interest in my curious capers.  I hope that you received a few laughs and glimmers of inspiration along the way.</li>\n	<li><strong>Taking Risks/Conquering Fears.  </strong>I\'m not thrilled with heights.  I\'m not <em>deathly</em> afraid of them. Just your standard, run-of-the-mill unease that makes brings on nausea and a cold sweat.  And I distinctly remembering telling Sarah at the <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=rock+gym\" target=\"_blank\">Rock Gym,</a></strong> \"If I didn\'t have to write about scaling this bloody wall, I would ask if we could call it a day and grab a coffee instead.\"  Or something to that effect.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/11/day-356-my-very-first-concussion-italian-style/\" target=\"_blank\">I\'m not a fan of falling and nearly splitting my head open either.</a></strong>  And I clearly recall announcing to my cousins, \"If I didn\'t have an audience awaiting news about this Cycling Tour of Tuscany, I would stay the hell away from that bike and sip cappuccinos in the piazza for the rest of the week!\"  You (Readers) + Me = Accountability.  Thank you, my friends!</li>\n	<li><strong>Perseverance.  </strong>365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day = Fun and Inspiration.  365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day + Writing one blog post per day = Fun, Inspiration, and Utter Lunacy.  Utter Lunacy x 365 Days = Mini Meltdowns.  Fortunately, these were not full-blown <em>Julie &amp; Julia</em> meltdowns.  Luckily, I had a sounding board aka Mom.  It didn\'t matter if I was too busy, too overwhelmed, PMS-ing, stressing, tired, sad, exhausted, or loopy from a concussion.  I listened to Nike, and I observed the law of physics that states an object of motion stays in motion.  I kept up momentum, and I <em>just did it</em>.  (On a serious note, I lost my beloved grandfather this past year.  I was devastated by the loss, and if I didn\'t have the blog project to return to, I probably could have plummeted into the darkest of ruts.)</li>\n	<li><strong>Sacrifice.  </strong>Rome wasn\'t built in a day, and blog posts (at least most of mine) aren\'t written in an hour.  Writing requires many hours of solitude.  I turned down many a social invitation this year because I needed to hunker down and write.  Writing is a passion of mine that I enjoy, and in order to make room for dreams, we often have to let go of other diversions.</li>\n	<li><strong>Letting Go.  </strong>I always go to bed with a clean kitchen.  Not this year!  I routinely exercise 6 days a week.  Not this year!  I blow out my hair a couple times a week so that I\'m not sporting a ponytail <em>again</em>.  Not this year!  As long as there wasn\'t food left out in the kitchen, it could wait.  Working out 3-4 days a week was enough.  Ponytails rock!  (See <strong>Sacrifice.</strong>)</li>\n	<li><strong>Inspiration.  </strong>The beauty of a 365 project is that it doles out daily doses of inspiration.  Even when something goes completely and maddeningly wrong -- like crash-boom-splatting in a foreign country and taking home a mangled shoulder and a head injury as a souvenir -- <em>it\'s all writing material</em>.  Head injuries also require a \"time out\" which frees you up to find ....</li>\n	<li><strong><strong>Love.  (The Sexy Italian variety.) </strong></strong>I wrote the \"Engage in Life\" quote on the right sidebar of this blog about a year and a half ago.  It originated as a series of scribbled \"Michelle-isms\" that I sent off to the web designer so that she could get a better feel of  \"this Late Bloomer chick\" when designing the blog.  She loved the quote so much that she asked if she could incorporate it into the design.  I was a bit hesitant at first.  Am I really quote-worthy???  I agreed while second-guessing myself all the while.  Now I NEEDED to hold myself accountable.  <em>If you\'re going to spout wisdom, you better walk your talk, sister!</em>  I walked 365 days of that talk, and then...irony of ironies...while luxuriating in injury-induced free time on a vacation in Italy, the man and the fairy tale found me.</li>\n</ul>\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: x-large;\"><strong>What happened after 365 Days?</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI burned out, of course.  I was still nursing that blasted concussion, and I was <em>exhausted</em>.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd here\'s the horrific truth that I must honestly admit to you now:  I stopped Carpe Diem-ing every day.  (<em>Especially</em> after Romeo Mio\'s post-Thanksgiving departure.  Sniff, sniff.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI started watching more and more TV.  My Mom and friends laugh at me when I\'ve mentioned this, but 1-2 shows <em>a night</em> compared to my former 1-2 shows <em>a week</em>, is a lot for me.  Especially when I sank to the TV Pit of Despair:  <em>Toddler\'s &amp; Tiaras</em> and <em>Hoarders</em>.  I told you it was horrific.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIn addition, I started eating too much sugar, stopped working out entirely, and welcomed The Mother of All Procrastinations into my home with open arms.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nUgh.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nArgh.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHumbug.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">I suppose I was in a postpartum depression of sorts.  I birthed this blog.  Now what?</span></strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAfter a few weeks of this nonsense, I reminded myself that, for me, conscious Carpe Diem-ing is a choice -- a habit that requires honing.  I can live the principles outside of a 365 day project.  Imagine that!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI peeled myself up off my sofa, turned off the damn TV, and kicked The Mother of All Procrastinations to the curb.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI jumped on the green smoothies bandwagon and practiced yoga for 8 days straight.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>I soaked up the magic of the holiday season with an Off-Martha-Stewart decorating explosion and a tea party.</strong></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI booked a flight for <a href=\"http://www.les3vallees.com/en/accueil.1.l2/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Les Trois Vallées</strong></a> where, after two months apart, Romeo Mio and I will reunite.  How do you say \"Carpe Diem\" in French?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI wishcasted for 2012 along with my <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wish Club</a></strong> inductees, and as soon as I finish tweaking this blog for January 1st\'s launch of Chapter Two, I am beginning my first ever <a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Annual Review à la Chris Guillebeau</strong>.</a>  (Kindly add Chris and June 2011\'s <strong><a href=\"http://worlddominationsummit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">World Domination Summit</a></strong> to the \"Inspiration\" bullet above.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat happens after January 1st?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHint:  It all started <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\n<div></div>','Lessons Learned from My Year of Living Curiously','','inherit','open','open','','8636-revision-79','','','2011-12-30 11:27:20','2011-12-30 18:27:20','',8636,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/8636-revision-79/',0,'revision','',0),(8737,1,'2011-12-30 11:32:52','2011-12-30 18:32:52','<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/darcymoore/5955324903/sizes/m/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8735\" title=\"5955324903_c4f3f8d85d\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/5955324903_c4f3f8d85d-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" /></a>Previously, I revealed my <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/27/extra-credit-day-366-top-10-most-curious/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Top 10 Most Curious Moments</strong></a> from my 365 Days of Living Curiously.  At that time (back in October!), I promised to wax philosophically about my year at another time.  \"Another time\" promptly morphed into The Mother of All Procrastinations.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">I\'m not sure why I postponed writing this post, considering that the year ranked as My Best Year Yet.</span></strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nPerhaps I was burned out from writing 365 posts in just a bit more than 365 days?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOr did the magnitude of this endeavor seem too daunting?  (<em>How on earth</em> do you sum up a life-changing year in a single blog post?)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOr maybe I subconsciously didn\'t want to let go of my precious year?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhatever the case, it\'s time to stop making excuses and CELEBRATE the year.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI originally embarked on The Year of Living Curiously when I found myself in The Mother of All Ruts. I won\'t dig up that sob story again, but if you would like a refresher, you can visit <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBefore descending into a full-blown <del>mid-life</del> existential crisis, I summoned my inner Cher and smacked myself upside the head with a <strong><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x-fkSYDtUY\" target=\"_blank\">\"Snap out of it!\"  </a> </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd my way of snapping out of it was taking on an insane blog project in which I would not only tackle one \"curious\" mini-adventure each day, but also write about it.  (There are uber-uber-talented Professional Super Bloggers out there who take on <strong><a href=\"http://www.corbettbarr.com/what-i-learned-publishing-every-day-for-30-days\" target=\"_blank\">30 DAYS of consecutive blogging as a challenge</a></strong>.  So when I throw out the word \"insane\", I am not over-exaggerating.  I really was <em>that crazy</em>.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: x-large;\"><strong>Here is what I learned from my Crazy, Precious, Curious Year:</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Discipline.</strong>  I have always been a fairly disciplined person.  But I am also human, and therefore, I am seduced by the Big Bad Procrastination Wolf just like 95% of the population.  In the past, I blamed my procrastination on my perfectionism, or life getting in the way, or a host of other various excuses, but this year, I had to \"SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP!\"  Cranking out a post a day (while maintaining a full-time day job) is ultramarathon blogging.  If I slacked off on my schedule, I was doomed.  No Big Bad Procrastination Wolf temptation was worth more than my dream or my pride.</li>\n	<li><strong>The true essence of Carpe Diem.</strong>  People have been throwing out the phrase \"Carpe Diem\" for millennia.  It\'s the loveliest of concepts:  Seize the day! <strong><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9781563522956\" target=\"_blank\"> Each day is a gift: That\'s why it\'s called The Present!  </a></strong>Live each day as if it\'s your last!  (The latter always creeps me out a bit, but after losing two family members much too soon, it also resonates.  Loudly.)  Yet who <em>honestly</em> Carpe Diem-s each and every day?  We all know a few of those special people who live Carpe Diem naturally and effortlessly.  I want to be like them.  I strive to be like them.  And this year, I made a <em>conscious choice</em> to live like them each and every day.  I chose one daily thing that piqued my curiosity and embraced it.  Conscious living really works!  Carpe Diem and all that jazz!</li>\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The canine variety.)  </strong>Taking on a 365 day blog project filled almost every second of my day outside of my day job.  I had no room in my life to assume any other responsibilities.  And then Bella (formerly knows as \"Missy\") picked me while I was minding my own beeswax and <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=mingus+manor\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Carpe Diem-ing as a volunteer at an animal sanctuary for senior pets</strong>. </a> My mother advised me to feel the fear and adopt that puppy anyway.  I can\'t imagine this year (and future years) without Little Miss B, the sweetest, smartest, most easygoing <del>muppet</del> pooch on the planet!  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/05/06/day-220-my-dog-hijacked-my-computer/\" target=\"_blank\">(Who is still shamelessly soliciting friends on facebook, by the way!)</a></strong></li>\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The unconditional family and friends variety.)  </strong>Every blogger\'s fear is that their only reader will be their mother.  I am proud to report that my mother AND my father read my blog every day AND provided proofreading services at no charge!  Thank you, Parental Unit!  In addition, my sister followed the blog religiously and often added her witty and offbeat commentary in the comments section.  My dear cousins agreed to embark on a <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/09/10/day-349-arrivederci/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Trip of a Lifetime Adventure</strong> </a>with me so that this Late Bloomer could <em>finally</em> see Europe for the first time.  My friends humored me not only with their readership, but with their willingness to Carpe Diem along with me in adventures great, small, weird, backfired, goofy, and downright ridiculous.  And then new friends aka \"blog readers\" entered my world.  Some of you are a few degrees separated from me through family and friends, and others are not connected to me at all.  I\'ve had visits from 52 countries, including Cameroon and Latvia!  I am humbled and honored that you took interest in my curious capers.  I hope that you received a few laughs and glimmers of inspiration along the way.</li>\n	<li><strong>Taking Risks/Conquering Fears.  </strong>I\'m not thrilled with heights.  I\'m not <em>deathly</em> afraid of them. Just your standard, run-of-the-mill unease that makes brings on nausea and a cold sweat.  And I distinctly remembering telling Sarah at the <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=rock+gym\" target=\"_blank\">Rock Gym,</a></strong> \"If I didn\'t have to write about scaling this bloody wall, I would ask if we could call it a day and grab a coffee instead.\"  Or something to that effect.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/11/day-356-my-very-first-concussion-italian-style/\" target=\"_blank\">I\'m not a fan of falling and nearly splitting my head open either.</a></strong>  And I clearly recall announcing to my cousins, \"If I didn\'t have an audience awaiting news about this Cycling Tour of Tuscany, I would stay the hell away from that bike and sip cappuccinos in the piazza for the rest of the week!\"  You (Readers) + Me = Accountability.  Thank you, my friends!</li>\n	<li><strong>Perseverance.  </strong>365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day = Fun and Inspiration.  365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day + Writing one blog post per day = Fun, Inspiration, and Utter Lunacy.  Utter Lunacy x 365 Days = Mini Meltdowns.  Fortunately, these were not full-blown <em>Julie &amp; Julia</em> meltdowns.  Luckily, I had a sounding board aka Mom.  It didn\'t matter if I was too busy, too overwhelmed, PMS-ing, stressing, tired, sad, exhausted, or loopy from a concussion.  I listened to Nike, and I observed the law of physics that states an object of motion stays in motion.  I kept up momentum, and I <em>just did it</em>.  (On a serious note, I lost my beloved grandfather this past year.  I was devastated by the loss, and if I didn\'t have the blog project to return to, I probably could have plummeted into the darkest of ruts.)</li>\n	<li><strong>Sacrifice.  </strong>Rome wasn\'t built in a day, and blog posts (at least most of mine) aren\'t written in an hour.  Writing requires many hours of solitude.  I turned down many a social invitation this year because I needed to hunker down and write.  Writing is a passion of mine that I enjoy, and in order to make room for dreams, we often have to let go of other diversions.</li>\n	<li><strong>Letting Go.  </strong>I always go to bed with a clean kitchen.  Not this year!  I routinely exercise 6 days a week.  Not this year!  I blow out my hair a couple times a week so that I\'m not sporting a ponytail <em>again</em>.  Not this year!  As long as there wasn\'t food left out in the kitchen, it could wait.  Working out 3-4 days a week was enough.  Ponytails rock!  (See <strong>Sacrifice.</strong>)</li>\n	<li><strong>Inspiration.  </strong>The beauty of a 365 project is that it doles out daily doses of inspiration.  Even when something goes completely and maddeningly wrong -- like crash-boom-splatting in a foreign country and taking home a mangled shoulder and a head injury as a souvenir -- <em>it\'s all writing material</em>.  Head injuries also require a \"time out\" which frees you up to find ....</li>\n	<li><strong><strong>Love.  (The Sexy Italian variety.) </strong></strong>I wrote the \"Engage in Life\" quote on the right sidebar of this blog about a year and a half ago.  It originated as a series of scribbled \"Michelle-isms\" that I sent off to the web designer so that she could get a better feel of  \"this Late Bloomer chick\" when designing the blog.  She loved the quote so much that she asked if she could incorporate it into the design.  I was a bit hesitant at first.  Am I really quote-worthy???  I agreed while second-guessing myself all the while.  Now I NEEDED to hold myself accountable.  <em>If you\'re going to spout wisdom, you better walk your talk, sister!</em>  I walked 365 days of that talk, and then...irony of ironies...while luxuriating in injury-induced free time on a vacation in Italy, the man and the fairy tale found me.</li>\n</ul>\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: x-large;\"><strong>What happened after 365 Days?</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI burned out, of course.  I was still nursing that blasted concussion, and I was <em>exhausted</em>.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd here\'s the horrific truth that I must honestly admit to you now:  I stopped Carpe Diem-ing every day.  (<em>Especially</em> after Romeo Mio\'s post-Thanksgiving departure.  Sniff, sniff.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI started watching more and more TV.  My Mom and friends laugh at me when I\'ve mentioned this, but 1-2 shows <em>a night</em> compared to my former 1-2 shows <em>a week</em>, is a lot for me.  Especially when I sank to the TV Pit of Despair:  <em>Toddler\'s &amp; Tiaras</em> and <em>Hoarders</em>.  I told you it was horrific.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIn addition, I started eating too much sugar, stopped working out entirely, and welcomed The Mother of All Procrastinations into my home with open arms.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nUgh.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nArgh.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHumbug.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">I suppose I was in a postpartum depression of sorts.  I birthed this blog.  Now what?</span></strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAfter a few weeks of this nonsense, I reminded myself that, for me, conscious Carpe Diem-ing is a choice -- a habit that requires honing.  I can live the principles outside of a 365 day project.  Imagine that!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI peeled myself up off my sofa, turned off the damn TV, and kicked The Mother of All Procrastinations to the curb.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI jumped on the green smoothies bandwagon and practiced yoga for 8 days straight.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>I soaked up the magic of the holiday season with an Off-Martha-Stewart decorating explosion and a tea party.</strong></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI booked a flight for <a href=\"http://www.les3vallees.com/en/accueil.1.l2/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Les Trois Vallées</strong></a> where, after two months apart, Romeo Mio and I will reunite.  How do you say \"Carpe Diem\" in French?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI wishcasted for 2012 along with my <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wish Club</a></strong> inductees, and as soon as I finish tweaking this blog for January 1st\'s launch of Chapter Two, I am beginning my first ever <a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Annual Review à la Chris Guillebeau</strong>.</a>  (Kindly add Chris and June 2011\'s <strong><a href=\"http://worlddominationsummit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">World Domination Summit</a></strong> to the \"Inspiration\" bullet above.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat happens after January 1st?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHint:  It all started <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\n<div></div>','Lessons Learned from My Year of Living Curiously','','inherit','open','open','','8636-revision-80','','','2011-12-30 11:32:52','2011-12-30 18:32:52','',8636,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/8636-revision-80/',0,'revision','',0),(8738,1,'2011-12-30 11:47:49','2011-12-30 18:47:49','<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/darcymoore/5955324903/sizes/m/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8735\" title=\"5955324903_c4f3f8d85d\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/5955324903_c4f3f8d85d-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" /></a>Previously, I revealed my <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/27/extra-credit-day-366-top-10-most-curious/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Top 10 Most Curious Moments</strong></a> from my 365 Days of Living Curiously.  At that time (back in October!), I promised to wax philosophically about my year at another time.  \"Another time\" promptly morphed into The Mother of All Procrastinations.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">I\'m not sure why I postponed writing this post, considering that the year ranked as My Best Year Yet.</span></strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nPerhaps I was burned out from writing 365 posts in just a bit more than 365 days?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOr did the magnitude of this endeavor seem too daunting?  (<em>How on earth</em> do you sum up a life-changing year in a single blog post?)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOr maybe I subconsciously didn\'t want to let go of my precious year?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhatever the case, it\'s time to stop making excuses and CELEBRATE the year.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI originally embarked on The Year of Living Curiously when I found myself in The Mother of All Ruts. I won\'t dig up that sob story again, but if you would like a refresher, you can visit <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBefore descending into a full-blown <del>mid-life</del> existential crisis, I summoned my inner Cher and smacked myself upside the head with a <strong><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x-fkSYDtUY\" target=\"_blank\">\"Snap out of it!\"  </a> </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd my way of snapping out of it was taking on an insane blog project in which I would not only tackle one \"curious\" mini-adventure each day, but also write about it.  (There are uber-uber-talented Professional Super Bloggers out there who take on <strong><a href=\"http://www.corbettbarr.com/what-i-learned-publishing-every-day-for-30-days\" target=\"_blank\">30 DAYS of consecutive blogging as a challenge</a></strong>.  So when I throw out the word \"insane\", I am not over-exaggerating.  I really was <em>that crazy</em>.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: x-large;\"><strong>Here is what I learned from my Crazy, Precious, Curious Year:</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Discipline.</strong>  I have always been a fairly disciplined person.  But I am also human, and therefore, I am seduced by the Big Bad Procrastination Wolf just like 95% of the population.  In the past, I blamed my procrastination on my perfectionism, or life getting in the way, or a host of other various excuses, but this year, I had to \"SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP!\"  Cranking out a post a day (while maintaining a full-time day job) is ultramarathon blogging.  If I slacked off on my schedule, I was doomed.  No Big Bad Procrastination Wolf temptation was worth more than my dream or my pride.</li>\n	<li><strong>The true essence of Carpe Diem.</strong>  People have been throwing out the phrase \"Carpe Diem\" for millennia.  It\'s the loveliest of concepts:  Seize the day! <strong><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9781563522956\" target=\"_blank\"> Each day is a gift: That\'s why it\'s called The Present!  </a></strong>Live each day as if it\'s your last!  (The latter always creeps me out a bit, but after losing two family members much too soon, it also resonates.  Loudly.)  Yet who <em>honestly</em> Carpe Diem-s each and every day?  We all know a few of those special people who live Carpe Diem naturally and effortlessly.  I want to be like them.  I strive to be like them.  And this year, I made a <em>conscious choice</em> to live like them each and every day.  I chose one daily thing that piqued my curiosity and embraced it.  Conscious living really works!  Carpe Diem and all that jazz!</li>\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The canine variety.)  </strong>Taking on a 365 day blog project filled almost every second of my day outside of my day job.  I had no room in my life to assume any other responsibilities.  And then Bella (formerly knows as \"Missy\") picked me while I was minding my own beeswax and <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=mingus+manor\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Carpe Diem-ing as a volunteer at an animal sanctuary for senior pets</strong>. </a> My mother advised me to feel the fear and adopt that puppy anyway.  I can\'t imagine this year (and future years) without Little Miss B, the sweetest, smartest, most easygoing <del>muppet</del> pooch on the planet!  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/05/06/day-220-my-dog-hijacked-my-computer/\" target=\"_blank\">(Who is still shamelessly soliciting friends on facebook, by the way!)</a></strong></li>\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The unconditional family and friends variety.)  </strong>Every blogger\'s fear is that their only reader will be their mother.  I am proud to report that my mother AND my father read my blog every day AND provided proofreading services at no charge!  Thank you, Parental Unit!  In addition, my sister followed the blog religiously and often added her witty and offbeat commentary in the comments section.  My dear cousins agreed to embark on a <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/09/10/day-349-arrivederci/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Trip of a Lifetime Adventure</strong> </a>with me so that this Late Bloomer could <em>finally</em> see Europe for the first time.  My friends humored me not only with their readership, but with their willingness to Carpe Diem along with me in adventures great, small, weird, backfired, goofy, and downright ridiculous.  And then new friends aka \"blog readers\" entered my world.  Some of you are a few degrees separated from me through family and friends, and others are not connected to me at all.  I\'ve had visits from 52 countries, including Cameroon and Latvia!  I am humbled and honored that you took interest in my curious capers.  I hope that you received a few laughs and glimmers of inspiration along the way.</li>\n	<li><strong>Taking Risks/Conquering Fears.  </strong>I\'m not thrilled with heights.  I\'m not <em>deathly</em> afraid of them. Just your standard, run-of-the-mill unease that makes brings on nausea and a cold sweat.  And I distinctly remembering telling Sarah at the <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=rock+gym\" target=\"_blank\">Rock Gym,</a></strong> \"If I didn\'t have to write about scaling this bloody wall, I would ask if we could call it a day and grab a coffee instead.\"  Or something to that effect.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/11/day-356-my-very-first-concussion-italian-style/\" target=\"_blank\">I\'m not a fan of falling and nearly splitting my head open either.</a></strong>  And I clearly recall announcing to my cousins, \"If I didn\'t have an audience awaiting news about this Cycling Tour of Tuscany, I would stay the hell away from that bike and sip cappuccinos in the piazza for the rest of the week!\"  You (Readers) + Me = Accountability.  Thank you, my friends!</li>\n	<li><strong>Perseverance.  </strong>365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day = Fun and Inspiration.  365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day + Writing one blog post per day = Fun, Inspiration, and Utter Lunacy.  Utter Lunacy x 365 Days = Mini Meltdowns.  Fortunately, these were not full-blown <em>Julie &amp; Julia</em> meltdowns.  Luckily, I had a sounding board aka Mom.  It didn\'t matter if I was too busy, too overwhelmed, PMS-ing, stressing, tired, sad, exhausted, or loopy from a concussion.  I listened to Nike, and I observed the law of physics that states an object of motion stays in motion.  I kept up momentum, and I <em>just did it</em>.  (On a serious note, I lost my beloved grandfather this past year.  I was devastated by the loss, and if I didn\'t have the blog project to return to, I probably could have plummeted into the darkest of ruts.)</li>\n	<li><strong>Sacrifice.  </strong>Rome wasn\'t built in a day, and blog posts (at least most of mine) aren\'t written in an hour.  Writing requires many hours of solitude.  I turned down many a social invitation this year because I needed to hunker down and write.  Writing is a passion of mine that I enjoy, and in order to make room for dreams, we often have to let go of other diversions.</li>\n	<li><strong>Letting Go.  </strong>I always go to bed with a clean kitchen.  Not this year!  I routinely exercise 6 days a week.  Not this year!  I blow out my hair a couple times a week so that I\'m not sporting a ponytail <em>again</em>.  Not this year!  As long as there wasn\'t food left out in the kitchen, it could wait.  Working out 3-4 days a week was enough.  Ponytails rock!  (See <strong>Sacrifice.</strong>)</li>\n	<li><strong>Inspiration.  </strong>The beauty of a 365 project is that it doles out daily doses of inspiration.  Even when something goes completely and maddeningly wrong -- like crash-boom-splatting in a foreign country and taking home a mangled shoulder and a head injury as a souvenir -- <em>it\'s all writing material</em>.  Head injuries also require a \"time out\" which frees you up to find ....</li>\n	<li><strong><strong>Love.  (The Sexy Italian variety.) </strong></strong>I wrote the \"Engage in Life\" quote on the right sidebar of this blog about a year and a half ago.  It originated as a series of scribbled \"Michelle-isms\" that I sent off to the web designer so that she could get a better feel of  \"this Late Bloomer chick\" when designing the blog.  She loved the quote so much that she asked if she could incorporate it into the design.  I was a bit hesitant at first.  Am I really quote-worthy???  I agreed while second-guessing myself all the while.  Now I NEEDED to hold myself accountable.  <em>If you\'re going to spout wisdom, you better walk your talk, sister!</em>  I walked 365 days of that talk, and then...irony of ironies...while luxuriating in injury-induced free time on a vacation in Italy, the man and the fairy tale found me.</li>\n</ul>\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: x-large;\"><strong>What happened after 365 Days?</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI burned out, of course.  I was still nursing that blasted concussion, and I was <em>exhausted</em>.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd here\'s the horrific truth that I must honestly admit to you now:  I stopped Carpe Diem-ing every day.  (<em>Especially</em> after Romeo Mio\'s post-Thanksgiving departure.  Sniff, sniff.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI started watching more and more TV.  My Mom and friends laugh at me when I\'ve mentioned this, but 1-2 shows <em>a night</em> compared to my former 1-2 shows <em>a week</em>, is a lot for me.  Especially when I sank to the TV Pit of Despair:  <em>Toddler\'s &amp; Tiaras</em> and <em>Hoarders</em>.  I told you it was horrific.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIn addition, I started eating too much sugar, stopped working out entirely, and welcomed The Mother of All Procrastinations into my home with open arms.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nUgh.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nArgh.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHumbug.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">I suppose I was in a postpartum depression of sorts.  I birthed this blog.  Now what?</span></strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAfter a few weeks of this nonsense, I reminded myself that, for me, conscious Carpe Diem-ing is a choice -- a habit that requires honing.  I can live the principles outside of a 365 day project.  Imagine that!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI peeled myself up off my sofa, turned off the damn TV, and kicked The Mother of All Procrastinations to the curb.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI jumped on the green smoothies bandwagon and practiced yoga for 8 days straight.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>I soaked up the magic of the holiday season with an Off-Martha-Stewart decorating explosion and a tea party.</strong></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI booked a flight for <a href=\"http://www.les3vallees.com/en/accueil.1.l2/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Les Trois Vallées</strong></a> where, after two months apart, Romeo Mio and I will reunite.  How do you say \"Carpe Diem\" in French?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI wishcasted for 2012 along with my <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wish Club</a></strong> inductees, and as soon as I finish tweaking this blog for January 1st\'s launch of Chapter Two, I am beginning my first ever <a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Annual Review à la Chris Guillebeau</strong>.</a>  (Kindly add Chris and June 2011\'s <strong><a href=\"http://worlddominationsummit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">World Domination Summit</a></strong> to the \"Inspiration\" bullet above.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat happens after January 1st?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHint:  It all started <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\n<div></div>','Lessons Learned from My Year of Living Curiously','','inherit','open','open','','8636-autosave','','','2011-12-30 11:47:49','2011-12-30 18:47:49','',8636,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/8636-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(8739,1,'2011-12-30 11:46:45','2011-12-30 18:46:45','<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/darcymoore/5955324903/sizes/m/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8735\" title=\"5955324903_c4f3f8d85d\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/5955324903_c4f3f8d85d-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" /></a>Previously, I revealed my <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/27/extra-credit-day-366-top-10-most-curious/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Top 10 Most Curious Moments</strong></a> from my 365 Days of Living Curiously.  At that time (back in October!), I promised to wax philosophically about my year at another time.  \"Another time\" promptly morphed into The Mother of All Procrastinations.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">I\'m not sure why I postponed writing this post, considering that the year ranked as My Best Year Yet.</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPerhaps I was burned out from writing 365 posts in just a bit more than 365 days?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOr did the magnitude of this endeavor seem too daunting?  (<em>How on earth</em> do you sum up a life-changing year in a single blog post?)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOr maybe I subconsciously didn\'t want to let go of my precious year?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhatever the case, it\'s time to stop making excuses and CELEBRATE the year.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI originally embarked on The Year of Living Curiously when I found myself in The Mother of All Ruts. I won\'t dig up that sob story again, but if you would like a refresher, you can visit <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBefore descending into a full-blown <del>mid-life</del> existential crisis, I summoned my inner Cher and smacked myself upside the head with a <strong><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x-fkSYDtUY\" target=\"_blank\">\"Snap out of it!\"  </a> </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd my way of snapping out of it was taking on an insane blog project in which I would not only tackle one \"curious\" mini-adventure each day, but also write about it.  (There are uber-uber-talented Professional Super Bloggers out there who take on <strong><a href=\"http://www.corbettbarr.com/what-i-learned-publishing-every-day-for-30-days\" target=\"_blank\">30 DAYS of consecutive blogging as a challenge</a></strong>.  So when I throw out the word \"insane\", I am not over-exaggerating.  I really was <em>that crazy</em>.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: x-large;\"><strong>Here is what I learned from my Crazy, Precious, Curious Year:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><strong>Discipline.</strong>  I have always been a fairly disciplined person.  But I am also human, and therefore, I am seduced by the Big Bad Procrastination Wolf just like 95% of the population.  In the past, I blamed my procrastination on my perfectionism, or life getting in the way, or a host of other various excuses, but this year, I had to \"SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP!\"  Cranking out a post a day (while maintaining a full-time day job) is ultramarathon blogging.  If I slacked off on my schedule, I was doomed.  No Big Bad Procrastination Wolf temptation was worth more than my dream or my pride.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>The true essence of Carpe Diem.</strong>  People have been throwing out the phrase \"Carpe Diem\" for millennia.  It\'s the loveliest of concepts:  Seize the day! <strong><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9781563522956\" target=\"_blank\"> Each day is a gift: That\'s why it\'s called The Present!  </a></strong>Live each day as if it\'s your last!  (The latter always creeps me out a bit, but after losing two family members much too soon, it also resonates.  Loudly.)  Yet who <em>honestly</em> Carpe Diem-s each and every day?  We all know a few of those special people who live Carpe Diem naturally and effortlessly.  I want to be like them.  I strive to be like them.  And this year, I made a <em>conscious choice</em> to live like them each and every day.  I chose one daily thing that piqued my curiosity and embraced it.  Conscious living really works!  Carpe Diem and all that jazz!</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The canine variety.)  </strong>Taking on a 365 day blog project filled almost every second of my day outside of my day job.  I had no room in my life to assume any other responsibilities.  And then Bella (formerly knows as \"Missy\") picked me while I was minding my own beeswax and <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=mingus+manor\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Carpe Diem-ing as a volunteer at an animal sanctuary for senior pets</strong>. </a> My mother advised me to feel the fear and adopt that puppy anyway.  I can\'t imagine this year (and future years) without Little Miss B, the sweetest, smartest, most easygoing <del>muppet</del> pooch on the planet!  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/05/06/day-220-my-dog-hijacked-my-computer/\" target=\"_blank\">(Who is still shamelessly soliciting friends on facebook, by the way!)</a></strong></li>\r\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The unconditional family and friends variety.)  </strong>Every blogger\'s fear is that their only reader will be their mother.  I am proud to report that my mother AND my father read my blog every day AND provided proofreading services at no charge!  Thank you, Parental Unit!  In addition, my sister followed the blog religiously and often added her witty and offbeat commentary in the comments section.  My dear cousins agreed to embark on a <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/09/10/day-349-arrivederci/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Trip of a Lifetime Adventure</strong> </a>with me so that this Late Bloomer could <em>finally</em> see Europe for the first time.  My friends humored me not only with their readership, but with their willingness to Carpe Diem along with me in adventures great, small, weird, backfired, goofy, and downright ridiculous.  And then new friends aka \"blog readers\" entered my world.  Some of you are a few degrees separated from me through family and friends, and others are not connected to me at all.  I\'ve had visits from 52 countries, including Cameroon and Latvia!  I am humbled and honored that you took interest in my curious capers.  I hope that you received a few laughs and glimmers of inspiration along the way.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Taking Risks/Conquering Fears.  </strong>I\'m not thrilled with heights.  I\'m not <em>deathly</em> afraid of them. Just your standard, run-of-the-mill unease that makes brings on nausea and a cold sweat.  And I distinctly remembering telling Sarah at the <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=rock+gym\" target=\"_blank\">Rock Gym,</a></strong> \"If I didn\'t have to write about scaling this bloody wall, I would ask if we could call it a day and grab a coffee instead.\"  Or something to that effect.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/11/day-356-my-very-first-concussion-italian-style/\" target=\"_blank\">I\'m not a fan of falling and nearly splitting my head open either.</a></strong>  And I clearly recall announcing to my cousins, \"If I didn\'t have an audience awaiting news about this Cycling Tour of Tuscany, I would stay the hell away from that bike and sip cappuccinos in the piazza for the rest of the week!\"  You (Readers) + Me = Accountability.  Thank you, my friends!</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Perseverance.  </strong>365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day = Fun and Inspiration.  365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day + Writing one blog post per day = Fun, Inspiration, and Utter Lunacy.  Utter Lunacy x 365 Days = Mini Meltdowns.  Fortunately, these were not full-blown <em>Julie &amp; Julia</em> meltdowns.  Luckily, I had a sounding board aka Mom.  It didn\'t matter if I was too busy, too overwhelmed, PMS-ing, stressing, tired, sad, exhausted, or loopy from a concussion.  I listened to Nike, and I observed the law of physics that states an object of motion stays in motion.  I kept up momentum, and I <em>just did it</em>.  (On a serious note, I lost my beloved grandfather this past year.  I was devastated by the loss, and if I didn\'t have the blog project to return to, I probably could have plummeted into the darkest of ruts.)</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Sacrifice.  </strong>Rome wasn\'t built in a day, and blog posts (at least most of mine) aren\'t written in an hour.  Writing requires many hours of solitude.  I turned down many a social invitation this year because I needed to hunker down and write.  Writing is a passion of mine that I enjoy, and in order to make room for dreams, we often have to let go of other diversions.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Letting Go.  </strong>I always go to bed with a clean kitchen.  Not this year!  I routinely exercise 6 days a week.  Not this year!  I blow out my hair a couple times a week so that I\'m not sporting a ponytail <em>again</em>.  Not this year!  As long as there wasn\'t food left out in the kitchen, it could wait.  Working out 3-4 days a week was enough.  Ponytails rock!  (See <strong>Sacrifice.</strong>)</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Inspiration.  </strong>The beauty of a 365 project is that it doles out daily doses of inspiration.  Even when something goes completely and maddeningly wrong -- like crash-boom-splatting in a foreign country and taking home a mangled shoulder and a head injury as a souvenir -- <em>it\'s all writing material</em>.  Head injuries also require a \"time out\" which frees you up to find ....</li>\r\n	<li><strong><strong>Love.  (The Sexy Italian variety.) </strong></strong>I wrote the \"Engage in Life\" quote on the right sidebar of this blog about a year and a half ago.  It originated as a series of scribbled \"Michelle-isms\" that I sent off to the web designer so that she could get a better feel of  \"this Late Bloomer chick\" when designing the blog.  She loved the quote so much that she asked if she could incorporate it into the design.  I was a bit hesitant at first.  Am I really quote-worthy???  I agreed while second-guessing myself all the while.  Now I NEEDED to hold myself accountable.  <em>If you\'re going to spout wisdom, you better walk your talk, sister!</em>  I walked 365 days of that talk, and then...irony of ironies...while luxuriating in injury-induced free time on a vacation in Italy, the man and the fairy tale found me.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: x-large;\"><strong>What happened after 365 Days?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI burned out, of course.  I was still nursing that blasted concussion, and I was <em>exhausted</em>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd here\'s the horrific truth that I must honestly admit to you now:  I stopped Carpe Diem-ing every day.  (<em>Especially</em> after Romeo Mio\'s post-Thanksgiving departure.  Sniff, sniff.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI started watching more and more TV.  My Mom and friends laugh at me when I\'ve mentioned this, but 1-2 shows <em>a night</em> compared to my former 1-2 shows <em>a week</em>, is a lot for me.  Especially when I sank to the TV Pit of Despair:  <em>Toddler\'s &amp; Tiaras</em> and <em>Hoarders</em>.  I told you it was horrific.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIn addition, I started eating too much sugar, stopped working out entirely, and welcomed The Mother of All Procrastinations into my home with open arms.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nUgh.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nArgh.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHumbug.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">I suppose I was in a postpartum depression of sorts.  I birthed this blog.  Now what?</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a few weeks of this nonsense, I reminded myself that, for me, conscious Carpe Diem-ing is a choice -- a habit that requires honing.  I can live the principles outside of a 365 day project.  Imagine that!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI peeled myself up off my sofa, turned off the damn TV, and kicked The Mother of All Procrastinations to the curb.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI jumped on the green smoothies bandwagon and practiced yoga for 8 days straight.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>I soaked up the magic of the holiday season with an Off-Martha-Stewart decorating explosion and a tea party.</strong></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI booked a flight for <a href=\"http://www.les3vallees.com/en/accueil.1.l2/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Les Trois Vallées</strong></a> where, after two months apart, Romeo Mio and I will reunite.  How do you say \"Carpe Diem\" in French?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI wishcasted for 2012 along with my <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wish Club</a></strong> inductees, and as soon as I finish tweaking this blog for January 1st\'s launch of Chapter Two, I am beginning my first ever <a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Annual Review à la Chris Guillebeau</strong>.</a>  (Kindly add Chris and June 2011\'s <strong><a href=\"http://worlddominationsummit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">World Domination Summit</a></strong> to the \"Inspiration\" bullet above.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat happens after January 1st?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHint:  It all started <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\r\n<div></div>','Lessons Learned from My Year of Living Curiously','','inherit','open','open','','8636-revision-81','','','2011-12-30 11:46:45','2011-12-30 18:46:45','',8636,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/8636-revision-81/',0,'revision','',0),(8740,1,'2011-12-30 11:47:53','2011-12-30 18:47:53','<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/darcymoore/5955324903/sizes/m/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8735\" title=\"5955324903_c4f3f8d85d\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/5955324903_c4f3f8d85d-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" /></a>Previously, I revealed my <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/27/extra-credit-day-366-top-10-most-curious/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Top 10 Most Curious Moments</strong></a> from my 365 Days of Living Curiously.  At that time (back in October!), I promised to wax philosophically about my year at another time.  \"Another time\" promptly morphed into The Mother of All Procrastinations.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">I\'m not sure why I postponed writing this post, considering that the year ranked as My Best Year Yet.</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPerhaps I was burned out from writing 365 posts in just a bit more than 365 days?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOr did the magnitude of this endeavor seem too daunting?  (<em>How on earth</em> do you sum up a life-changing year in a single blog post?)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOr maybe I subconsciously didn\'t want to let go of my precious year?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhatever the case, it\'s time to stop making excuses and CELEBRATE the year.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI originally embarked on The Year of Living Curiously when I found myself in The Mother of All Ruts. I won\'t dig up that sob story again, but if you would like a refresher, you can visit <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBefore descending into a full-blown <del>mid-life</del> existential crisis, I summoned my inner Cher and smacked myself upside the head with a <strong><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x-fkSYDtUY\" target=\"_blank\">\"Snap out of it!\"  </a> </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd my way of snapping out of it was taking on an insane blog project in which I would not only tackle one \"curious\" mini-adventure each day, but also write about it.  (There are uber-uber-talented Professional Super Bloggers out there who take on <strong><a href=\"http://www.corbettbarr.com/what-i-learned-publishing-every-day-for-30-days\" target=\"_blank\">30 DAYS of consecutive blogging as a challenge</a></strong>.  So when I throw out the word \"insane\", I am not over-exaggerating.  I really was <em>that crazy</em>.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: x-large;\"><strong>Here is what I learned from my Crazy, Precious, Curious Year:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><strong>Discipline.</strong>  I have always been a fairly disciplined person.  But I am also human, and therefore, I am seduced by the Big Bad Procrastination Wolf just like 95% of the population.  In the past, I blamed my procrastination on my perfectionism, or life getting in the way, or a host of other various excuses, but this year, I had to \"SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP!\"  Cranking out a post a day (while maintaining a full-time day job) is ultramarathon blogging.  If I slacked off on my schedule, I was doomed.  No Big Bad Procrastination Wolf temptation was worth more than my dream or my pride.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>The true essence of Carpe Diem.</strong>  People have been throwing out the phrase \"Carpe Diem\" for millennia.  It\'s the loveliest of concepts:  Seize the day! <strong><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9781563522956\" target=\"_blank\"> Each day is a gift: That\'s why it\'s called The Present!  </a></strong>Live each day as if it\'s your last!  (The latter always creeps me out a bit, but after losing two family members much too soon, it also resonates.  Loudly.)  Yet who <em>honestly</em> Carpe Diem-s each and every day?  We all know a few of those special people who live Carpe Diem naturally and effortlessly.  I want to be like them.  I strive to be like them.  And this year, I made a <em>conscious choice</em> to live like them each and every day.  I chose one daily thing that piqued my curiosity and embraced it.  Conscious living really works!  Carpe Diem and all that jazz!</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The canine variety.)  </strong>Taking on a 365 day blog project filled almost every second of my day outside of my day job.  I had no room in my life to assume any other responsibilities.  And then Bella (formerly knows as \"Missy\") picked me while I was minding my own beeswax and <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=mingus+manor\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Carpe Diem-ing as a volunteer at an animal sanctuary for senior pets</strong>. </a> My mother advised me to feel the fear and adopt that puppy anyway.  I can\'t imagine this year (and future years) without Little Miss B, the sweetest, smartest, most easygoing <del>muppet</del> pooch on the planet!  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/05/06/day-220-my-dog-hijacked-my-computer/\" target=\"_blank\">(Who is still shamelessly soliciting friends on facebook, by the way!)</a></strong></li>\r\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The unconditional family and friends variety.)  </strong>Every blogger\'s fear is that their only reader will be their mother.  I am proud to report that my mother AND my father read my blog every day AND provided proofreading services at no charge!  Thank you, Parental Unit!  In addition, my sister followed the blog religiously and often added her witty and offbeat commentary in the comments section.  My dear cousins agreed to embark on a <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/09/10/day-349-arrivederci/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Trip of a Lifetime Adventure</strong> </a>with me so that this Late Bloomer could <em>finally</em> see Europe for the first time.  My friends humored me not only with their readership, but with their willingness to Carpe Diem along with me in adventures great, small, weird, backfired, goofy, and downright ridiculous.  And then new friends aka \"blog readers\" entered my world.  Some of you are a few degrees separated from me through family and friends, and others are not connected to me at all.  I\'ve had visits from 52 countries, including Cameroon and Latvia!  I am humbled and honored that you took interest in my curious capers.  I hope that you received a few laughs and glimmers of inspiration along the way.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Taking Risks/Conquering Fears.  </strong>I\'m not thrilled with heights.  I\'m not <em>deathly</em> afraid of them. Just your standard, run-of-the-mill unease that makes brings on nausea and a cold sweat.  And I distinctly remembering telling Sarah at the <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=rock+gym\" target=\"_blank\">Rock Gym,</a></strong> \"If I didn\'t have to write about scaling this bloody wall, I would ask if we could call it a day and grab a coffee instead.\"  Or something to that effect.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/11/day-356-my-very-first-concussion-italian-style/\" target=\"_blank\">I\'m not a fan of falling and nearly splitting my head open either.</a></strong>  And I clearly recall announcing to my cousins, \"If I didn\'t have an audience awaiting news about this Cycling Tour of Tuscany, I would stay the hell away from that bike and sip cappuccinos in the piazza for the rest of the week!\"  You (Readers) + Me = Accountability.  Thank you, my friends!</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Perseverance.  </strong>365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day = Fun and Inspiration.  365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day + Writing one blog post per day = Fun, Inspiration, and Utter Lunacy.  Utter Lunacy x 365 Days = Mini Meltdowns.  Fortunately, these were not full-blown <em>Julie &amp; Julia</em> meltdowns.  Luckily, I had a sounding board aka Mom.  It didn\'t matter if I was too busy, too overwhelmed, PMS-ing, stressing, tired, sad, exhausted, or loopy from a concussion.  I listened to Nike, and I observed the law of physics that states an object of motion stays in motion.  I kept up momentum, and I <em>just did it</em>.  (On a serious note, I lost my beloved grandfather this past year.  I was devastated by the loss, and if I didn\'t have the blog project to return to, I probably could have plummeted into the darkest of ruts.)</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Sacrifice.  </strong>Rome wasn\'t built in a day, and blog posts (at least most of mine) aren\'t written in an hour.  Writing requires many hours of solitude.  I turned down many a social invitation this year because I needed to hunker down and write.  Writing is a passion of mine that I enjoy, and in order to make room for dreams, we often have to let go of other diversions.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Letting Go.  </strong>I always go to bed with a clean kitchen.  Not this year!  I routinely exercise 6 days a week.  Not this year!  I blow out my hair a couple times a week so that I\'m not sporting a ponytail <em>again</em>.  Not this year!  As long as there wasn\'t food left out in the kitchen, it could wait.  Working out 3-4 days a week was enough.  Ponytails rock!  (See <strong>Sacrifice.</strong>)</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Inspiration.  </strong>The beauty of a 365 project is that it doles out daily doses of inspiration.  Even when something goes completely and maddeningly wrong -- like crash-boom-splatting in a foreign country and taking home a mangled shoulder and a head injury as a souvenir -- <em>it\'s all writing material</em>.  Head injuries also require a \"time out\" which frees you up to find ....</li>\r\n	<li><strong><strong>Love.  (The Sexy Italian variety.) </strong></strong>I wrote the \"Engage in Life\" quote on the right sidebar of this blog about a year and a half ago.  It originated as a series of scribbled \"Michelle-isms\" that I sent off to the web designer so that she could get a better feel of  \"this Late Bloomer chick\" when designing the blog.  She loved the quote so much that she asked if she could incorporate it into the design.  I was a bit hesitant at first.  Am I really quote-worthy???  I agreed while second-guessing myself all the while.  Now I NEEDED to hold myself accountable.  <em>If you\'re going to spout wisdom, you better walk your talk, sister!</em>  I walked 365 days of that talk, and then...irony of ironies...while luxuriating in injury-induced free time on a vacation in Italy, the man and the fairy tale found me.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: x-large;\"><strong>What happened after 365 Days?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI burned out, of course.  I was still nursing that blasted concussion, and I was <em>exhausted</em>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd here\'s the horrific truth that I must honestly admit to you now:  I stopped Carpe Diem-ing every day.  (<em>Especially</em> after Romeo Mio\'s post-Thanksgiving departure.  Sniff, sniff.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI started watching more and more TV.  My Mom and friends laugh at me when I\'ve mentioned this, but 1-2 shows <em>a night</em> compared to my former 1-2 shows <em>a week</em>, is a lot for me.  Especially when I sank to the TV Pit of Despair:  <em>Toddler\'s &amp; Tiaras</em> and <em>Hoarders</em>.  I told you it was horrific.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIn addition, I started eating too much sugar, stopped working out entirely, and welcomed The Mother of All Procrastinations into my home with open arms.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nUgh.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nArgh.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHumbug.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">I suppose I was in a postpartum depression of sorts.  I birthed this blog.  Now what?</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a few weeks of this nonsense, I reminded myself that, for me, conscious Carpe Diem-ing is a choice -- a habit that requires honing.  I can live the principles outside of a 365 day project.  Imagine that!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI peeled myself up off my sofa, turned off the damn TV, and kicked The Mother of All Procrastinations to the curb.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI jumped on the green smoothies bandwagon and practiced yoga for 8 days straight.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>I soaked up the magic of the holiday season with an Off-Martha-Stewart decorating explosion and a tea party.</strong></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI booked a flight for <a href=\"http://www.les3vallees.com/en/accueil.1.l2/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Les Trois Vallées</strong></a> where, after two months apart, Romeo Mio and I will reunite.  How do you say \"Carpe Diem\" in French?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI wishcasted for 2012 along with my <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wish Club</a></strong> inductees, and as soon as I finish tweaking this blog for January 1st\'s launch of Chapter Two, I am beginning my first ever <a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Annual Review à la Chris Guillebeau</strong>.</a>  (Kindly add Chris and June 2011\'s <strong><a href=\"http://worlddominationsummit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">World Domination Summit</a></strong> to the \"Inspiration\" bullet above.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat happens after January 1st?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHint:  It all started <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\r\n<div></div>','Lessons Learned from My Year of Living Curiously','','inherit','open','open','','8636-revision-82','','','2011-12-30 11:47:53','2011-12-30 18:47:53','',8636,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/8636-revision-82/',0,'revision','',0),(8741,1,'2011-12-30 11:50:19','2011-12-30 18:50:19','<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/darcymoore/5955324903/sizes/m/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8735\" title=\"5955324903_c4f3f8d85d\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/5955324903_c4f3f8d85d-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" /></a>Previously, I revealed my <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/27/extra-credit-day-366-top-10-most-curious/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Top 10 Most Curious Moments</strong></a> from my 365 Days of Living Curiously.  At that time (back in October!), I promised to wax philosophically about my year at another time.  \"Another time\" promptly morphed into The Mother of All Procrastinations.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">I\'m not sure why I postponed writing this post, considering that the year ranked as My Best Year Yet.</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPerhaps I was burned out from writing 365 posts in just a bit more than 365 days?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOr did the magnitude of this endeavor seem too daunting?  (<em>How on earth</em> do you sum up a life-changing year in a single blog post?)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOr maybe I subconsciously didn\'t want to let go of my precious year?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhatever the case, it\'s time to stop making excuses and CELEBRATE the year.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI originally embarked on The Year of Living Curiously when I found myself in The Mother of All Ruts. I won\'t dig up that sob story again, but if you would like a refresher, you can visit <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBefore descending into a full-blown <del>mid-life</del> existential crisis, I summoned my inner Cher and smacked myself upside the head with a <strong><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x-fkSYDtUY\" target=\"_blank\">\"Snap out of it!\"  </a> </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd my way of snapping out of it was taking on an insane blog project in which I would not only tackle one \"curious\" mini-adventure each day, but also write about it.  (There are uber-uber-talented Professional Super Bloggers out there who take on <strong><a href=\"http://www.corbettbarr.com/what-i-learned-publishing-every-day-for-30-days\" target=\"_blank\">30 DAYS of consecutive blogging as a challenge</a></strong>.  So when I throw out the word \"insane\", I am not over-exaggerating.  I really was <em>that crazy</em>.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: x-large;\"><strong>Here is what I learned from my Crazy, Precious, Curious Year:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><strong>Discipline.</strong>  I have always been a fairly disciplined person.  But I am also human, and therefore, I am seduced by the Big Bad Procrastination Wolf just like 95% of the population.  In the past, I blamed my procrastination on my perfectionism, or life getting in the way, or a host of other various excuses, but this year, I had to \"SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP!\"  Cranking out a post a day (while maintaining a full-time day job) is ultramarathon blogging.  If I slacked off on my schedule, I was doomed.  No Big Bad Procrastination Wolf temptation was worth more than my dream or my pride.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>The true essence of Carpe Diem.</strong>  People have been throwing out the phrase \"Carpe Diem\" for millennia.  It\'s the loveliest of concepts:  Seize the day! <strong><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9781563522956\" target=\"_blank\"> Each day is a gift: That\'s why it\'s called The Present!  </a></strong>Live each day as if it\'s your last!  (The latter always creeps me out a bit, but after losing two family members much too soon, it also resonates.  Loudly.)  Yet who <em>honestly</em> Carpe Diem-s each and every day?  We all know a few of those special people who live Carpe Diem naturally and effortlessly.  I want to be like them.  I strive to be like them.  And this year, I made a <em>conscious choice</em> to live like them each and every day.  I chose one daily thing that piqued my curiosity and embraced it.  Conscious living really works!  Carpe Diem and all that jazz!</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The canine variety.)  </strong>Taking on a 365 day blog project filled almost every second of my day outside of my day job.  I had no room in my life to assume any other responsibilities.  And then Bella (formerly knows as \"Missy\") picked me while I was minding my own beeswax and <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=mingus+manor\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Carpe Diem-ing as a volunteer at an animal sanctuary for senior pets</strong>. </a> My mother advised me to feel the fear and adopt that puppy anyway.  I can\'t imagine this year (and future years) without Little Miss B, the sweetest, smartest, most easygoing <del>muppet</del> pooch on the planet!  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/05/06/day-220-my-dog-hijacked-my-computer/\" target=\"_blank\">(Who is still shamelessly soliciting friends on facebook, by the way!)</a></strong></li>\r\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The unconditional family and friends variety.)  </strong>Every blogger\'s fear is that their only reader will be their mother.  I am proud to report that my mother AND my father read my blog every day AND provided proofreading services at no charge!  Thank you, Parental Unit!  In addition, my sister followed the blog religiously and often added her witty and offbeat commentary in the comments section.  My dear cousins agreed to embark on a <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/09/10/day-349-arrivederci/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Trip of a Lifetime Adventure</strong> </a>with me so that this Late Bloomer could <em>finally</em> see Europe for the first time.  My friends humored me not only with their readership, but with their willingness to Carpe Diem along with me in adventures great, small, weird, backfired, goofy, and downright ridiculous.  And then new friends aka \"blog readers\" entered my world.  Some of you are a few degrees separated from me through family and friends, and others are not connected to me at all.  I\'ve had visits from 52 countries, including Cameroon and Latvia!  I am humbled and honored that you took interest in my curious capers.  I hope that you received a few laughs and glimmers of inspiration along the way.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Taking Risks/Conquering Fears.  </strong>I\'m not thrilled with heights.  I\'m not <em>deathly</em> afraid of them. Just your standard, run-of-the-mill unease that makes brings on nausea and a cold sweat.  And I distinctly remembering telling Sarah at the <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=rock+gym\" target=\"_blank\">Rock Gym,</a></strong> \"If I didn\'t have to write about scaling this bloody wall, I would ask if we could call it a day and grab a coffee instead.\"  Or something to that effect.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/11/day-356-my-very-first-concussion-italian-style/\" target=\"_blank\">I\'m not a fan of falling and nearly splitting my head open either.</a></strong>  And I clearly recall announcing to my cousins, \"If I didn\'t have an audience awaiting news about this Cycling Tour of Tuscany, I would stay the hell away from that bike and sip cappuccinos in the piazza for the rest of the week!\"  You (Readers) + Me = Accountability.  Thank you, my friends!</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Perseverance.  </strong>365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day = Fun and Inspiration.  365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day + Writing one blog post per day = Fun, Inspiration, and Utter Lunacy.  Utter Lunacy x 365 Days = Mini Meltdowns.  Fortunately, these were not full-blown <em>Julie &amp; Julia</em> meltdowns.  Luckily, I had a sounding board aka Mom.  It didn\'t matter if I was too busy, too overwhelmed, PMS-ing, stressing, tired, sad, exhausted, or loopy from a concussion.  I listened to Nike, and I observed the law of physics that states an object of motion stays in motion.  I kept up momentum, and I <em>just did it</em>.  (On a serious note, I lost my beloved grandfather this past year.  I was devastated by the loss, and if I didn\'t have the blog project to return to, I probably could have plummeted into the darkest of ruts.)</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Sacrifice.  </strong>Rome wasn\'t built in a day, and blog posts (at least most of mine) aren\'t written in an hour.  Writing requires many hours of solitude.  I turned down many a social invitation this year because I needed to hunker down and write.  Writing is a passion of mine that I enjoy, and in order to make room for dreams, we often have to let go of other diversions.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Letting Go.  </strong>I always go to bed with a clean kitchen.  Not this year!  I routinely exercise 6 days a week.  Not this year!  I blow out my hair a couple times a week so that I\'m not sporting a ponytail <em>again</em>.  Not this year!  As long as there wasn\'t food left out in the kitchen, it could wait.  Working out 3-4 days a week was enough.  Ponytails rock!  (See <strong>Sacrifice.</strong>)</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Inspiration.  </strong>The beauty of a 365 project is that it doles out daily doses of inspiration.  Even when something goes completely and maddeningly wrong -- like crash-boom-splatting in a foreign country and taking home a mangled shoulder and a head injury as a souvenir -- <em>it\'s all writing material</em>.  Head injuries also require a \"time out\" which frees you up to find ....</li>\r\n	<li><strong><strong>Love.  (The Sexy Italian variety.) </strong></strong>I wrote the \"Engage in Life\" quote on the right sidebar of this blog about a year and a half ago.  It originated as a series of scribbled \"Michelle-isms\" that I sent off to the web designer so that she could get a better feel of  \"this Late Bloomer chick\" when designing the blog.  She loved the quote so much that she asked if she could incorporate it into the design.  I was a bit hesitant at first.  Am I really quote-worthy???  I agreed while second-guessing myself all the while.  Now I NEEDED to hold myself accountable.  <em>If you\'re going to spout wisdom, you better walk your talk, sister!</em>  I walked 365 days of that talk, and then...irony of ironies...while luxuriating in injury-induced free time on a vacation in Italy, the man and the fairy tale found me.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: x-large;\"><strong>What happened after 365 Days?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI burned out, of course.  I was still nursing that blasted concussion, and I was <em>exhausted</em>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd here\'s the horrific truth that I must honestly admit to you now:  I stopped Carpe Diem-ing every day.  (<em>Especially</em> after Romeo Mio\'s post-Thanksgiving departure.  Sniff, sniff.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI started watching more and more TV.  My Mom and friends laugh at me when I\'ve mentioned this, but 1-2 shows <em>a night</em> compared to my former 1-2 shows <em>a week</em>, is a lot for me.  Especially when I sank to the TV Pit of Despair:  <em>Toddler\'s &amp; Tiaras</em> and <em>Hoarders</em>.  I told you it was horrific.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIn addition, I started eating too much sugar, stopped working out entirely, and welcomed The Mother of All Procrastinations into my home with open arms.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nUgh.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nArgh.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHumbug.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">I suppose I was in a postpartum depression of sorts.  I birthed this blog.  Now what?</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a few weeks of this nonsense, I reminded myself that, for me, conscious Carpe Diem-ing is a choice -- a habit that requires honing.  I can live the principles outside of a 365 day project.  Imagine that!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI peeled myself up off my sofa, turned off the damn TV, and kicked The Mother of All Procrastinations to the curb.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI jumped on the green smoothies bandwagon and practiced yoga for 8 days straight.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>I soaked up the magic of the holiday season with an Off-Martha-Stewart decorating explosion and a tea party.</strong></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI booked a flight for <a href=\"http://www.les3vallees.com/en/accueil.1.l2/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Les Trois Vallées</strong></a> where, after two months apart, Romeo Mio and I will reunite.  How do you say \"Carpe Diem\" in French?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI wishcasted for 2012 along with my <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wish Club</a></strong> inductees, and as soon as I finish tweaking this blog for January 1st\'s launch of Chapter Two, I am beginning my first ever <a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Annual Review à la Chris Guillebeau</strong>.</a>  (Kindly add Chris and June 2011\'s <strong><a href=\"http://worlddominationsummit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">World Domination Summit</a></strong> to the \"Inspiration\" bullet above.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat happens after January 1st?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHint:  It all started <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\r\n<div></div>','Lessons Learned from My Year of Living Curiously','','inherit','open','open','','8636-revision-83','','','2011-12-30 11:50:19','2011-12-30 18:50:19','',8636,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/8636-revision-83/',0,'revision','',0),(8742,1,'2011-12-30 11:51:33','2011-12-30 18:51:33','<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/darcymoore/5955324903/sizes/m/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8735\" title=\"5955324903_c4f3f8d85d\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/5955324903_c4f3f8d85d-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" /></a>Previously, I revealed my <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/27/extra-credit-day-366-top-10-most-curious/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Top 10 Most Curious Moments</strong></a> from my 365 Days of Living Curiously.  At that time (back in October!), I promised to wax philosophically about my year at another time.  \"Another time\" promptly morphed into The Mother of All Procrastinations.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">I\'m not sure why I postponed writing this post, considering that the year ranked as My Best Year Yet.</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPerhaps I was burned out from writing 365 posts in just a bit more than 365 days?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOr did the magnitude of this endeavor seem too daunting?  (<em>How on earth</em> do you sum up a life-changing year in a single blog post?)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOr maybe I subconsciously didn\'t want to let go of my precious year?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhatever the case, it\'s time to stop making excuses and CELEBRATE the year.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI originally embarked on The Year of Living Curiously when I found myself in The Mother of All Ruts. I won\'t dig up that sob story again, but if you would like a refresher, you can visit <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBefore descending into a full-blown <del>mid-life</del> existential crisis, I summoned my inner Cher and smacked myself upside the head with a <strong><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x-fkSYDtUY\" target=\"_blank\">\"Snap out of it!\"  </a> </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd my way of snapping out of it was taking on an insane blog project in which I would not only tackle one \"curious\" mini-adventure each day, but also write about it.  (There are uber-uber-talented Professional Super Bloggers out there who take on <strong><a href=\"http://www.corbettbarr.com/what-i-learned-publishing-every-day-for-30-days\" target=\"_blank\">30 DAYS of consecutive blogging as a challenge</a></strong>.  So when I throw out the word \"insane\", I am not over-exaggerating.  I really was <em>that crazy</em>.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: x-large;\"><strong>Here is what I learned from my Crazy, Precious, Curious Year:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><strong>Discipline.</strong>  I have always been a fairly disciplined person.  But I am also human, and therefore, I am seduced by the Big Bad Procrastination Wolf just like 95% of the population.  In the past, I blamed my procrastination on my perfectionism, or life getting in the way, or a host of other various excuses, but this year, I had to \"SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP!\"  Cranking out a post a day (while maintaining a full-time day job) is ultramarathon blogging.  If I slacked off on my schedule, I was doomed.  No Big Bad Procrastination Wolf temptation was worth more than my dream or my pride.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>The true essence of Carpe Diem.</strong>  People have been throwing out the phrase \"Carpe Diem\" for millennia.  It\'s the loveliest of concepts:  Seize the day! <strong><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9781563522956\" target=\"_blank\"> Each day is a gift: That\'s why it\'s called The Present!  </a></strong>Live each day as if it\'s your last!  (The latter always creeps me out a bit, but after losing two family members much too soon, it also resonates.  Loudly.)  Yet who <em>honestly</em> Carpe Diem-s each and every day?  We all know a few of those special people who live Carpe Diem naturally and effortlessly.  I want to be like them.  I strive to be like them.  And this year, I made a <em>conscious choice</em> to live like them each and every day.  I chose one daily thing that piqued my curiosity and embraced it.  Conscious living really works!  Carpe Diem and all that jazz!</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The canine variety.)  </strong>Taking on a 365 day blog project filled almost every second of my day outside of my day job.  I had no room in my life to assume any other responsibilities.  And then Bella (formerly knows as \"Missy\") picked me while I was minding my own beeswax and <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=mingus+manor\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Carpe Diem-ing as a volunteer at an animal sanctuary for senior pets</strong>. </a> My mother advised me to feel the fear and adopt that puppy anyway.  I can\'t imagine this year (and future years) without Little Miss B, the sweetest, smartest, most easygoing <del>muppet</del> pooch on the planet!  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/05/06/day-220-my-dog-hijacked-my-computer/\" target=\"_blank\">(Who is still shamelessly soliciting friends on facebook, by the way!)</a></strong></li>\r\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The unconditional family and friends variety.)  </strong>Every blogger\'s fear is that their only reader will be their mother.  I am proud to report that my mother AND my father read my blog every day AND provided proofreading services at no charge!  Thank you, Parental Unit!  In addition, my sister followed the blog religiously and often added her witty and offbeat commentary in the comments section.  My dear cousins agreed to embark on a <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/09/10/day-349-arrivederci/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Trip of a Lifetime Adventure</strong> </a>with me so that this Late Bloomer could <em>finally</em> see Europe for the first time.  My friends humored me not only with their readership, but with their willingness to Carpe Diem along with me in adventures great, small, weird, backfired, goofy, and downright ridiculous.  And then new friends aka \"blog readers\" entered my world.  Some of you are a few degrees separated from me through family and friends, and others are not connected to me at all.  I\'ve had visits from 52 countries, including Cameroon and Latvia!  I am humbled and honored that you took interest in my curious capers.  I hope that you received a few laughs and glimmers of inspiration along the way.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Taking Risks/Conquering Fears.  </strong>I\'m not thrilled with heights.  I\'m not <em>deathly</em> afraid of them. Just your standard, run-of-the-mill unease that makes brings on nausea and a cold sweat.  And I distinctly remembering telling Sarah at the <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=rock+gym\" target=\"_blank\">Rock Gym,</a></strong> \"If I didn\'t have to write about scaling this bloody wall, I would ask if we could call it a day and grab a coffee instead.\"  Or something to that effect.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/11/day-356-my-very-first-concussion-italian-style/\" target=\"_blank\">I\'m not a fan of falling and nearly splitting my head open either.</a></strong>  And I clearly recall announcing to my cousins, \"If I didn\'t have an audience awaiting news about this Cycling Tour of Tuscany, I would stay the hell away from that bike and sip cappuccinos in the piazza for the rest of the week!\"  You (Readers) + Me = Accountability.  Thank you, my friends!</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Perseverance.  </strong>365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day = Fun and Inspiration.  365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day + Writing one blog post per day = Fun, Inspiration, and Utter Lunacy.  Utter Lunacy x 365 Days = Mini Meltdowns.  Fortunately, these were not full-blown <em>Julie &amp; Julia</em> meltdowns.  Luckily, I had a sounding board aka Mom.  It didn\'t matter if I was too busy, too overwhelmed, PMS-ing, stressing, tired, sad, exhausted, or loopy from a concussion.  I listened to Nike, and I observed the law of physics that states an object of motion stays in motion.  I kept up momentum, and I <em>just did it</em>.  (On a serious note, I lost my beloved grandfather this past year.  I was devastated by the loss, and if I didn\'t have the blog project to return to, I probably could have plummeted into the darkest of ruts.)</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Sacrifice.  </strong>Rome wasn\'t built in a day, and blog posts (at least most of mine) aren\'t written in an hour.  Writing requires many hours of solitude.  I turned down many a social invitation this year because I needed to hunker down and write.  Writing is a passion of mine that I enjoy, and in order to make room for dreams, we often have to let go of other diversions.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Letting Go.  </strong>I always go to bed with a clean kitchen.  Not this year!  I routinely exercise 6 days a week.  Not this year!  I blow out my hair a couple times a week so that I\'m not sporting a ponytail <em>again</em>.  Not this year!  As long as there wasn\'t food left out in the kitchen, it could wait.  Working out 3-4 days a week was enough.  Ponytails rock!  (See <strong>Sacrifice.</strong>)</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Inspiration.  </strong>The beauty of a 365 project is that it doles out daily doses of inspiration.  Even when something goes completely and maddeningly wrong -- like crash-boom-splatting in a foreign country and taking home a mangled shoulder and a head injury as a souvenir -- <em>it\'s all writing material</em>.  Head injuries also require a \"time out\" which frees you up to find ....</li>\r\n	<li><strong><strong>Love.  (The Sexy Italian variety.) </strong></strong>I wrote the \"Engage in Life\" quote on the right sidebar of this blog about a year and a half ago.  It originated as a series of scribbled \"Michelle-isms\" that I sent off to the web designer so that she could get a better feel of  \"this Late Bloomer chick\" when designing the blog.  She loved the quote so much that she asked if she could incorporate it into the design.  I was a bit hesitant at first.  Am I really quote-worthy???  I agreed while second-guessing myself all the while.  Now I NEEDED to hold myself accountable.  <em>If you\'re going to spout wisdom, you better walk your talk, sister!</em>  I walked 365 days of that talk, and then...irony of ironies...while luxuriating in injury-induced free time on a vacation in Italy, the man and the fairy tale found me.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: x-large;\"><strong>What happened after 365 Days?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI burned out, of course.  I was still nursing that blasted concussion, and I was <em>exhausted</em>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd here\'s the horrific truth that I must honestly admit to you now:  I stopped Carpe Diem-ing every day.  (<em>Especially</em> after Romeo Mio\'s post-Thanksgiving departure.  Sniff, sniff.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI started watching more and more TV.  My Mom and friends laugh at me when I\'ve mentioned this, but 1-2 shows <em>a night</em> compared to my former 1-2 shows <em>a week</em>, is a lot for me.  Especially when I sank to the TV Pit of Despair:  <em>Toddler\'s &amp; Tiaras</em> and <em>Hoarders</em>.  I told you it was horrific.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIn addition, I started eating too much sugar, stopped working out entirely, and welcomed The Mother of All Procrastinations into my home with open arms.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nUgh.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nArgh.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHumbug.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">I suppose I was in a postpartum depression of sorts.  I birthed this blog.  Now what?</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a few weeks of this nonsense, I reminded myself that, for me, conscious Carpe Diem-ing is a choice -- a habit that requires honing.  I can live the principles outside of a 365 day project.  Imagine that!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI peeled myself up off my sofa, turned off the damn TV, and kicked The Mother of All Procrastinations to the curb.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI jumped on the green smoothies bandwagon and practiced yoga for 8 days straight.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>I soaked up the magic of the holiday season with an Off-Martha-Stewart decorating explosion and a tea party.</strong></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI booked a flight for <a href=\"http://www.les3vallees.com/en/accueil.1.l2/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Les Trois Vallées</strong></a> where, after two months apart, Romeo Mio and I will reunite.  How do you say \"Carpe Diem\" in French?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI wishcasted for 2012 along with my <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wish Club</a></strong> inductees, and as soon as I finish tweaking this blog for January 1st\'s launch of Chapter Two, I am beginning my first ever <a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Annual Review à la Chris Guillebeau</strong>.</a>  (Kindly add Chris and June 2011\'s <strong><a href=\"http://worlddominationsummit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">World Domination Summit</a></strong> to the \"Inspiration\" bullet above.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat happens after January 1st?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHint:  It all started <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\r\n<div></div>','Lessons Learned from My Year of Living Curiously','','inherit','open','open','','8636-revision-84','','','2011-12-30 11:51:33','2011-12-30 18:51:33','',8636,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/8636-revision-84/',0,'revision','',0),(8743,1,'2011-12-30 11:52:23','2011-12-30 18:52:23','<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/darcymoore/5955324903/sizes/m/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8735\" title=\"5955324903_c4f3f8d85d\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/5955324903_c4f3f8d85d-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" /></a>Previously, I revealed my <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/27/extra-credit-day-366-top-10-most-curious/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Top 10 Most Curious Moments</strong></a> from my 365 Days of Living Curiously.  At that time (back in October!), I promised to wax philosophically about my year at another time.  \"Another time\" promptly morphed into The Mother of All Procrastinations.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">I\'m not sure why I postponed writing this post, considering that the year ranked as My Best Year Yet.</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPerhaps I was burned out from writing 365 posts in just a bit more than 365 days?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOr did the magnitude of this endeavor seem too daunting?  (<em>How on earth</em> do you sum up a life-changing year in a single blog post?)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOr maybe I subconsciously didn\'t want to let go of my precious year?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhatever the case, it\'s time to stop making excuses and CELEBRATE the year.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI originally embarked on The Year of Living Curiously when I found myself in The Mother of All Ruts. I won\'t dig up that sob story again, but if you would like a refresher, you can visit <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBefore descending into a full-blown <del>mid-life</del> existential crisis, I summoned my inner Cher and smacked myself upside the head with a <strong><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x-fkSYDtUY\" target=\"_blank\">\"Snap out of it!\"  </a> </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd my way of snapping out of it was taking on an insane blog project in which I would not only tackle one \"curious\" mini-adventure each day, but also write about it.  (There are uber-uber-talented Professional Super Bloggers out there who take on <strong><a href=\"http://www.corbettbarr.com/what-i-learned-publishing-every-day-for-30-days\" target=\"_blank\">30 DAYS of consecutive blogging as a challenge</a></strong>.  So when I throw out the word \"insane\", I am not over-exaggerating.  I really was <em>that crazy</em>.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: x-large;\"><strong>Here is what I learned from my Crazy, Precious, Curious Year:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><strong>Discipline.</strong>  I have always been a fairly disciplined person.  But I am also human, and therefore, I am seduced by the Big Bad Procrastination Wolf just like 95% of the population.  In the past, I blamed my procrastination on my perfectionism, or life getting in the way, or a host of other various excuses, but this year, I had to \"SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP!\"  Cranking out a post a day (while maintaining a full-time day job) is ultramarathon blogging.  If I slacked off on my schedule, I was doomed.  No Big Bad Procrastination Wolf temptation was worth more than my dream or my pride.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>The true essence of Carpe Diem.</strong>  People have been throwing out the phrase \"Carpe Diem\" for millennia.  It\'s the loveliest of concepts:  Seize the day! <strong><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9781563522956\" target=\"_blank\"> Each day is a gift: That\'s why it\'s called The Present!  </a></strong>Live each day as if it\'s your last!  (The latter always creeps me out a bit, but after losing two family members much too soon, it also resonates.  Loudly.)  Yet who <em>honestly</em> Carpe Diem-s each and every day?  We all know a few of those special people who live Carpe Diem naturally and effortlessly.  I want to be like them.  I strive to be like them.  And this year, I made a <em>conscious choice</em> to live like them each and every day.  I chose one daily thing that piqued my curiosity and embraced it.  Conscious living really works!  Carpe Diem and all that jazz!</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The canine variety.)  </strong>Taking on a 365 day blog project filled almost every second of my day outside of my day job.  I had no room in my life to assume any other responsibilities.  And then Bella (formerly knows as \"Missy\") picked me while I was minding my own beeswax and <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=mingus+manor\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Carpe Diem-ing as a volunteer at an animal sanctuary for senior pets</strong>. </a> My mother advised me to feel the fear and adopt that puppy anyway.  I can\'t imagine this year (and future years) without Little Miss B, the sweetest, smartest, most easygoing <del>muppet</del> pooch on the planet!  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/05/06/day-220-my-dog-hijacked-my-computer/\" target=\"_blank\">(Who is still shamelessly soliciting friends on facebook, by the way!)</a></strong></li>\r\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The unconditional family and friends variety.)  </strong>Every blogger\'s fear is that their only reader will be their mother.  I am proud to report that my mother AND my father read my blog every day AND provided proofreading services at no charge!  Thank you, Parental Unit!  In addition, my sister followed the blog religiously and often added her witty and offbeat commentary in the comments section.  My dear cousins agreed to embark on a <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/09/10/day-349-arrivederci/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Trip of a Lifetime Adventure</strong> </a>with me so that this Late Bloomer could <em>finally</em> see Europe for the first time.  My friends humored me not only with their readership, but with their willingness to Carpe Diem along with me in adventures great, small, weird, backfired, goofy, and downright ridiculous.  And then new friends aka \"blog readers\" entered my world.  Some of you are a few degrees separated from me through family and friends, and others are not connected to me at all.  I\'ve had visits from 52 countries, including Cameroon and Latvia!  I am humbled and honored that you took interest in my curious capers.  I hope that you received a few laughs and glimmers of inspiration along the way.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Taking Risks/Conquering Fears.  </strong>I\'m not thrilled with heights.  I\'m not <em>deathly</em> afraid of them. Just your standard, run-of-the-mill unease that makes brings on nausea and a cold sweat.  And I distinctly remembering telling Sarah at the <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=rock+gym\" target=\"_blank\">Rock Gym,</a></strong> \"If I didn\'t have to write about scaling this bloody wall, I would ask if we could call it a day and grab a coffee instead.\"  Or something to that effect.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/11/day-356-my-very-first-concussion-italian-style/\" target=\"_blank\">I\'m not a fan of falling and nearly splitting my head open either.</a></strong>  And I clearly recall announcing to my cousins, \"If I didn\'t have an audience awaiting news about this Cycling Tour of Tuscany, I would stay the hell away from that bike and sip cappuccinos in the piazza for the rest of the week!\"  You (Readers) + Me = Accountability.  Thank you, my friends!</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Perseverance.  </strong>365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day = Fun and Inspiration.  365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day + Writing one blog post per day = Fun, Inspiration, and Utter Lunacy.  Utter Lunacy x 365 Days = Mini Meltdowns.  Fortunately, these were not full-blown <em>Julie &amp; Julia</em> meltdowns.  Luckily, I had a sounding board aka Mom.  It didn\'t matter if I was too busy, too overwhelmed, PMS-ing, stressing, tired, sad, exhausted, or loopy from a concussion.  I listened to Nike, and I observed the law of physics that states an object of motion stays in motion.  I kept up momentum, and I <em>just did it</em>.  (On a serious note, I lost my beloved grandfather this past year.  I was devastated by the loss, and if I didn\'t have the blog project to return to, I probably could have plummeted into the darkest of ruts.)</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Sacrifice.  </strong>Rome wasn\'t built in a day, and blog posts (at least most of mine) aren\'t written in an hour.  Writing requires many hours of solitude.  I turned down many a social invitation this year because I needed to hunker down and write.  Writing is a passion of mine that I enjoy, and in order to make room for dreams, we often have to let go of other diversions.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Letting Go.  </strong>I always go to bed with a clean kitchen.  Not this year!  I routinely exercise 6 days a week.  Not this year!  I blow out my hair a couple times a week so that I\'m not sporting a ponytail <em>again</em>.  Not this year!  As long as there wasn\'t food left out in the kitchen, it could wait.  Working out 3-4 days a week was enough.  Ponytails rock!  (See <strong>Sacrifice.</strong>)</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Inspiration.  </strong>The beauty of a 365 project is that it doles out daily doses of inspiration.  Even when something goes completely and maddeningly wrong -- like crash-boom-splatting in a foreign country and taking home a mangled shoulder and a head injury as a souvenir -- <em>it\'s all writing material</em>.  Head injuries also require a \"time out\" which frees you up to find ....</li>\r\n	<li><strong><strong>Love.  (The Sexy Italian variety.) </strong></strong>I wrote the \"Engage in Life\" quote on the right sidebar of this blog about a year and a half ago.  It originated as a series of scribbled \"Michelle-isms\" that I sent off to the web designer so that she could get a better feel of  \"this Late Bloomer chick\" when designing the blog.  She loved the quote so much that she asked if she could incorporate it into the design.  I was a bit hesitant at first.  Am I really quote-worthy???  I agreed while second-guessing myself all the while.  Now I NEEDED to hold myself accountable.  <em>If you\'re going to spout wisdom, you better walk your talk, sister!</em>  I walked 365 days of that talk, and then...irony of ironies...while luxuriating in injury-induced free time on a vacation in Italy, the man and the fairy tale found me.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: x-large;\"><strong>What happened after 365 Days?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI burned out, of course.  I was still nursing that blasted concussion, and I was <em>exhausted</em>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd here\'s the horrific truth that I must honestly admit to you now:  I stopped Carpe Diem-ing every day.  (<em>Especially</em> after Romeo Mio\'s post-Thanksgiving departure.  Sniff, sniff.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI started watching more and more TV.  My Mom and friends laugh at me when I\'ve mentioned this, but 1-2 shows <em>a night</em> compared to my former 1-2 shows <em>a week</em>, is a lot for me.  Especially when I sank to the TV Pit of Despair:  <em>Toddler\'s &amp; Tiaras</em> and <em>Hoarders</em>.  I told you it was horrific.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIn addition, I started eating too much sugar, stopped working out entirely, and welcomed The Mother of All Procrastinations into my home with open arms.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nUgh.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nArgh.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHumbug.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">I suppose I was in a postpartum depression of sorts.  I birthed this blog.  Now what?</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a few weeks of this nonsense, I reminded myself that, for me, conscious Carpe Diem-ing is a choice -- a habit that requires honing.  I can live the principles outside of a 365 day project.  Imagine that!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI peeled myself up off my sofa, turned off the damn TV, and kicked The Mother of All Procrastinations to the curb.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI jumped on the green smoothies bandwagon and practiced yoga for 8 days straight.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>I soaked up the magic of the holiday season with an Off-Martha-Stewart decorating explosion and a tea party.</strong></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI booked a flight for <a href=\"http://www.les3vallees.com/en/accueil.1.l2/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Les Trois Vallées</strong></a> where, after two months apart, Romeo Mio and I will reunite.  How do you say \"Carpe Diem\" in French?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI wishcasted for 2012 along with my <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wish Club</a></strong> inductees, and as soon as I finish tweaking this blog for January 1st\'s launch of Chapter Two, I am beginning my first ever <a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Annual Review à la Chris Guillebeau</strong>.</a>  (Kindly add Chris and June 2011\'s <strong><a href=\"http://worlddominationsummit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">World Domination Summit</a></strong> to the \"Inspiration\" bullet above.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat happens after January 1st?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHint:  It all started <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\r\n<div></div>','Lessons Learned from My Year of Living Curiously','','inherit','open','open','','8636-revision-85','','','2011-12-30 11:52:23','2011-12-30 18:52:23','',8636,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/8636-revision-85/',0,'revision','',0),(8744,1,'2011-12-30 11:53:07','2011-12-30 18:53:07','<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/darcymoore/5955324903/sizes/m/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8735\" title=\"5955324903_c4f3f8d85d\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/5955324903_c4f3f8d85d-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" /></a>Previously, I revealed my <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/27/extra-credit-day-366-top-10-most-curious/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Top 10 Most Curious Moments</strong></a> from my 365 Days of Living Curiously.  At that time (back in October!), I promised to wax philosophically about my year at another time.  \"Another time\" promptly morphed into The Mother of All Procrastinations.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">I\'m not sure why I postponed writing this post, considering that the year ranked as My Best Year Yet.</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPerhaps I was burned out from writing 365 posts in just a bit more than 365 days?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOr did the magnitude of this endeavor seem too daunting?  (<em>How on earth</em> do you sum up a life-changing year in a single blog post?)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOr maybe I subconsciously didn\'t want to let go of my precious year?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhatever the case, it\'s time to stop making excuses and CELEBRATE the year.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI originally embarked on The Year of Living Curiously when I found myself in The Mother of All Ruts. I won\'t dig up that sob story again, but if you would like a refresher, you can visit <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBefore descending into a full-blown <del>mid-life</del> existential crisis, I summoned my inner Cher and smacked myself upside the head with a <strong><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x-fkSYDtUY\" target=\"_blank\">\"Snap out of it!\"  </a> </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd my way of snapping out of it was taking on an insane blog project in which I would not only tackle one \"curious\" mini-adventure each day, but also write about it.  (There are uber-uber-talented Professional Super Bloggers out there who take on <strong><a href=\"http://www.corbettbarr.com/what-i-learned-publishing-every-day-for-30-days\" target=\"_blank\">30 DAYS of consecutive blogging as a challenge</a></strong>.  So when I throw out the word \"insane\", I am not over-exaggerating.  I really was <em>that crazy</em>.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: x-large;\"><strong>Here is what I learned from my Crazy, Precious, Curious Year:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><strong>Discipline.</strong>  I have always been a fairly disciplined person.  But I am also human, and therefore, I am seduced by the Big Bad Procrastination Wolf just like 95% of the population.  In the past, I blamed my procrastination on my perfectionism, or life getting in the way, or a host of other various excuses, but this year, I had to \"SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP!\"  Cranking out a post a day (while maintaining a full-time day job) is ultramarathon blogging.  If I slacked off on my schedule, I was doomed.  No Big Bad Procrastination Wolf temptation was worth more than my dream or my pride.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>The true essence of Carpe Diem.</strong>  People have been throwing out the phrase \"Carpe Diem\" for millennia.  It\'s the loveliest of concepts:  Seize the day! <strong><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9781563522956\" target=\"_blank\"> Each day is a gift: That\'s why it\'s called The Present!  </a></strong>Live each day as if it\'s your last!  (The latter always creeps me out a bit, but after losing two family members much too soon, it also resonates.  Loudly.)  Yet who <em>honestly</em> Carpe Diem-s each and every day?  We all know a few of those special people who live Carpe Diem naturally and effortlessly.  I want to be like them.  I strive to be like them.  And this year, I made a <em>conscious choice</em> to live like them each and every day.  I chose one daily thing that piqued my curiosity and embraced it.  Conscious living really works!  Carpe Diem and all that jazz!</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The canine variety.)  </strong>Taking on a 365 day blog project filled almost every second of my day outside of my day job.  I had no room in my life to assume any other responsibilities.  And then Bella (formerly knows as \"Missy\") picked me while I was minding my own beeswax and <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=mingus+manor\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Carpe Diem-ing as a volunteer at an animal sanctuary for senior pets</strong>. </a> My mother advised me to feel the fear and adopt that puppy anyway.  I can\'t imagine this year (and future years) without Little Miss B, the sweetest, smartest, most easygoing <del>muppet</del> pooch on the planet!  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/05/06/day-220-my-dog-hijacked-my-computer/\" target=\"_blank\">(Who is still shamelessly soliciting friends on facebook, by the way!)</a></strong></li>\r\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The unconditional family and friends variety.)  </strong>Every blogger\'s fear is that their only reader will be their mother.  I am proud to report that my mother AND my father read my blog every day AND provided proofreading services at no charge!  Thank you, Parental Unit!  In addition, my sister followed the blog religiously and often added her witty and offbeat commentary in the comments section.  My dear cousins agreed to embark on a <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/09/10/day-349-arrivederci/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Trip of a Lifetime Adventure</strong> </a>with me so that this Late Bloomer could <em>finally</em> see Europe for the first time.  My friends humored me not only with their readership, but with their willingness to Carpe Diem along with me in adventures great, small, weird, backfired, goofy, and downright ridiculous.  And then new friends aka \"blog readers\" entered my world.  Some of you are a few degrees separated from me through family and friends, and others are not connected to me at all.  I\'ve had visits from 52 countries, including Cameroon and Latvia!  I am humbled and honored that you took interest in my curious capers.  I hope that you received a few laughs and glimmers of inspiration along the way.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Taking Risks/Conquering Fears.  </strong>I\'m not thrilled with heights.  I\'m not <em>deathly</em> afraid of them. Just your standard, run-of-the-mill unease that makes brings on nausea and a cold sweat.  And I distinctly remembering telling Sarah at the <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=rock+gym\" target=\"_blank\">Rock Gym,</a></strong> \"If I didn\'t have to write about scaling this bloody wall, I would ask if we could call it a day and grab a coffee instead.\"  Or something to that effect.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/11/day-356-my-very-first-concussion-italian-style/\" target=\"_blank\">I\'m not a fan of falling and nearly splitting my head open either.</a></strong>  And I clearly recall announcing to my cousins, \"If I didn\'t have an audience awaiting news about this Cycling Tour of Tuscany, I would stay the hell away from that bike and sip cappuccinos in the piazza for the rest of the week!\"  You (Readers) + Me = Accountability.  Thank you, my friends!</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Perseverance.  </strong>365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day = Fun and Inspiration.  365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day + Writing one blog post per day = Fun, Inspiration, and Utter Lunacy.  Utter Lunacy x 365 Days = Mini Meltdowns.  Fortunately, these were not full-blown <em>Julie &amp; Julia</em> meltdowns.  Luckily, I had a sounding board aka Mom.  It didn\'t matter if I was too busy, too overwhelmed, PMS-ing, stressing, tired, sad, exhausted, or loopy from a concussion.  I listened to Nike, and I observed the law of physics that states an object of motion stays in motion.  I kept up momentum, and I <em>just did it</em>.  (On a serious note, I lost my beloved grandfather this past year.  I was devastated by the loss, and if I didn\'t have the blog project to return to, I probably could have plummeted into the darkest of ruts.)</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Sacrifice.  </strong>Rome wasn\'t built in a day, and blog posts (at least most of mine) aren\'t written in an hour.  Writing requires many hours of solitude.  I turned down many a social invitation this year because I needed to hunker down and write.  Writing is a passion of mine that I enjoy, and in order to make room for dreams, we often have to let go of other diversions.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Letting Go.  </strong>I always go to bed with a clean kitchen.  Not this year!  I routinely exercise 6 days a week.  Not this year!  I blow out my hair a couple times a week so that I\'m not sporting a ponytail <em>again</em>.  Not this year!  As long as there wasn\'t food left out in the kitchen, it could wait.  Working out 3-4 days a week was enough.  Ponytails rock!  (See <strong>Sacrifice.</strong>)</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Inspiration.  </strong>The beauty of a 365 project is that it doles out daily doses of inspiration.  Even when something goes completely and maddeningly wrong -- like crash-boom-splatting in a foreign country and taking home a mangled shoulder and a head injury as a souvenir -- <em>it\'s all writing material</em>.  Head injuries also require a \"time out\" which frees you up to find ....</li>\r\n	<li><strong><strong>Love.  (The Sexy Italian variety.) </strong></strong>I wrote the \"Engage in Life\" quote on the right sidebar of this blog about a year and a half ago.  It originated as a series of scribbled \"Michelle-isms\" that I sent off to the web designer so that she could get a better feel of  \"this Late Bloomer chick\" when designing the blog.  She loved the quote so much that she asked if she could incorporate it into the design.  I was a bit hesitant at first.  Am I really quote-worthy???  I agreed while second-guessing myself all the while.  Now I NEEDED to hold myself accountable.  <em>If you\'re going to spout wisdom, you better walk your talk, sister!</em>  I walked 365 days of that talk, and then...irony of ironies...while luxuriating in injury-induced free time on a vacation in Italy, the man and the fairy tale found me.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: x-large;\"><strong>What happened after 365 Days?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI burned out, of course.  I was still nursing that blasted concussion, and I was <em>exhausted</em>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd here\'s the horrific truth that I must honestly admit to you now:  I stopped Carpe Diem-ing every day.  (<em>Especially</em> after Romeo Mio\'s post-Thanksgiving departure.  Sniff, sniff.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI started watching more and more TV.  My Mom and friends laugh at me when I\'ve mentioned this, but 1-2 shows <em>a night</em> compared to my former 1-2 shows <em>a week</em>, is a lot for me.  Especially when I sank to the TV Pit of Despair:  <em>Toddler\'s &amp; Tiaras</em> and <em>Hoarders</em>.  I told you it was horrific.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIn addition, I started eating too much sugar, stopped working out entirely, and welcomed The Mother of All Procrastinations into my home with open arms.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nUgh.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nArgh.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHumbug.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">I suppose I was in a postpartum depression of sorts.  I birthed this blog.  Now what?</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a few weeks of this nonsense, I reminded myself that, for me, conscious Carpe Diem-ing is a choice -- a habit that requires honing.  I can live the principles outside of a 365 day project.  Imagine that!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI peeled myself up off my sofa, turned off the damn TV, and kicked The Mother of All Procrastinations to the curb.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI jumped on the green smoothies bandwagon and practiced yoga for 8 days straight.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>I soaked up the magic of the holiday season with an Off-Martha-Stewart decorating explosion and a tea party.</strong></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI booked a flight for <a href=\"http://www.les3vallees.com/en/accueil.1.l2/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Les Trois Vallées</strong></a> where, after two months apart, Romeo Mio and I will reunite.  How do you say \"Carpe Diem\" in French?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI wishcasted for 2012 along with my <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wish Club</a></strong> inductees, and as soon as I finish tweaking this blog for January 1st\'s launch of Chapter Two, I am beginning my first ever <a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Annual Review à la Chris Guillebeau</strong>.</a>  (Kindly add Chris and June 2011\'s <strong><a href=\"http://worlddominationsummit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">World Domination Summit</a></strong> to the \"Inspiration\" bullet above.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat happens after January 1st?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHint:  It all started <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\r\n<div></div>','Lessons Learned from My Year of Living Curiously','','inherit','open','open','','8636-revision-86','','','2011-12-30 11:53:07','2011-12-30 18:53:07','',8636,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/8636-revision-86/',0,'revision','',0),(8745,1,'2011-12-30 11:54:02','2011-12-30 18:54:02','<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/darcymoore/5955324903/sizes/m/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8735\" title=\"5955324903_c4f3f8d85d\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/5955324903_c4f3f8d85d-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" /></a>Previously, I revealed my <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/27/extra-credit-day-366-top-10-most-curious/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Top 10 Most Curious Moments</strong></a> from my 365 Days of Living Curiously.  At that time (back in October!), I promised to wax philosophically about my year at another time.  \"Another time\" promptly morphed into The Mother of All Procrastinations.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">I\'m not sure why I postponed writing this post, considering that the year ranked as My Best Year Yet.</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPerhaps I was burned out from writing 365 posts in just a bit more than 365 days?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOr did the magnitude of this endeavor seem too daunting?  (<em>How on earth</em> do you sum up a life-changing year in a single blog post?)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOr maybe I subconsciously didn\'t want to let go of my precious year?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhatever the case, it\'s time to stop making excuses and CELEBRATE the year.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI originally embarked on The Year of Living Curiously when I found myself in The Mother of All Ruts. I won\'t dig up that sob story again, but if you would like a refresher, you can visit <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBefore descending into a full-blown <del>mid-life</del> existential crisis, I summoned my inner Cher and smacked myself upside the head with a <strong><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x-fkSYDtUY\" target=\"_blank\">\"Snap out of it!\"  </a> </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd my way of snapping out of it was taking on an insane blog project in which I would not only tackle one \"curious\" mini-adventure each day, but also write about it.  (There are uber-uber-talented Professional Super Bloggers out there who take on <strong><a href=\"http://www.corbettbarr.com/what-i-learned-publishing-every-day-for-30-days\" target=\"_blank\">30 DAYS of consecutive blogging as a challenge</a></strong>.  So when I throw out the word \"insane\", I am not over-exaggerating.  I really was <em>that crazy</em>.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: x-large;\"><strong>Here is what I learned from my Crazy, Precious, Curious Year:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><strong>Discipline.</strong>  I have always been a fairly disciplined person.  But I am also human, and therefore, I am seduced by the Big Bad Procrastination Wolf just like 95% of the population.  In the past, I blamed my procrastination on my perfectionism, or life getting in the way, or a host of other various excuses, but this year, I had to \"SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP!\"  Cranking out a post a day (while maintaining a full-time day job) is ultramarathon blogging.  If I slacked off on my schedule, I was doomed.  No Big Bad Procrastination Wolf temptation was worth more than my dream or my pride.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>The true essence of Carpe Diem.</strong>  People have been throwing out the phrase \"Carpe Diem\" for millennia.  It\'s the loveliest of concepts:  Seize the day! <strong><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9781563522956\" target=\"_blank\"> Each day is a gift: That\'s why it\'s called The Present!  </a></strong>Live each day as if it\'s your last!  (The latter always creeps me out a bit, but after losing two family members much too soon, it also resonates.  Loudly.)  Yet who <em>honestly</em> Carpe Diem-s each and every day?  We all know a few of those special people who live Carpe Diem naturally and effortlessly.  I want to be like them.  I strive to be like them.  And this year, I made a <em>conscious choice</em> to live like them each and every day.  I chose one daily thing that piqued my curiosity and embraced it.  Conscious living really works!  Carpe Diem and all that jazz!</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The canine variety.)  </strong>Taking on a 365 day blog project filled almost every second of my day outside of my day job.  I had no room in my life to assume any other responsibilities.  And then Bella (formerly knows as \"Missy\") picked me while I was minding my own beeswax and <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=mingus+manor\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Carpe Diem-ing as a volunteer at an animal sanctuary for senior pets</strong>. </a> My mother advised me to feel the fear and adopt that puppy anyway.  I can\'t imagine this year (and future years) without Little Miss B, the sweetest, smartest, most easygoing <del>muppet</del> pooch on the planet!  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/05/06/day-220-my-dog-hijacked-my-computer/\" target=\"_blank\">(Who is still shamelessly soliciting friends on facebook, by the way!)</a></strong></li>\r\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The unconditional family and friends variety.)  </strong>Every blogger\'s fear is that their only reader will be their mother.  I am proud to report that my mother AND my father read my blog every day AND provided proofreading services at no charge!  Thank you, Parental Unit!  In addition, my sister followed the blog religiously and often added her witty and offbeat commentary in the comments section.  My dear cousins agreed to embark on a <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/09/10/day-349-arrivederci/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Trip of a Lifetime Adventure</strong> </a>with me so that this Late Bloomer could <em>finally</em> see Europe for the first time.  My friends humored me not only with their readership, but with their willingness to Carpe Diem along with me in adventures great, small, weird, backfired, goofy, and downright ridiculous.  And then new friends aka \"blog readers\" entered my world.  Some of you are a few degrees separated from me through family and friends, and others are not connected to me at all.  I\'ve had visits from 52 countries, including Cameroon and Latvia!  I am humbled and honored that you took interest in my curious capers.  I hope that you received a few laughs and glimmers of inspiration along the way.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Taking Risks/Conquering Fears.  </strong>I\'m not thrilled with heights.  I\'m not <em>deathly</em> afraid of them. Just your standard, run-of-the-mill unease that makes brings on nausea and a cold sweat.  And I distinctly remembering telling Sarah at the <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=rock+gym\" target=\"_blank\">Rock Gym,</a></strong> \"If I didn\'t have to write about scaling this bloody wall, I would ask if we could call it a day and grab a coffee instead.\"  Or something to that effect.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/11/day-356-my-very-first-concussion-italian-style/\" target=\"_blank\">I\'m not a fan of falling and nearly splitting my head open either.</a></strong>  And I clearly recall announcing to my cousins, \"If I didn\'t have an audience awaiting news about this Cycling Tour of Tuscany, I would stay the hell away from that bike and sip cappuccinos in the piazza for the rest of the week!\"  You (Readers) + Me = Accountability.  Thank you, my friends!</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Perseverance.  </strong>365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day = Fun and Inspiration.  365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day + Writing one blog post per day = Fun, Inspiration, and Utter Lunacy.  Utter Lunacy x 365 Days = Mini Meltdowns.  Fortunately, these were not full-blown <em>Julie &amp; Julia</em> meltdowns.  Luckily, I had a sounding board aka Mom.  It didn\'t matter if I was too busy, too overwhelmed, PMS-ing, stressing, tired, sad, exhausted, or loopy from a concussion.  I listened to Nike, and I observed the law of physics that states an object of motion stays in motion.  I kept up momentum, and I <em>just did it</em>.  (On a serious note, I lost my beloved grandfather this past year.  I was devastated by the loss, and if I didn\'t have the blog project to return to, I probably could have plummeted into the darkest of ruts.)</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Sacrifice.  </strong>Rome wasn\'t built in a day, and blog posts (at least most of mine) aren\'t written in an hour.  Writing requires many hours of solitude.  I turned down many a social invitation this year because I needed to hunker down and write.  Writing is a passion of mine that I enjoy, and in order to make room for dreams, we often have to let go of other diversions.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Letting Go.  </strong>I always go to bed with a clean kitchen.  Not this year!  I routinely exercise 6 days a week.  Not this year!  I blow out my hair a couple times a week so that I\'m not sporting a ponytail <em>again</em>.  Not this year!  As long as there wasn\'t food left out in the kitchen, it could wait.  Working out 3-4 days a week was enough.  Ponytails rock!  (See <strong>Sacrifice.</strong>)</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Inspiration.  </strong>The beauty of a 365 project is that it doles out daily doses of inspiration.  Even when something goes completely and maddeningly wrong -- like crash-boom-splatting in a foreign country and taking home a mangled shoulder and a head injury as a souvenir -- <em>it\'s all writing material</em>.  Head injuries also require a \"time out\" which frees you up to find ....</li>\r\n	<li><strong><strong>Love.  (The Sexy Italian variety.) </strong></strong>I wrote the \"Engage in Life\" quote on the right sidebar of this blog about a year and a half ago.  It originated as a series of scribbled \"Michelle-isms\" that I sent off to the web designer so that she could get a better feel of  \"this Late Bloomer chick\" when designing the blog.  She loved the quote so much that she asked if she could incorporate it into the design.  I was a bit hesitant at first.  Am I really quote-worthy???  I agreed while second-guessing myself all the while.  Now I NEEDED to hold myself accountable.  <em>If you\'re going to spout wisdom, you better walk your talk, sister!</em>  I walked 365 days of that talk, and then...irony of ironies...while luxuriating in injury-induced free time on a vacation in Italy, the man and the fairy tale found me.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: x-large;\"><strong>What happened after 365 Days?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI burned out, of course.  I was still nursing that blasted concussion, and I was <em>exhausted</em>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd here\'s the horrific truth that I must honestly admit to you now:  I stopped Carpe Diem-ing every day.  (<em>Especially</em> after Romeo Mio\'s post-Thanksgiving departure.  Sniff, sniff.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI started watching more and more TV.  My Mom and friends laugh at me when I\'ve mentioned this, but 1-2 shows <em>a night</em> compared to my former 1-2 shows <em>a week</em>, is a lot for me.  Especially when I sank to the TV Pit of Despair:  <em>Toddler\'s &amp; Tiaras</em> and <em>Hoarders</em>.  I told you it was horrific.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIn addition, I started eating too much sugar, stopped working out entirely, and welcomed The Mother of All Procrastinations into my home with open arms.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nUgh.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nArgh.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHumbug.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">I suppose I was in a postpartum depression of sorts.  I birthed this blog.  Now what?</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a few weeks of this nonsense, I reminded myself that, for me, conscious Carpe Diem-ing is a choice -- a habit that requires honing.  I can live the principles outside of a 365 day project.  Imagine that!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI peeled myself up off my sofa, turned off the damn TV, and kicked The Mother of All Procrastinations to the curb.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI jumped on the green smoothies bandwagon and practiced yoga for 8 days straight.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>I soaked up the magic of the holiday season with an Off-Martha-Stewart decorating explosion and a tea party.</strong></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI booked a flight for <a href=\"http://www.les3vallees.com/en/accueil.1.l2/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Les Trois Vallées</strong></a> where, after two months apart, Romeo Mio and I will reunite.  How do you say \"Carpe Diem\" in French?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI wishcasted for 2012 along with my <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wish Club</a></strong> inductees, and as soon as I finish tweaking this blog for January 1st\'s launch of Chapter Two, I am beginning my first ever <a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Annual Review à la Chris Guillebeau</strong>.</a>  (Kindly add Chris and June 2011\'s <strong><a href=\"http://worlddominationsummit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">World Domination Summit</a></strong> to the \"Inspiration\" bullet above.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat happens after January 1st?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHint:  It all started <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\r\n<div></div>','Lessons Learned from My Year of Living Curiously','','inherit','open','open','','8636-revision-87','','','2011-12-30 11:54:02','2011-12-30 18:54:02','',8636,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/8636-revision-87/',0,'revision','',0),(8746,1,'2011-12-30 11:54:39','2011-12-30 18:54:39','<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/darcymoore/5955324903/sizes/m/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8735\" title=\"5955324903_c4f3f8d85d\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/5955324903_c4f3f8d85d-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" /></a>Previously, I revealed my <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/27/extra-credit-day-366-top-10-most-curious/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Top 10 Most Curious Moments</strong></a> from my 365 Days of Living Curiously.  At that time (back in October!), I promised to wax philosophically about my year at another time.  \"Another time\" promptly morphed into The Mother of All Procrastinations.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">I\'m not sure why I postponed writing this post, considering that the year ranked as My Best Year Yet.</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPerhaps I was burned out from writing 365 posts in just a bit more than 365 days?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOr did the magnitude of this endeavor seem too daunting?  (<em>How on earth</em> do you sum up a life-changing year in a single blog post?)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOr maybe I subconsciously didn\'t want to let go of my precious year?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhatever the case, it\'s time to stop making excuses and CELEBRATE the year.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI originally embarked on The Year of Living Curiously when I found myself in The Mother of All Ruts. I won\'t dig up that sob story again, but if you would like a refresher, you can visit <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBefore descending into a full-blown <del>mid-life</del> existential crisis, I summoned my inner Cher and smacked myself upside the head with a <strong><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x-fkSYDtUY\" target=\"_blank\">\"Snap out of it!\"  </a> </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd my way of snapping out of it was taking on an insane blog project in which I would not only tackle one \"curious\" mini-adventure each day, but also write about it.  (There are uber-uber-talented Professional Super Bloggers out there who take on <strong><a href=\"http://www.corbettbarr.com/what-i-learned-publishing-every-day-for-30-days\" target=\"_blank\">30 DAYS of consecutive blogging as a challenge</a></strong>.  So when I throw out the word \"insane\", I am not over-exaggerating.  I really was <em>that crazy</em>.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: x-large;\"><strong>Here is what I learned from my Crazy, Precious, Curious Year:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><strong>Discipline.</strong>  I have always been a fairly disciplined person.  But I am also human, and therefore, I am seduced by the Big Bad Procrastination Wolf just like 95% of the population.  In the past, I blamed my procrastination on my perfectionism, or life getting in the way, or a host of other various excuses, but this year, I had to \"SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP!\"  Cranking out a post a day (while maintaining a full-time day job) is ultramarathon blogging.  If I slacked off on my schedule, I was doomed.  No Big Bad Procrastination Wolf temptation was worth more than my dream or my pride.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>The true essence of Carpe Diem.</strong>  People have been throwing out the phrase \"Carpe Diem\" for millennia.  It\'s the loveliest of concepts:  Seize the day! <strong><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9781563522956\" target=\"_blank\"> Each day is a gift: That\'s why it\'s called The Present!  </a></strong>Live each day as if it\'s your last!  (The latter always creeps me out a bit, but after losing two family members much too soon, it also resonates.  Loudly.)  Yet who <em>honestly</em> Carpe Diem-s each and every day?  We all know a few of those special people who live Carpe Diem naturally and effortlessly.  I want to be like them.  I strive to be like them.  And this year, I made a <em>conscious choice</em> to live like them each and every day.  I chose one daily thing that piqued my curiosity and embraced it.  Conscious living really works!  Carpe Diem and all that jazz!</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The canine variety.)  </strong>Taking on a 365 day blog project filled almost every second of my day outside of my day job.  I had no room in my life to assume any other responsibilities.  And then Bella (formerly knows as \"Missy\") picked me while I was minding my own beeswax and <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=mingus+manor\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Carpe Diem-ing as a volunteer at an animal sanctuary for senior pets</strong>. </a> My mother advised me to feel the fear and adopt that puppy anyway.  I can\'t imagine this year (and future years) without Little Miss B, the sweetest, smartest, most easygoing <del>muppet</del> pooch on the planet!  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/05/06/day-220-my-dog-hijacked-my-computer/\" target=\"_blank\">(Who is still shamelessly soliciting friends on facebook, by the way!)</a></strong></li>\r\n	<li><strong>Love.  (The unconditional family and friends variety.)  </strong>Every blogger\'s fear is that their only reader will be their mother.  I am proud to report that my mother AND my father read my blog every day AND provided proofreading services at no charge!  Thank you, Parental Unit!  In addition, my sister followed the blog religiously and often added her witty and offbeat commentary in the comments section.  My dear cousins agreed to embark on a <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/09/10/day-349-arrivederci/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Trip of a Lifetime Adventure</strong> </a>with me so that this Late Bloomer could <em>finally</em> see Europe for the first time.  My friends humored me not only with their readership, but with their willingness to Carpe Diem along with me in adventures great, small, weird, backfired, goofy, and downright ridiculous.  And then new friends aka \"blog readers\" entered my world.  Some of you are a few degrees separated from me through family and friends, and others are not connected to me at all.  I\'ve had visits from 52 countries, including Cameroon and Latvia!  I am humbled and honored that you took interest in my curious capers.  I hope that you received a few laughs and glimmers of inspiration along the way.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Taking Risks/Conquering Fears.  </strong>I\'m not thrilled with heights.  I\'m not <em>deathly</em> afraid of them. Just your standard, run-of-the-mill unease that makes brings on nausea and a cold sweat.  And I distinctly remembering telling Sarah at the <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=rock+gym\" target=\"_blank\">Rock Gym,</a></strong> \"If I didn\'t have to write about scaling this bloody wall, I would ask if we could call it a day and grab a coffee instead.\"  Or something to that effect.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/11/day-356-my-very-first-concussion-italian-style/\" target=\"_blank\">I\'m not a fan of falling and nearly splitting my head open either.</a></strong>  And I clearly recall announcing to my cousins, \"If I didn\'t have an audience awaiting news about this Cycling Tour of Tuscany, I would stay the hell away from that bike and sip cappuccinos in the piazza for the rest of the week!\"  You (Readers) + Me = Accountability.  Thank you, my friends!</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Perseverance.  </strong>365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day = Fun and Inspiration.  365 Days x 1 Carpe Diem moment per day + Writing one blog post per day = Fun, Inspiration, and Utter Lunacy.  Utter Lunacy x 365 Days = Mini Meltdowns.  Fortunately, these were not full-blown <em>Julie &amp; Julia</em> meltdowns.  Luckily, I had a sounding board aka Mom.  It didn\'t matter if I was too busy, too overwhelmed, PMS-ing, stressing, tired, sad, exhausted, or loopy from a concussion.  I listened to Nike, and I observed the law of physics that states an object of motion stays in motion.  I kept up momentum, and I <em>just did it</em>.  (On a serious note, I lost my beloved grandfather this past year.  I was devastated by the loss, and if I didn\'t have the blog project to return to, I probably could have plummeted into the darkest of ruts.)</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Sacrifice.  </strong>Rome wasn\'t built in a day, and blog posts (at least most of mine) aren\'t written in an hour.  Writing requires many hours of solitude.  I turned down many a social invitation this year because I needed to hunker down and write.  Writing is a passion of mine that I enjoy, and in order to make room for dreams, we often have to let go of other diversions.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Letting Go.  </strong>I always go to bed with a clean kitchen.  Not this year!  I routinely exercise 6 days a week.  Not this year!  I blow out my hair a couple times a week so that I\'m not sporting a ponytail <em>again</em>.  Not this year!  As long as there wasn\'t food left out in the kitchen, it could wait.  Working out 3-4 days a week was enough.  Ponytails rock!  (See <strong>Sacrifice.</strong>)</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Inspiration.  </strong>The beauty of a 365 project is that it doles out daily doses of inspiration.  Even when something goes completely and maddeningly wrong -- like crash-boom-splatting in a foreign country and taking home a mangled shoulder and a head injury as a souvenir -- <em>it\'s all writing material</em>.  Head injuries also require a \"time out\" which frees you up to find ....</li>\r\n	<li><strong><strong>Love.  (The Sexy Italian variety.) </strong></strong>I wrote the \"Engage in Life\" quote on the right sidebar of this blog about a year and a half ago.  It originated as a series of scribbled \"Michelle-isms\" that I sent off to the web designer so that she could get a better feel of  \"this Late Bloomer chick\" when designing the blog.  She loved the quote so much that she asked if she could incorporate it into the design.  I was a bit hesitant at first.  Am I really quote-worthy???  I agreed while second-guessing myself all the while.  Now I NEEDED to hold myself accountable.  <em>If you\'re going to spout wisdom, you better walk your talk, sister!</em>  I walked 365 days of that talk, and then...irony of ironies...while luxuriating in injury-induced free time on a vacation in Italy, the man and the fairy tale found me.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: x-large;\"><strong>What happened after 365 Days?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI burned out, of course.  I was still nursing that blasted concussion, and I was <em>exhausted</em>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd here\'s the horrific truth that I must honestly admit to you now:  I stopped Carpe Diem-ing every day.  (<em>Especially</em> after Romeo Mio\'s post-Thanksgiving departure.  Sniff, sniff.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI started watching more and more TV.  My Mom and friends laugh at me when I\'ve mentioned this, but 1-2 shows <em>a night</em> compared to my former 1-2 shows <em>a week</em>, is a lot for me.  Especially when I sank to the TV Pit of Despair:  <em>Toddler\'s &amp; Tiaras</em> and <em>Hoarders</em>.  I told you it was horrific.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIn addition, I started eating too much sugar, stopped working out entirely, and welcomed The Mother of All Procrastinations into my home with open arms.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nUgh.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nArgh.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHumbug.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">I suppose I was in a postpartum depression of sorts.  I birthed this blog.  Now what?</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a few weeks of this nonsense, I reminded myself that, for me, conscious Carpe Diem-ing is a choice -- a habit that requires honing.  I can live the principles outside of a 365 day project.  Imagine that!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI peeled myself up off my sofa, turned off the damn TV, and kicked The Mother of All Procrastinations to the curb.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI jumped on the green smoothies bandwagon and practiced yoga for 8 days straight.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>I soaked up the magic of the holiday season with an Off-Martha-Stewart decorating explosion and a tea party.</strong></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI booked a flight for <a href=\"http://www.les3vallees.com/en/accueil.1.l2/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Les Trois Vallées</strong></a> where, after two months apart, Romeo Mio and I will reunite.  How do you say \"Carpe Diem\" in French?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI wishcasted for 2012 along with my <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wish Club</a></strong> inductees, and as soon as I finish tweaking this blog for January 1st\'s launch of Chapter Two, I am beginning my first ever <a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Annual Review à la Chris Guillebeau</strong>.</a>  (Kindly add Chris and June 2011\'s <strong><a href=\"http://worlddominationsummit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">World Domination Summit</a></strong> to the \"Inspiration\" bullet above.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat happens after January 1st?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHint:  It all started <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>\r\n<div></div>','Lessons Learned from My Year of Living Curiously','','inherit','open','open','','8636-revision-88','','','2011-12-30 11:54:39','2011-12-30 18:54:39','',8636,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/8636-revision-88/',0,'revision','',0),(8747,1,'2011-10-27 22:06:32','2011-10-28 05:06:32','<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/samchurchill/4182826573/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-8132 alignnone\" title=\"Gold top 10 winner\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/4182826573_3c20158212.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"347\" height=\"346\" /></a>\r\n\r\nAs I mentioned yesterday, I originally intended to list my Top 10 Favorite Blog Adventures on Day 365, the final day of this journey.  A <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/26/day-365-a-love-letter/\" target=\"_blank\">Love Letter</a></strong> upstaged the list.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have to confess that it was quite a challenge to pick only 10 favorites.  This insane-yet-gratifying project contained so many highlights, surprises, and life lessons which I will wax philosophical on at another time.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #008000;\"><strong>Today, here are my Practically-Impossible-to-Pick Top 10:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n10.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/23/day-57-we-saw-dead-people-or-if-you-want-to-be-technical-orbs/\" target=\"_blank\">Day 57:  We Saw Dead People (or if you want to be technical, \"orbs\")</a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe Adventure:  Three friends and I checked into the Jerome Grand Hotel, considered one of America\'s Most Haunted Places.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nReason why this is a fav:  Because I have 3 friends who are as zany as me and agreed to this nonsense.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n9.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/15/day-168-its-more-than-complicated/\" target=\"_blank\">Day 168:  It\'s More Than Complicated</a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe Adventure:  I teamed up with a fellow male blogger for a He Said/She Said cooking project of chocolate croissants.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nReason why this is a fav:  I laughed so hard throughout the day from Todd\'s texts and emails that my stomach hurt.  And the Lady of the Lake (long story -- you\'ll need to read the post) showed up in the comments section.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n8.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/16/day-50-uncle-keek-needs-you/\" target=\"_blank\">Day 50:  Uncle Keek Needs You! </a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe Adventure:  I attempted to my make my beloved great uncle into a YouTube star.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nReason why this is a fav:  I made my uncle (whom I have adored since I was a baby) very, very happy.  He\'s currently at 1,146 views!!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nTied with ....\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n8.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/09/10/day-347-guest-post-from-worlds-most-precious-niece-2/\" target=\"_blank\">Day 347:  Guest Post from World\'s Most Precious Niece</a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe Adventure:  World\'s Most Precious Niece volunteered to give me relief for a day (at the suggestion of a reader) by posting her own music video blog.  If you haven\'t checked it out yet, please watch WMPN as she delivers a PSA on bullying, followed by singing and playing guitar like a mini Taylor Swift.  She was 9 at the filming, peeps!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nReason why this is a fav:  Because she\'s World\'s Most Precious Niece!  And I, as well as her teachers, think she\'s brilliant.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n7.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/05/03/day-215-you-know-what-happens-on-whale-watching-tours-right/\" target=\"_blank\">Day 215:  You Know What Happens on Whale Watching Tours, Right?</a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe Adventure:  Ever since I can remember, I have wanted to catch a glimpse of whales in the wild.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nReason why this is a fav:  Wish fulfilled.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n6.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/07/18/day-28-70s-and-chicago-slideshow/\" target=\"_blank\">Day 289:  70s Party and My Kind of Town</a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe Adventure:  After a long day penned up in a business conference, Britt and I escaped to an impromptu tour of downtown Chicago.  Britt teased me that I was like a kid -- excited about <em>everything</em>!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nReason why this is a fav:  Because this was <em>a business trip</em>!  And I was <em>still</em> able to Carpe Diem in a Top 10 kind of way!  We\'re never too old to discover sights with child-like eyes and find the wonder in what could be the most mundane of days.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n5.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/09/06/day-342-reliving-my-first-concert-ever/\" target=\"_blank\">Day 342:  Living My First Concert Ever</a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe Adventure:  I found a friend to go to Def Leppard with me.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nReason why this is a fav:  Heart opened the show, and blew us away.  We witnessed a living legend that night -- arguably the best female voice in the history of rock and roll.  One of my most memorable concert experiences.  Ever.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n4. <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\"> Day 252:  Soul Explosion </a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe Adventure:  Mondo Beyondo rocked my world at The World Domination Summit in Portland, Oregon.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nReason why this is a fav:  I subsequently signed up for their online class about dreaming BIG.  And BIG dreams are seemingly coming true.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n3.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/09/23/day-351-siena-ti-voglio-tanto-bene/\" target=\"_blank\">Day 351:  Siena, Ti Voglio Tanto Bene</a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe Adventure:  My cousins and I visited Siena, Italy for the day.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nReason why this is a fav:  If towns could be soulmates, Siena would be mine.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n2.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/13/day-357-tuscan-coast-van-tour-and-montebelli-sigh/\" target=\"_blank\">Day 357:  Tuscan Coast Van Tour and . . .  Montebelli.  Sigh. </a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe Adventure:  I sat out a day of my cycling tour in the support van because of the previous day\'s crash-boom-splat.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nReason why this is a fav:  Because spending the day in a van with a hot-blooded Italian male has its perks.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n1.  <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/13/day-47-let-the-puppy-worshipping-begin/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Day 47:  Let The Puppy Worshipping Begin! </strong></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe Adventure:  I found myself in the midst of an unplanned puppy rescue.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nReason why this is a fav:  Because my heart and home are once again filled with furry love.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Extra Credit Day 366:  Top 10 Most Curious','','inherit','open','open','','8120-revision-21','','','2011-10-27 22:06:32','2011-10-28 05:06:32','',8120,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/27/8120-revision-21/',0,'revision','',0),(8748,1,'2011-12-30 13:35:01','2011-12-30 20:35:01','Here lies the story of the year in which I had an existential crisis and took on an insane 365 day blog project.  You can locate all 365 days, spanning from September 2010 - October 2011 under the \"Archived Adventures\" section on the righthand side of the blog.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nYou might also get a kick out of <strong>My Top 10 Most Curious</strong> and <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/lessons-learned-from-my-year-of-living-curiously/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Lessons Learned from The Year of Living Curiously.</strong> </a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','365 or Bust Revision','','inherit','open','open','','8639-revision-5','','','2011-12-30 13:35:01','2011-12-30 20:35:01','',8639,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/8639-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(8749,1,'2011-12-28 20:55:30','2011-12-29 03:55:30','<h4><span style=\"color: #008000;\"> </span></h4>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Welcome to my existential crisis.</span></h4>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Recently, I fell into the mother of all ruts.  In an attempt to hoist myself out of this Funk, I am on a mission (and I do choose to accept it) to try one new/inspiring/interesting/uplifting/provocative/\r\n</span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">or curiosity-injected thing each day for 365 days.  I will then blah, blah, blog about my experiences.  </span></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Some might call this insanity.  </span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">I call it salvation.  </span></p>\r\n\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>\"Do one thing every day that scares you.\"</strong></span></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>  <span style=\"color: #993300;\">                                                    --- Eleanor Roosevelt</span></strong></span></blockquote>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I would love to, Ms. Roosevelt, but with all due respect, I don\'t necessarily want to be scared every day.  That sounds to me like high blood pressure waiting to happen.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">But I really dig your point, Eleanor.  Instead, may I take a healthy dose of artistic license and change this to...</span>\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>\"Do one thing every day that scintillates your soul.\"</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>                                                                           -- Late Bloomer</strong></span></blockquote>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #008000;\"> </span></h4>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #008000;\">What Brought on \'Da Funk </span></h4>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Last year I celebrated my 40th birthday and promptly freaked out like every other American woman who turns 40.  How very cliché of me.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Mid-life crises lead people to crazy and outrageous acts such as buying an expensive sports car, cheating on a significant other, or packing up one\'s life to run away across the country.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I started a blog.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Granted, this was neither particularly outrageous nor crazy, but nevertheless indicative of the 40 year-old undercurrent bubbling, \"What is next?\" and \"Where has all the time gone?\" and \"I need some sort of change or I will surely go insane!\"</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I turned 40, and I suddenly felt like the hourglass of time was half empty.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Of course, when I flipped both the hourglass and my perspective upside down, I noticed that the hourglass was half full.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">This reminded me of the quintessential Late Bloomer.  Late Bloomers don\'t acknowledge societal timelines in life.  They bloom whenever the hell they\'re good and ready.  They focus on the sand in the hour glass, not the empty space.  </span>\r\n\r\nI can live with that.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I have always sensed that the Late Bloomer seed was planted in my childhood and has been sprouting ever since.  This seemed like a natural focus for my blog:  musings and ramblings of a Late Bloomer.  You can see my embarrassingly green (literally and figuratively) first attempt at a blog at <a href=\"http://www.latebloomerdiary.blogspot.com\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>www.latebloomerdiary.blogspot.com</strong></a><strong>.</strong>  </span>\r\n\r\nAnd then...\r\n\r\nLife got in the way.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Big time. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I will spare you the details, but to give you an idea, \"Life Got in the Way\" involved: Internet Dating Hell, swine flu (yes, I survived), run of the mill job stress, horrific insomnia, an unrequited mongo crush, and a very sick little doggie. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Life Got in the Way evolved into Life is Downright Cruel when after doing everything in my power to help Woofie, my constant companion of nearly 14 years, I finally had to say goodbye.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Every animal lover knows how saying goodbye shatters your heart and soul.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">And so I plummeted into a Funk.  Life seemed like one buzz kill after another.  The Late Bloomer seed may have still been in there somewhere, but my petals wilted.  Needless to say, my blog withered away as well.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I felt disappointed, disenchanted, and in general, dissed by life.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I hate to say it, but I even started to flip out about my upcoming 41st birthday.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Side note:  Why do we women torment ourselves with this aging crap???  Oh, yeah -- the media and its obsession with Hollywood.  I also happen to live in a city of Mr. &amp; Ms. Skin Deeps.  But I digress.  Back to \'Da Funk...</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Funk pushed me into the abyss of the aforementioned mother of all ruts.   I was on auto-pilot cruising at same old, same old altitude.  </span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span>\r\n<blockquote><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">\"If you are tired of the same old, same old, then try something different new, different new.\"</span></strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>            -- Late Bloomer</strong> </span></blockquote>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"> </span></span></h4>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Funk Begone! </span> </span></h4>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Shortly after life dissed me, it threw me a few bones, as it always does.  Sometimes you have to go digging through the dirt for the bones, but they are there if you are willing to get your hands dirty.  </span>\r\n\r\nPathetic as it sounds, I somehow rediscovered  <a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl005muyttQ\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>\"Dark Road\" by Annie Lennox</strong></a> and listened to it over and over and over again.  It became my personal anthem.\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>\"I wanna come in from the cold\r\nAnd make myself renewed again.\"</strong></span><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>                                            -- Annie Lennox, Rock Goddess </strong></span></blockquote>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Then one night -- on facebook of all places -- I came across an old Fast Company article that a friend had posted.  The article highlighted a few Late Bloomers with an \"it\'s never too late\" attitude.  Powerful reminder.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Who knows how these things happen upon us, but at that very moment, I was compelled to watch <a href=\"http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Elizabeth Gilbert\'s TED talk</strong></a>.  I had only been meaning to view this since she mentioned it...oh...6 months prior at her book signing.   (I tend to be a bit of a procrastinator.)</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Liz uttered the magic words: </span>\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">\"Check it out.  I am pretty young.  I\'m <em>only </em>about 40 years-old.  I still have maybe another 4 decades of work left in me. \"</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">                                                           -- Elizabeth Gilbert, author </span></strong></span></blockquote>\r\nWow.  Well...when you put it <em>that</em> way, Liz.  Thank you.  You are officially my idol.\r\n\r\nIn fact, I was so jazzed by Liz\'s Late Bloomer mojo that I ran to my kitchen and furiously began jotting notes on a new blog project.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">When Liz found herself in crisis, she heeded her inner voice, ran away and traveled the world.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">While I certainly have entertained the escape fantasy, my inner voice tells me that I can create my own little adventure right here, right now.  </span>\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">\"Carpe diem and all that jazz. \"</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>                          -- Horace and Late Bloomer</strong> </span></blockquote>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">How many times do we say \"carpe diem\" and then actually seize the day?  We say it wholeheartedly, but do we truly <em>live </em>it?    </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Curiosity Revived this Kat</span></h4>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">So here I am ready to live curiously for 365 days.   My goal is to \"Carpe Diem\".  For real.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">It\'s time to get out of my head and into life.  (I am an <a href=\"http://www.personalitypage.com/INFJ.html\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>INFJ</strong></a><strong>,</strong> so this in itself is a challenge.)</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ultimately, I hope that this blog inspires women (and my 3 token male readers) to break out of their own ruts and Funks.  Just say \"no\" to \'da Funk!   Instead, let\'s get funky in a good way.  Let\'s inject a little curiosity into our lives and get on with it! </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I would love for you to join me in my quest.  <a href=\"http://feeds.feedburner.com/latebloomerdiary\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Subscribe to my (almost) daily updates through email or RSS</strong></a> .  (If you don\'t know what RSS is, just click the email option.  I didn\'t know what it was either a year ago.  It\'s o.k.)  You can also follow me on <a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/pages/Diary-of-a-Late-Bloomer/155985501079157?ref=sgm\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Facebook </strong></a>or <a href=\"https://twitter.com/latebloomer365\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Twitter</strong></a><strong>.</strong>  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Go ahead and make my day by <a href=\"http://diaryofalatebloomer.com/submit-a-365-idea/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>submitting your own 365 idea for me to try</strong></a><strong>.</strong>  I may just take you up on your offer.  Wouldn\'t that be uber-cool?  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Better still -- maybe we could try these ideas together and create an entire tribe that exudes Late Bloomer Mojo.  </span>\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">\"If variety is the spice of life, then this year is going to be <a href=\"http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_muy_caliente_mean\" target=\"_blank\">muy caliente</a>!\"</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>                                                                                                        -- Late Bloomer</strong> </span></blockquote>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Are you ready to get spicy with me?  I look forward to spending the year with you.  </span>','365 or Bust','','inherit','open','open','','103-revision-38','','','2011-12-28 20:55:30','2011-12-29 03:55:30','',103,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/28/103-revision-38/',0,'revision','',0),(8750,1,'2011-12-30 13:36:39','2011-12-30 20:36:39','<h4><span style=\"color: #008000;\"> </span></h4>\r\nHerein lies the story of the year in which I had an existential crisis and took on an insane 365 day blog project.  You can locate all 365 days, spanning from September 2010 - October 2011 under the \"Archived Adventures\" section on the righthand side of the blog.\r\n<h4></h4>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4></h4>\r\nYou might also get a kick out of the<strong> <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/lessons-learned-from-my-year-of-living-curiously/\" target=\"_blank\">Top 10 Most Curious</a></strong> and <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/lessons-learned-from-my-year-of-living-curiously/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Lessons Learned from The Year of Living Curiously.</strong> </a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n********************\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4></h4>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Welcome to my existential crisis.</span></h4>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Recently, I fell into the mother of all ruts.  In an attempt to hoist myself out of this Funk, I am on a mission (and I do choose to accept it) to try one new/inspiring/interesting/uplifting/provocative/\r\n</span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">or curiosity-injected thing each day for 365 days.  I will then blah, blah, blog about my experiences.  </span></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Some might call this insanity.  </span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">I call it salvation.  </span></p>\r\n\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>\"Do one thing every day that scares you.\"</strong></span></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>  <span style=\"color: #993300;\">                                                    --- Eleanor Roosevelt</span></strong></span></blockquote>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I would love to, Ms. Roosevelt, but with all due respect, I don\'t necessarily want to be scared every day.  That sounds to me like high blood pressure waiting to happen.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">But I really dig your point, Eleanor.  Instead, may I take a healthy dose of artistic license and change this to...</span>\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>\"Do one thing every day that scintillates your soul.\"</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>                                                                           -- Late Bloomer</strong></span></blockquote>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #008000;\"> </span></h4>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #008000;\">What Brought on \'Da Funk </span></h4>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Last year I celebrated my 40th birthday and promptly freaked out like every other American woman who turns 40.  How very cliché of me.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Mid-life crises lead people to crazy and outrageous acts such as buying an expensive sports car, cheating on a significant other, or packing up one\'s life to run away across the country.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I started a blog.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Granted, this was neither particularly outrageous nor crazy, but nevertheless indicative of the 40 year-old undercurrent bubbling, \"What is next?\" and \"Where has all the time gone?\" and \"I need some sort of change or I will surely go insane!\"</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I turned 40, and I suddenly felt like the hourglass of time was half empty.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Of course, when I flipped both the hourglass and my perspective upside down, I noticed that the hourglass was half full.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">This reminded me of the quintessential Late Bloomer.  Late Bloomers don\'t acknowledge societal timelines in life.  They bloom whenever the hell they\'re good and ready.  They focus on the sand in the hour glass, not the empty space.  </span>\r\n\r\nI can live with that.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I have always sensed that the Late Bloomer seed was planted in my childhood and has been sprouting ever since.  This seemed like a natural focus for my blog:  musings and ramblings of a Late Bloomer.  You can see my embarrassingly green (literally and figuratively) first attempt at a blog at <a href=\"http://www.latebloomerdiary.blogspot.com\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>www.latebloomerdiary.blogspot.com</strong></a><strong>.</strong>  </span>\r\n\r\nAnd then...\r\n\r\nLife got in the way.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Big time. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I will spare you the details, but to give you an idea, \"Life Got in the Way\" involved: Internet Dating Hell, swine flu (yes, I survived), run of the mill job stress, horrific insomnia, an unrequited mongo crush, and a very sick little doggie. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Life Got in the Way evolved into Life is Downright Cruel when after doing everything in my power to help Woofie, my constant companion of nearly 14 years, I finally had to say goodbye.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Every animal lover knows how saying goodbye shatters your heart and soul.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">And so I plummeted into a Funk.  Life seemed like one buzz kill after another.  The Late Bloomer seed may have still been in there somewhere, but my petals wilted.  Needless to say, my blog withered away as well.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I felt disappointed, disenchanted, and in general, dissed by life.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I hate to say it, but I even started to flip out about my upcoming 41st birthday.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Side note:  Why do we women torment ourselves with this aging crap???  Oh, yeah -- the media and its obsession with Hollywood.  I also happen to live in a city of Mr. &amp; Ms. Skin Deeps.  But I digress.  Back to \'Da Funk...</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Funk pushed me into the abyss of the aforementioned mother of all ruts.   I was on auto-pilot cruising at same old, same old altitude.  </span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span>\r\n<blockquote><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">\"If you are tired of the same old, same old, then try something different new, different new.\"</span></strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>            -- Late Bloomer</strong> </span></blockquote>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"> </span></span></h4>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Funk Begone! </span> </span></h4>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Shortly after life dissed me, it threw me a few bones, as it always does.  Sometimes you have to go digging through the dirt for the bones, but they are there if you are willing to get your hands dirty.  </span>\r\n\r\nPathetic as it sounds, I somehow rediscovered  <a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl005muyttQ\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>\"Dark Road\" by Annie Lennox</strong></a> and listened to it over and over and over again.  It became my personal anthem.\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>\"I wanna come in from the cold\r\nAnd make myself renewed again.\"</strong></span><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>                                            -- Annie Lennox, Rock Goddess </strong></span></blockquote>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Then one night -- on facebook of all places -- I came across an old Fast Company article that a friend had posted.  The article highlighted a few Late Bloomers with an \"it\'s never too late\" attitude.  Powerful reminder.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Who knows how these things happen upon us, but at that very moment, I was compelled to watch <a href=\"http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Elizabeth Gilbert\'s TED talk</strong></a>.  I had only been meaning to view this since she mentioned it...oh...6 months prior at her book signing.   (I tend to be a bit of a procrastinator.)</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Liz uttered the magic words: </span>\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">\"Check it out.  I am pretty young.  I\'m <em>only </em>about 40 years-old.  I still have maybe another 4 decades of work left in me. \"</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">                                                           -- Elizabeth Gilbert, author </span></strong></span></blockquote>\r\nWow.  Well...when you put it <em>that</em> way, Liz.  Thank you.  You are officially my idol.\r\n\r\nIn fact, I was so jazzed by Liz\'s Late Bloomer mojo that I ran to my kitchen and furiously began jotting notes on a new blog project.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">When Liz found herself in crisis, she heeded her inner voice, ran away and traveled the world.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">While I certainly have entertained the escape fantasy, my inner voice tells me that I can create my own little adventure right here, right now.  </span>\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">\"Carpe diem and all that jazz. \"</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>                          -- Horace and Late Bloomer</strong> </span></blockquote>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">How many times do we say \"carpe diem\" and then actually seize the day?  We say it wholeheartedly, but do we truly <em>live </em>it?    </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Curiosity Revived this Kat</span></h4>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">So here I am ready to live curiously for 365 days.   My goal is to \"Carpe Diem\".  For real.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">It\'s time to get out of my head and into life.  (I am an <a href=\"http://www.personalitypage.com/INFJ.html\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>INFJ</strong></a><strong>,</strong> so this in itself is a challenge.)</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ultimately, I hope that this blog inspires women (and my 3 token male readers) to break out of their own ruts and Funks.  Just say \"no\" to \'da Funk!   Instead, let\'s get funky in a good way.  Let\'s inject a little curiosity into our lives and get on with it! </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I would love for you to join me in my quest.  <a href=\"http://feeds.feedburner.com/latebloomerdiary\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Subscribe to my (almost) daily updates through email or RSS</strong></a> .  (If you don\'t know what RSS is, just click the email option.  I didn\'t know what it was either a year ago.  It\'s o.k.)  You can also follow me on <a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/pages/Diary-of-a-Late-Bloomer/155985501079157?ref=sgm\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Facebook </strong></a>or <a href=\"https://twitter.com/latebloomer365\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Twitter</strong></a><strong>.</strong>  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Go ahead and make my day by <a href=\"http://diaryofalatebloomer.com/submit-a-365-idea/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>submitting your own 365 idea for me to try</strong></a><strong>.</strong>  I may just take you up on your offer.  Wouldn\'t that be uber-cool?  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Better still -- maybe we could try these ideas together and create an entire tribe that exudes Late Bloomer Mojo.  </span>\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">\"If variety is the spice of life, then this year is going to be <a href=\"http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_muy_caliente_mean\" target=\"_blank\">muy caliente</a>!\"</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>                                                                                                        -- Late Bloomer</strong> </span></blockquote>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Are you ready to get spicy with me?  I look forward to spending the year with you.  </span>','365 or Bust','','inherit','open','open','','103-revision-39','','','2011-12-30 13:36:39','2011-12-30 20:36:39','',103,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/103-revision-39/',0,'revision','',0),(8751,1,'2011-12-30 13:39:06','2011-12-30 20:39:06','<h4><span style=\"color: #008000;\"> </span></h4>\r\nHerein lies the story of the year in which I had an <del>mid-life</del> existential crisis and took on an insane 365 day blog project.  You can locate all 365 days, spanning from September 2010 - October 2011 under the \"Archived Adventures\" section on the righthand side of the blog.\r\n<h4></h4>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4></h4>\r\nYou might also get a kick out of the<strong> <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/27/extra-credit-day-366-top-10-most-curious/\" target=\"_blank\">Top 10 Most Curious</a></strong> and <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/lessons-learned-from-my-year-of-living-curiously/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Lessons Learned from The Year of Living Curiously.</strong> </a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n********************\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4></h4>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Welcome to my existential crisis.</span></h4>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Recently, I fell into the mother of all ruts.  In an attempt to hoist myself out of this Funk, I am on a mission (and I do choose to accept it) to try one new/inspiring/interesting/uplifting/provocative/\r\n</span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">or curiosity-injected thing each day for 365 days.  I will then blah, blah, blog about my experiences.  </span></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Some might call this insanity.  </span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">I call it salvation.  </span></p>\r\n\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>\"Do one thing every day that scares you.\"</strong></span></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>  <span style=\"color: #993300;\">                                                    --- Eleanor Roosevelt</span></strong></span></blockquote>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I would love to, Ms. Roosevelt, but with all due respect, I don\'t necessarily want to be scared every day.  That sounds to me like high blood pressure waiting to happen.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">But I really dig your point, Eleanor.  Instead, may I take a healthy dose of artistic license and change this to...</span>\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>\"Do one thing every day that scintillates your soul.\"</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>                                                                           -- Late Bloomer</strong></span></blockquote>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #008000;\"> </span></h4>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #008000;\">What Brought on \'Da Funk </span></h4>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Last year I celebrated my 40th birthday and promptly freaked out like every other American woman who turns 40.  How very cliché of me.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Mid-life crises lead people to crazy and outrageous acts such as buying an expensive sports car, cheating on a significant other, or packing up one\'s life to run away across the country.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I started a blog.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Granted, this was neither particularly outrageous nor crazy, but nevertheless indicative of the 40 year-old undercurrent bubbling, \"What is next?\" and \"Where has all the time gone?\" and \"I need some sort of change or I will surely go insane!\"</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I turned 40, and I suddenly felt like the hourglass of time was half empty.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Of course, when I flipped both the hourglass and my perspective upside down, I noticed that the hourglass was half full.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">This reminded me of the quintessential Late Bloomer.  Late Bloomers don\'t acknowledge societal timelines in life.  They bloom whenever the hell they\'re good and ready.  They focus on the sand in the hour glass, not the empty space.  </span>\r\n\r\nI can live with that.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I have always sensed that the Late Bloomer seed was planted in my childhood and has been sprouting ever since.  This seemed like a natural focus for my blog:  musings and ramblings of a Late Bloomer.  You can see my embarrassingly green (literally and figuratively) first attempt at a blog at <a href=\"http://www.latebloomerdiary.blogspot.com\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>www.latebloomerdiary.blogspot.com</strong></a><strong>.</strong>  </span>\r\n\r\nAnd then...\r\n\r\nLife got in the way.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Big time. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I will spare you the details, but to give you an idea, \"Life Got in the Way\" involved: Internet Dating Hell, swine flu (yes, I survived), run of the mill job stress, horrific insomnia, an unrequited mongo crush, and a very sick little doggie. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Life Got in the Way evolved into Life is Downright Cruel when after doing everything in my power to help Woofie, my constant companion of nearly 14 years, I finally had to say goodbye.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Every animal lover knows how saying goodbye shatters your heart and soul.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">And so I plummeted into a Funk.  Life seemed like one buzz kill after another.  The Late Bloomer seed may have still been in there somewhere, but my petals wilted.  Needless to say, my blog withered away as well.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I felt disappointed, disenchanted, and in general, dissed by life.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I hate to say it, but I even started to flip out about my upcoming 41st birthday.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Side note:  Why do we women torment ourselves with this aging crap???  Oh, yeah -- the media and its obsession with Hollywood.  I also happen to live in a city of Mr. &amp; Ms. Skin Deeps.  But I digress.  Back to \'Da Funk...</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Funk pushed me into the abyss of the aforementioned mother of all ruts.   I was on auto-pilot cruising at same old, same old altitude.  </span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span>\r\n<blockquote><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">\"If you are tired of the same old, same old, then try something different new, different new.\"</span></strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>            -- Late Bloomer</strong> </span></blockquote>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"> </span></span></h4>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Funk Begone! </span> </span></h4>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Shortly after life dissed me, it threw me a few bones, as it always does.  Sometimes you have to go digging through the dirt for the bones, but they are there if you are willing to get your hands dirty.  </span>\r\n\r\nPathetic as it sounds, I somehow rediscovered  <a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl005muyttQ\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>\"Dark Road\" by Annie Lennox</strong></a> and listened to it over and over and over again.  It became my personal anthem.\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>\"I wanna come in from the cold\r\nAnd make myself renewed again.\"</strong></span><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>                                            -- Annie Lennox, Rock Goddess </strong></span></blockquote>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Then one night -- on facebook of all places -- I came across an old Fast Company article that a friend had posted.  The article highlighted a few Late Bloomers with an \"it\'s never too late\" attitude.  Powerful reminder.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Who knows how these things happen upon us, but at that very moment, I was compelled to watch <a href=\"http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Elizabeth Gilbert\'s TED talk</strong></a>.  I had only been meaning to view this since she mentioned it...oh...6 months prior at her book signing.   (I tend to be a bit of a procrastinator.)</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Liz uttered the magic words: </span>\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">\"Check it out.  I am pretty young.  I\'m <em>only </em>about 40 years-old.  I still have maybe another 4 decades of work left in me. \"</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">                                                           -- Elizabeth Gilbert, author </span></strong></span></blockquote>\r\nWow.  Well...when you put it <em>that</em> way, Liz.  Thank you.  You are officially my idol.\r\n\r\nIn fact, I was so jazzed by Liz\'s Late Bloomer mojo that I ran to my kitchen and furiously began jotting notes on a new blog project.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">When Liz found herself in crisis, she heeded her inner voice, ran away and traveled the world.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">While I certainly have entertained the escape fantasy, my inner voice tells me that I can create my own little adventure right here, right now.  </span>\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">\"Carpe diem and all that jazz. \"</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>                          -- Horace and Late Bloomer</strong> </span></blockquote>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">How many times do we say \"carpe diem\" and then actually seize the day?  We say it wholeheartedly, but do we truly <em>live </em>it?    </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Curiosity Revived this Kat</span></h4>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">So here I am ready to live curiously for 365 days.   My goal is to \"Carpe Diem\".  For real.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">It\'s time to get out of my head and into life.  (I am an <a href=\"http://www.personalitypage.com/INFJ.html\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>INFJ</strong></a><strong>,</strong> so this in itself is a challenge.)</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ultimately, I hope that this blog inspires women (and my 3 token male readers) to break out of their own ruts and Funks.  Just say \"no\" to \'da Funk!   Instead, let\'s get funky in a good way.  Let\'s inject a little curiosity into our lives and get on with it! </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I would love for you to join me in my quest.  <a href=\"http://feeds.feedburner.com/latebloomerdiary\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Subscribe to my (almost) daily updates through email or RSS</strong></a> .  (If you don\'t know what RSS is, just click the email option.  I didn\'t know what it was either a year ago.  It\'s o.k.)  You can also follow me on <a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/pages/Diary-of-a-Late-Bloomer/155985501079157?ref=sgm\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Facebook </strong></a>or <a href=\"https://twitter.com/latebloomer365\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Twitter</strong></a><strong>.</strong>  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Go ahead and make my day by <a href=\"http://diaryofalatebloomer.com/submit-a-365-idea/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>submitting your own 365 idea for me to try</strong></a><strong>.</strong>  I may just take you up on your offer.  Wouldn\'t that be uber-cool?  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Better still -- maybe we could try these ideas together and create an entire tribe that exudes Late Bloomer Mojo.  </span>\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">\"If variety is the spice of life, then this year is going to be <a href=\"http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_muy_caliente_mean\" target=\"_blank\">muy caliente</a>!\"</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>                                                                                                        -- Late Bloomer</strong> </span></blockquote>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Are you ready to get spicy with me?  I look forward to spending the year with you.  </span>','Chapter One:  The Year of Living Curiously ','','inherit','open','open','','103-revision-40','','','2011-12-30 13:39:06','2011-12-30 20:39:06','',103,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/103-revision-40/',0,'revision','',0),(8752,1,'2011-12-30 13:41:02','2011-12-30 20:41:02','<h4><span style=\"color: #008000; font-size: large;\"> 365 or Bust!</span></h4>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHerein lies the story of the year in which I had an <del>mid-life</del> existential crisis and took on an insane 365 day blog project.  You can locate all 365 days, spanning from September 2010 - October 2011 under the \"Archived Adventures\" section on the righthand side of the blog.\r\n<h4></h4>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4></h4>\r\nYou might also get a kick out of the<strong> <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/27/extra-credit-day-366-top-10-most-curious/\" target=\"_blank\">Top 10 Most Curious</a></strong> and <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/lessons-learned-from-my-year-of-living-curiously/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Lessons Learned from The Year of Living Curiously.</strong> </a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n********************\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4></h4>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Welcome to my existential crisis.</span></h4>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Recently, I fell into the mother of all ruts.  In an attempt to hoist myself out of this Funk, I am on a mission (and I do choose to accept it) to try one new/inspiring/interesting/uplifting/provocative/\r\n</span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">or curiosity-injected thing each day for 365 days.  I will then blah, blah, blog about my experiences.  </span></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Some might call this insanity.  </span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">I call it salvation.  </span></p>\r\n\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>\"Do one thing every day that scares you.\"</strong></span></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>  <span style=\"color: #993300;\">                                                    --- Eleanor Roosevelt</span></strong></span></blockquote>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I would love to, Ms. Roosevelt, but with all due respect, I don\'t necessarily want to be scared every day.  That sounds to me like high blood pressure waiting to happen.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">But I really dig your point, Eleanor.  Instead, may I take a healthy dose of artistic license and change this to...</span>\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>\"Do one thing every day that scintillates your soul.\"</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>                                                                           -- Late Bloomer</strong></span></blockquote>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #008000;\"> </span></h4>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #008000;\">What Brought on \'Da Funk </span></h4>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Last year I celebrated my 40th birthday and promptly freaked out like every other American woman who turns 40.  How very cliché of me.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Mid-life crises lead people to crazy and outrageous acts such as buying an expensive sports car, cheating on a significant other, or packing up one\'s life to run away across the country.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I started a blog.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Granted, this was neither particularly outrageous nor crazy, but nevertheless indicative of the 40 year-old undercurrent bubbling, \"What is next?\" and \"Where has all the time gone?\" and \"I need some sort of change or I will surely go insane!\"</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I turned 40, and I suddenly felt like the hourglass of time was half empty.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Of course, when I flipped both the hourglass and my perspective upside down, I noticed that the hourglass was half full.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">This reminded me of the quintessential Late Bloomer.  Late Bloomers don\'t acknowledge societal timelines in life.  They bloom whenever the hell they\'re good and ready.  They focus on the sand in the hour glass, not the empty space.  </span>\r\n\r\nI can live with that.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I have always sensed that the Late Bloomer seed was planted in my childhood and has been sprouting ever since.  This seemed like a natural focus for my blog:  musings and ramblings of a Late Bloomer.  You can see my embarrassingly green (literally and figuratively) first attempt at a blog at <a href=\"http://www.latebloomerdiary.blogspot.com\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>www.latebloomerdiary.blogspot.com</strong></a><strong>.</strong>  </span>\r\n\r\nAnd then...\r\n\r\nLife got in the way.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Big time. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I will spare you the details, but to give you an idea, \"Life Got in the Way\" involved: Internet Dating Hell, swine flu (yes, I survived), run of the mill job stress, horrific insomnia, an unrequited mongo crush, and a very sick little doggie. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Life Got in the Way evolved into Life is Downright Cruel when after doing everything in my power to help Woofie, my constant companion of nearly 14 years, I finally had to say goodbye.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Every animal lover knows how saying goodbye shatters your heart and soul.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">And so I plummeted into a Funk.  Life seemed like one buzz kill after another.  The Late Bloomer seed may have still been in there somewhere, but my petals wilted.  Needless to say, my blog withered away as well.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I felt disappointed, disenchanted, and in general, dissed by life.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I hate to say it, but I even started to flip out about my upcoming 41st birthday.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Side note:  Why do we women torment ourselves with this aging crap???  Oh, yeah -- the media and its obsession with Hollywood.  I also happen to live in a city of Mr. &amp; Ms. Skin Deeps.  But I digress.  Back to \'Da Funk...</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Funk pushed me into the abyss of the aforementioned mother of all ruts.   I was on auto-pilot cruising at same old, same old altitude.  </span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span>\r\n<blockquote><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">\"If you are tired of the same old, same old, then try something different new, different new.\"</span></strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>            -- Late Bloomer</strong> </span></blockquote>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"> </span></span></h4>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Funk Begone! </span> </span></h4>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Shortly after life dissed me, it threw me a few bones, as it always does.  Sometimes you have to go digging through the dirt for the bones, but they are there if you are willing to get your hands dirty.  </span>\r\n\r\nPathetic as it sounds, I somehow rediscovered  <a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl005muyttQ\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>\"Dark Road\" by Annie Lennox</strong></a> and listened to it over and over and over again.  It became my personal anthem.\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>\"I wanna come in from the cold\r\nAnd make myself renewed again.\"</strong></span><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>                                            -- Annie Lennox, Rock Goddess </strong></span></blockquote>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Then one night -- on facebook of all places -- I came across an old Fast Company article that a friend had posted.  The article highlighted a few Late Bloomers with an \"it\'s never too late\" attitude.  Powerful reminder.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Who knows how these things happen upon us, but at that very moment, I was compelled to watch <a href=\"http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Elizabeth Gilbert\'s TED talk</strong></a>.  I had only been meaning to view this since she mentioned it...oh...6 months prior at her book signing.   (I tend to be a bit of a procrastinator.)</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Liz uttered the magic words: </span>\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">\"Check it out.  I am pretty young.  I\'m <em>only </em>about 40 years-old.  I still have maybe another 4 decades of work left in me. \"</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">                                                           -- Elizabeth Gilbert, author </span></strong></span></blockquote>\r\nWow.  Well...when you put it <em>that</em> way, Liz.  Thank you.  You are officially my idol.\r\n\r\nIn fact, I was so jazzed by Liz\'s Late Bloomer mojo that I ran to my kitchen and furiously began jotting notes on a new blog project.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">When Liz found herself in crisis, she heeded her inner voice, ran away and traveled the world.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">While I certainly have entertained the escape fantasy, my inner voice tells me that I can create my own little adventure right here, right now.  </span>\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">\"Carpe diem and all that jazz. \"</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>                          -- Horace and Late Bloomer</strong> </span></blockquote>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">How many times do we say \"carpe diem\" and then actually seize the day?  We say it wholeheartedly, but do we truly <em>live </em>it?    </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Curiosity Revived this Kat</span></h4>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">So here I am ready to live curiously for 365 days.   My goal is to \"Carpe Diem\".  For real.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">It\'s time to get out of my head and into life.  (I am an <a href=\"http://www.personalitypage.com/INFJ.html\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>INFJ</strong></a><strong>,</strong> so this in itself is a challenge.)</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ultimately, I hope that this blog inspires women (and my 3 token male readers) to break out of their own ruts and Funks.  Just say \"no\" to \'da Funk!   Instead, let\'s get funky in a good way.  Let\'s inject a little curiosity into our lives and get on with it! </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I would love for you to join me in my quest.  <a href=\"http://feeds.feedburner.com/latebloomerdiary\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Subscribe to my (almost) daily updates through email or RSS</strong></a> .  (If you don\'t know what RSS is, just click the email option.  I didn\'t know what it was either a year ago.  It\'s o.k.)  You can also follow me on <a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/pages/Diary-of-a-Late-Bloomer/155985501079157?ref=sgm\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Facebook </strong></a>or <a href=\"https://twitter.com/latebloomer365\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Twitter</strong></a><strong>.</strong>  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Go ahead and make my day by <a href=\"http://diaryofalatebloomer.com/submit-a-365-idea/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>submitting your own 365 idea for me to try</strong></a><strong>.</strong>  I may just take you up on your offer.  Wouldn\'t that be uber-cool?  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Better still -- maybe we could try these ideas together and create an entire tribe that exudes Late Bloomer Mojo.  </span>\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">\"If variety is the spice of life, then this year is going to be <a href=\"http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_muy_caliente_mean\" target=\"_blank\">muy caliente</a>!\"</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>                                                                                                        -- Late Bloomer</strong> </span></blockquote>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Are you ready to get spicy with me?  I look forward to spending the year with you.  </span>','Chapter One:  The Year of Living Curiously ','','inherit','open','open','','103-revision-41','','','2011-12-30 13:41:02','2011-12-30 20:41:02','',103,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/103-revision-41/',0,'revision','',0),(8753,1,'2011-12-30 13:41:20','2011-12-30 20:41:20','<h4></h4>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #008000; font-size: large;\">365 or Bust!</span></h4>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHerein lies the story of the year in which I had an <del>mid-life</del> existential crisis and took on an insane 365 day blog project.  You can locate all 365 days, spanning from September 2010 - October 2011 under the \"Archived Adventures\" section on the righthand side of the blog.\r\n<h4></h4>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4></h4>\r\nYou might also get a kick out of the<strong> <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/27/extra-credit-day-366-top-10-most-curious/\" target=\"_blank\">Top 10 Most Curious</a></strong> and <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/lessons-learned-from-my-year-of-living-curiously/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Lessons Learned from The Year of Living Curiously.</strong> </a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n********************\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4></h4>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Welcome to my existential crisis.</span></h4>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Recently, I fell into the mother of all ruts.  In an attempt to hoist myself out of this Funk, I am on a mission (and I do choose to accept it) to try one new/inspiring/interesting/uplifting/provocative/\r\n</span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">or curiosity-injected thing each day for 365 days.  I will then blah, blah, blog about my experiences.  </span></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Some might call this insanity.  </span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">I call it salvation.  </span></p>\r\n\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>\"Do one thing every day that scares you.\"</strong></span></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>  <span style=\"color: #993300;\">                                                    --- Eleanor Roosevelt</span></strong></span></blockquote>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I would love to, Ms. Roosevelt, but with all due respect, I don\'t necessarily want to be scared every day.  That sounds to me like high blood pressure waiting to happen.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">But I really dig your point, Eleanor.  Instead, may I take a healthy dose of artistic license and change this to...</span>\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>\"Do one thing every day that scintillates your soul.\"</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>                                                                           -- Late Bloomer</strong></span></blockquote>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #008000;\"> </span></h4>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #008000;\">What Brought on \'Da Funk </span></h4>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Last year I celebrated my 40th birthday and promptly freaked out like every other American woman who turns 40.  How very cliché of me.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Mid-life crises lead people to crazy and outrageous acts such as buying an expensive sports car, cheating on a significant other, or packing up one\'s life to run away across the country.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I started a blog.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Granted, this was neither particularly outrageous nor crazy, but nevertheless indicative of the 40 year-old undercurrent bubbling, \"What is next?\" and \"Where has all the time gone?\" and \"I need some sort of change or I will surely go insane!\"</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I turned 40, and I suddenly felt like the hourglass of time was half empty.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Of course, when I flipped both the hourglass and my perspective upside down, I noticed that the hourglass was half full.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">This reminded me of the quintessential Late Bloomer.  Late Bloomers don\'t acknowledge societal timelines in life.  They bloom whenever the hell they\'re good and ready.  They focus on the sand in the hour glass, not the empty space.  </span>\r\n\r\nI can live with that.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I have always sensed that the Late Bloomer seed was planted in my childhood and has been sprouting ever since.  This seemed like a natural focus for my blog:  musings and ramblings of a Late Bloomer.  You can see my embarrassingly green (literally and figuratively) first attempt at a blog at <a href=\"http://www.latebloomerdiary.blogspot.com\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>www.latebloomerdiary.blogspot.com</strong></a><strong>.</strong>  </span>\r\n\r\nAnd then...\r\n\r\nLife got in the way.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Big time. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I will spare you the details, but to give you an idea, \"Life Got in the Way\" involved: Internet Dating Hell, swine flu (yes, I survived), run of the mill job stress, horrific insomnia, an unrequited mongo crush, and a very sick little doggie. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Life Got in the Way evolved into Life is Downright Cruel when after doing everything in my power to help Woofie, my constant companion of nearly 14 years, I finally had to say goodbye.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Every animal lover knows how saying goodbye shatters your heart and soul.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">And so I plummeted into a Funk.  Life seemed like one buzz kill after another.  The Late Bloomer seed may have still been in there somewhere, but my petals wilted.  Needless to say, my blog withered away as well.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I felt disappointed, disenchanted, and in general, dissed by life.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I hate to say it, but I even started to flip out about my upcoming 41st birthday.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Side note:  Why do we women torment ourselves with this aging crap???  Oh, yeah -- the media and its obsession with Hollywood.  I also happen to live in a city of Mr. &amp; Ms. Skin Deeps.  But I digress.  Back to \'Da Funk...</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Funk pushed me into the abyss of the aforementioned mother of all ruts.   I was on auto-pilot cruising at same old, same old altitude.  </span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span>\r\n<blockquote><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">\"If you are tired of the same old, same old, then try something different new, different new.\"</span></strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>            -- Late Bloomer</strong> </span></blockquote>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"> </span></span></h4>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Funk Begone! </span> </span></h4>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Shortly after life dissed me, it threw me a few bones, as it always does.  Sometimes you have to go digging through the dirt for the bones, but they are there if you are willing to get your hands dirty.  </span>\r\n\r\nPathetic as it sounds, I somehow rediscovered  <a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl005muyttQ\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>\"Dark Road\" by Annie Lennox</strong></a> and listened to it over and over and over again.  It became my personal anthem.\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>\"I wanna come in from the cold\r\nAnd make myself renewed again.\"</strong></span><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>                                            -- Annie Lennox, Rock Goddess </strong></span></blockquote>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Then one night -- on facebook of all places -- I came across an old Fast Company article that a friend had posted.  The article highlighted a few Late Bloomers with an \"it\'s never too late\" attitude.  Powerful reminder.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Who knows how these things happen upon us, but at that very moment, I was compelled to watch <a href=\"http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Elizabeth Gilbert\'s TED talk</strong></a>.  I had only been meaning to view this since she mentioned it...oh...6 months prior at her book signing.   (I tend to be a bit of a procrastinator.)</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Liz uttered the magic words: </span>\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">\"Check it out.  I am pretty young.  I\'m <em>only </em>about 40 years-old.  I still have maybe another 4 decades of work left in me. \"</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">                                                           -- Elizabeth Gilbert, author </span></strong></span></blockquote>\r\nWow.  Well...when you put it <em>that</em> way, Liz.  Thank you.  You are officially my idol.\r\n\r\nIn fact, I was so jazzed by Liz\'s Late Bloomer mojo that I ran to my kitchen and furiously began jotting notes on a new blog project.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">When Liz found herself in crisis, she heeded her inner voice, ran away and traveled the world.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">While I certainly have entertained the escape fantasy, my inner voice tells me that I can create my own little adventure right here, right now.  </span>\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">\"Carpe diem and all that jazz. \"</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>                          -- Horace and Late Bloomer</strong> </span></blockquote>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">How many times do we say \"carpe diem\" and then actually seize the day?  We say it wholeheartedly, but do we truly <em>live </em>it?    </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Curiosity Revived this Kat</span></h4>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">So here I am ready to live curiously for 365 days.   My goal is to \"Carpe Diem\".  For real.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">It\'s time to get out of my head and into life.  (I am an <a href=\"http://www.personalitypage.com/INFJ.html\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>INFJ</strong></a><strong>,</strong> so this in itself is a challenge.)</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ultimately, I hope that this blog inspires women (and my 3 token male readers) to break out of their own ruts and Funks.  Just say \"no\" to \'da Funk!   Instead, let\'s get funky in a good way.  Let\'s inject a little curiosity into our lives and get on with it! </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I would love for you to join me in my quest.  <a href=\"http://feeds.feedburner.com/latebloomerdiary\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Subscribe to my (almost) daily updates through email or RSS</strong></a> .  (If you don\'t know what RSS is, just click the email option.  I didn\'t know what it was either a year ago.  It\'s o.k.)  You can also follow me on <a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/pages/Diary-of-a-Late-Bloomer/155985501079157?ref=sgm\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Facebook </strong></a>or <a href=\"https://twitter.com/latebloomer365\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Twitter</strong></a><strong>.</strong>  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Go ahead and make my day by <a href=\"http://diaryofalatebloomer.com/submit-a-365-idea/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>submitting your own 365 idea for me to try</strong></a><strong>.</strong>  I may just take you up on your offer.  Wouldn\'t that be uber-cool?  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Better still -- maybe we could try these ideas together and create an entire tribe that exudes Late Bloomer Mojo.  </span>\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">\"If variety is the spice of life, then this year is going to be <a href=\"http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_muy_caliente_mean\" target=\"_blank\">muy caliente</a>!\"</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>                                                                                                        -- Late Bloomer</strong> </span></blockquote>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Are you ready to get spicy with me?  I look forward to spending the year with you.  </span>','Chapter One:  The Year of Living Curiously ','','inherit','open','open','','103-revision-42','','','2011-12-30 13:41:20','2011-12-30 20:41:20','',103,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/103-revision-42/',0,'revision','',0),(8755,1,'2011-12-30 13:35:28','2011-12-30 20:35:28','Here lies the story of the year in which I had an existential crisis and took on an insane 365 day blog project.  You can locate all 365 days, spanning from September 2010 - October 2011 under the \"Archived Adventures\" section on the righthand side of the blog.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nYou might also get a kick out of the<strong> <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/lessons-learned-from-my-year-of-living-curiously/\" target=\"_blank\">Top 10 Most Curious</a></strong> and <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/lessons-learned-from-my-year-of-living-curiously/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Lessons Learned from The Year of Living Curiously.</strong> </a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','365 or Bust Revision','','inherit','open','open','','8639-revision-6','','','2011-12-30 13:35:28','2011-12-30 20:35:28','',8639,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/8639-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(8754,1,'2011-12-30 13:41:55','2011-12-30 20:41:55','&nbsp;\r\n<h4></h4>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #008000; font-size: large;\">365 or Bust!</span></h4>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHerein lies the story of the year in which I had an <del>mid-life</del> existential crisis and took on an insane 365 day blog project.  You can locate all 365 days, spanning from September 2010 - October 2011 under the \"Archived Adventures\" section on the righthand side of the blog.\r\n<h4></h4>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4></h4>\r\nYou might also get a kick out of the<strong> <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/27/extra-credit-day-366-top-10-most-curious/\" target=\"_blank\">Top 10 Most Curious</a></strong> and <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/lessons-learned-from-my-year-of-living-curiously/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Lessons Learned from The Year of Living Curiously.</strong> </a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n********************\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4></h4>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Welcome to my existential crisis.</span></h4>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Recently, I fell into the mother of all ruts.  In an attempt to hoist myself out of this Funk, I am on a mission (and I do choose to accept it) to try one new/inspiring/interesting/uplifting/provocative/\r\n</span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">or curiosity-injected thing each day for 365 days.  I will then blah, blah, blog about my experiences.  </span></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Some might call this insanity.  </span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">I call it salvation.  </span></p>\r\n\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>\"Do one thing every day that scares you.\"</strong></span></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>  <span style=\"color: #993300;\">                                                    --- Eleanor Roosevelt</span></strong></span></blockquote>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I would love to, Ms. Roosevelt, but with all due respect, I don\'t necessarily want to be scared every day.  That sounds to me like high blood pressure waiting to happen.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">But I really dig your point, Eleanor.  Instead, may I take a healthy dose of artistic license and change this to...</span>\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>\"Do one thing every day that scintillates your soul.\"</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>                                                                           -- Late Bloomer</strong></span></blockquote>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #008000;\"> </span></h4>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #008000;\">What Brought on \'Da Funk </span></h4>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Last year I celebrated my 40th birthday and promptly freaked out like every other American woman who turns 40.  How very cliché of me.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Mid-life crises lead people to crazy and outrageous acts such as buying an expensive sports car, cheating on a significant other, or packing up one\'s life to run away across the country.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I started a blog.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Granted, this was neither particularly outrageous nor crazy, but nevertheless indicative of the 40 year-old undercurrent bubbling, \"What is next?\" and \"Where has all the time gone?\" and \"I need some sort of change or I will surely go insane!\"</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I turned 40, and I suddenly felt like the hourglass of time was half empty.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Of course, when I flipped both the hourglass and my perspective upside down, I noticed that the hourglass was half full.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">This reminded me of the quintessential Late Bloomer.  Late Bloomers don\'t acknowledge societal timelines in life.  They bloom whenever the hell they\'re good and ready.  They focus on the sand in the hour glass, not the empty space.  </span>\r\n\r\nI can live with that.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I have always sensed that the Late Bloomer seed was planted in my childhood and has been sprouting ever since.  This seemed like a natural focus for my blog:  musings and ramblings of a Late Bloomer.  You can see my embarrassingly green (literally and figuratively) first attempt at a blog at <a href=\"http://www.latebloomerdiary.blogspot.com\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>www.latebloomerdiary.blogspot.com</strong></a><strong>.</strong>  </span>\r\n\r\nAnd then...\r\n\r\nLife got in the way.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Big time. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I will spare you the details, but to give you an idea, \"Life Got in the Way\" involved: Internet Dating Hell, swine flu (yes, I survived), run of the mill job stress, horrific insomnia, an unrequited mongo crush, and a very sick little doggie. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Life Got in the Way evolved into Life is Downright Cruel when after doing everything in my power to help Woofie, my constant companion of nearly 14 years, I finally had to say goodbye.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Every animal lover knows how saying goodbye shatters your heart and soul.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">And so I plummeted into a Funk.  Life seemed like one buzz kill after another.  The Late Bloomer seed may have still been in there somewhere, but my petals wilted.  Needless to say, my blog withered away as well.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I felt disappointed, disenchanted, and in general, dissed by life.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I hate to say it, but I even started to flip out about my upcoming 41st birthday.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Side note:  Why do we women torment ourselves with this aging crap???  Oh, yeah -- the media and its obsession with Hollywood.  I also happen to live in a city of Mr. &amp; Ms. Skin Deeps.  But I digress.  Back to \'Da Funk...</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Funk pushed me into the abyss of the aforementioned mother of all ruts.   I was on auto-pilot cruising at same old, same old altitude.  </span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span>\r\n<blockquote><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">\"If you are tired of the same old, same old, then try something different new, different new.\"</span></strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>            -- Late Bloomer</strong> </span></blockquote>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"> </span></span></h4>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Funk Begone! </span> </span></h4>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Shortly after life dissed me, it threw me a few bones, as it always does.  Sometimes you have to go digging through the dirt for the bones, but they are there if you are willing to get your hands dirty.  </span>\r\n\r\nPathetic as it sounds, I somehow rediscovered  <a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl005muyttQ\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>\"Dark Road\" by Annie Lennox</strong></a> and listened to it over and over and over again.  It became my personal anthem.\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>\"I wanna come in from the cold\r\nAnd make myself renewed again.\"</strong></span><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>                                            -- Annie Lennox, Rock Goddess </strong></span></blockquote>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Then one night -- on facebook of all places -- I came across an old Fast Company article that a friend had posted.  The article highlighted a few Late Bloomers with an \"it\'s never too late\" attitude.  Powerful reminder.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Who knows how these things happen upon us, but at that very moment, I was compelled to watch <a href=\"http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Elizabeth Gilbert\'s TED talk</strong></a>.  I had only been meaning to view this since she mentioned it...oh...6 months prior at her book signing.   (I tend to be a bit of a procrastinator.)</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Liz uttered the magic words: </span>\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">\"Check it out.  I am pretty young.  I\'m <em>only </em>about 40 years-old.  I still have maybe another 4 decades of work left in me. \"</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">                                                           -- Elizabeth Gilbert, author </span></strong></span></blockquote>\r\nWow.  Well...when you put it <em>that</em> way, Liz.  Thank you.  You are officially my idol.\r\n\r\nIn fact, I was so jazzed by Liz\'s Late Bloomer mojo that I ran to my kitchen and furiously began jotting notes on a new blog project.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">When Liz found herself in crisis, she heeded her inner voice, ran away and traveled the world.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">While I certainly have entertained the escape fantasy, my inner voice tells me that I can create my own little adventure right here, right now.  </span>\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">\"Carpe diem and all that jazz. \"</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>                          -- Horace and Late Bloomer</strong> </span></blockquote>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">How many times do we say \"carpe diem\" and then actually seize the day?  We say it wholeheartedly, but do we truly <em>live </em>it?    </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Curiosity Revived this Kat</span></h4>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">So here I am ready to live curiously for 365 days.   My goal is to \"Carpe Diem\".  For real.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">It\'s time to get out of my head and into life.  (I am an <a href=\"http://www.personalitypage.com/INFJ.html\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>INFJ</strong></a><strong>,</strong> so this in itself is a challenge.)</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ultimately, I hope that this blog inspires women (and my 3 token male readers) to break out of their own ruts and Funks.  Just say \"no\" to \'da Funk!   Instead, let\'s get funky in a good way.  Let\'s inject a little curiosity into our lives and get on with it! </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I would love for you to join me in my quest.  <a href=\"http://feeds.feedburner.com/latebloomerdiary\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Subscribe to my (almost) daily updates through email or RSS</strong></a> .  (If you don\'t know what RSS is, just click the email option.  I didn\'t know what it was either a year ago.  It\'s o.k.)  You can also follow me on <a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/pages/Diary-of-a-Late-Bloomer/155985501079157?ref=sgm\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Facebook </strong></a>or <a href=\"https://twitter.com/latebloomer365\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Twitter</strong></a><strong>.</strong>  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Go ahead and make my day by <a href=\"http://diaryofalatebloomer.com/submit-a-365-idea/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>submitting your own 365 idea for me to try</strong></a><strong>.</strong>  I may just take you up on your offer.  Wouldn\'t that be uber-cool?  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Better still -- maybe we could try these ideas together and create an entire tribe that exudes Late Bloomer Mojo.  </span>\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">\"If variety is the spice of life, then this year is going to be <a href=\"http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_muy_caliente_mean\" target=\"_blank\">muy caliente</a>!\"</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>                                                                                                        -- Late Bloomer</strong> </span></blockquote>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Are you ready to get spicy with me?  I look forward to spending the year with you.  </span>','Chapter One:  The Year of Living Curiously ','','inherit','open','open','','103-revision-43','','','2011-12-30 13:41:55','2011-12-30 20:41:55','',103,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/103-revision-43/',0,'revision','',0),(9414,1,'2012-02-01 21:08:32','2012-02-01 20:08:32','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=9412\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-9412\"><img class=\"alignnone  wp-image-9412\" title=\"P1010156\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/P1010156-234x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"434\" height=\"500\" /></a>','','','inherit','open','open','','9411-revision-2','','','2012-02-01 21:08:32','2012-02-01 20:08:32','',9411,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/02/01/9411-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(8757,1,'2012-01-04 20:38:07','2012-01-05 03:38:07','<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/duncan/79106711/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\" wp-image-8818 alignnone\" title=\"79106711_013cfbee7b\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/79106711_013cfbee7b-300x212.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #008000;\"><strong>Chapter Two:  The Year of Play</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAll good things must come to an end, and <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">Chapter One: The Year of Living Curiously </a></strong>is finished.  365 curiosities lived, and 365 blog posts (+ extra credit bonus features) are completed.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThe good thing going forward is that I can now blog like a normal person.  1 - 2 posts <em>a week</em> (compared to last year\'s 1 post <em>a day</em>) feels like Blogger Heaven.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s \"The Plan\" for The Year of Play:</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n1 playdate a week.  That\'s 52 playdates a year.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat comprises a \"playdate\"?  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/01/21/day-113-i-joined-a-cult-please-dont-tell-my-mother/\" target=\"_blank\">Now that I\'m drinking the Magic Kool-Aid,</a></strong> I\'m just going to do what Apple tells me.  *  (See bottom of page.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI should probably set some sort of publishing \"schedule\" for blog posts.  I like the idea of Tuesdays and/or Thursdays.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd because I\'m one of those over-achiever types, expect bonus play throughout the year.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Why \"Play\"?  Isn\'t that for kids?  </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHeck, no.  Play is the fountain of youth, my friends.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI used to play for a living.  For 16 years, I was an early childhood educator sharing the wonder of the performing and visual arts with young children.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd I wasn\'t one of those sit-on-the-sidelines types of teachers.  I threw myself into the middle of the kiddie mosh pit and sang and danced and acted my heart out right along with those kiddos.  For art projects, I donned a smock, rolled up my sleeves, and got gooey.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMy students\' parents used to marvel at my energy level.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n\"How do you do it?\" they would ask.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n\"Daily double shots of espresso,\" I would joke.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThe real reason?  I was very in touch with my inner child.  Play keeps your body, mind, and spirit supple and energized.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #008000; font-size: medium;\"><strong>I used to play for a living.  Now I play for a blog.  </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI \"retired\" from teaching in 2008.  As a result, my inner child stopped getting as much exercise as she used to.  I realized this when Mondo Beyondo forced my soul to explode at The World Domination Summit.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIt\'s not as gruesome or weird as it sounds.  You really should read more about it<strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\"> here. </a> </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd if you don\'t feel like clicking over <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>, </strong>allow me to summarize:\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThe dynamic duo of Andrea Scher and Jen Lemen, founders of <strong><a href=\"https://www.e-junkie.com/ecom/gb.php?cl=121586&amp;c=ib&amp;aff=175709\" target=\"_blank\">Mondo Beyondo</a></strong>, led an audience of bloggers, entrepreneurs, and other creative peeps through an inspirational activity.  After pairing up with a fellow audience member, we were asked to share a pivotal moment in our lives with our partner.  Our partner then recited the 3 values that they felt were most significant in our story.  We were then asked to tattoo the value that resonated most somewhere on our body with a Sharpie.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_5936\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Tattoo of Great Significance\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/img00446-20110605-2309/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-5936\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-5936\" title=\"IMG00446-20110605-2309\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/IMG00446-20110605-2309-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThe tattoo makes perfect sense to me.  In my past life career, I <em>play</em>ed for my supper.  When I wasn\'t consumed by a 365 day blog project, I used to sing and<em> play</em> guitar.  As a college theatre major, I performed in many <em>play</em>s.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nNow that I spend my days in the Cubicle Jungle, I don\'t play as much.  (Although I do telecommute two days a week.  I have it good with Noble Publishing Superpower.  Trust me.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThe point is . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: medium;\"><strong>I don\'t play as much as I used to, and my inner child is about to throw a tantrum.</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThat\'s all about to change, starting NOW!\n\n********************\n\n* play\n\nverb\n\n1 <em>Aidan and Robert were playing with their toys:</em> amuse oneself, entertain oneself, enjoy oneself, have fun; relax, occupy oneself, divert oneself; frolic, frisk, romp, caper; informal mess around.\n\n2<em> I used to play hockey: </em>take part in, participate in, be involved in, compete in, do.\n\n3 <em>St. Joseph\'s plays Boston on Sunday: </em>compete against, take on, challenge, vie with, face, go up against.\n\n4 <em>he was to play Macbeth: </em>act (the part of), take the role of, appear as, portray, depict, impersonate, represent, render, perform, enact; formal personate.\n\n5 <em>get your guitar and let\'s play:</em> perform, make music, jam.\n\n6 <em>Bryanna played a note on the flute:</em> make, produce, reproduce; blow, toot; plunk, bang out; sound.\n\n7 <em>the sunlight played on the water:</em> dance, flit, ripple, touch; sparkle, glint.\n*Source:  The thesaurus on my MacBook Pro\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>Ohhhhhh, my, my, my.  I relish the thought of frolicking, romping, sparkling, and flitting.  This is going to be a fun year!</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;','52 Playdates','','inherit','open','open','','8681-autosave','','','2012-01-04 20:38:07','2012-01-05 03:38:07','',8681,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/8681-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(8758,1,'2011-12-29 16:28:48','2011-12-29 23:28:48','','52 Playdates','','inherit','open','open','','8681-revision-2','','','2011-12-29 16:28:48','2011-12-29 23:28:48','',8681,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/29/8681-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(8759,1,'2011-12-30 14:48:27','2011-12-30 21:48:27','Remember origin:  monad beyond.  Learn through play -- kim c. Play-knowledge quote from digiart\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\ni used to play for a living.  now i play for my blog.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n365 days was a jumpstart.  Now i can blog like a normal person.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nNew chapters.  42 in numerology.','52 Playdates','','inherit','open','open','','8681-revision-3','','','2011-12-30 14:48:27','2011-12-30 21:48:27','',8681,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/8681-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(8760,1,'2011-12-30 16:26:39','2011-12-30 23:26:39','Chapter Two:  The Year of Play\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nRemember origin:  monad beyond.  Learn through play -- kim c. Play-knowledge quote from digiart\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\ni used to play for a living.  now i play for my blog.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n365 days was a jumpstart.  Now i can blog like a normal person.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nNew chapters.  42 in numerology.','52 Playdates','','inherit','open','open','','8681-revision-4','','','2011-12-30 16:26:39','2011-12-30 23:26:39','',8681,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/8681-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(8761,1,'2011-12-30 16:30:04','2011-12-30 23:30:04','Chapter Two:  The Year of Play\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll good things must come to an end, and <strong>Chapter One: The Year of Living Curiously i</strong>s finished.  365 curiosities lived, and 365 blog posts (+ extra credit bonus features) are completed.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe good thing going forward is that I can now like a normal person.  1 - 2 posts a week feels like Blogger Heaven.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nRemember origin:  monad beyond.  Learn through play -- kim c. Play-knowledge quote from digiart\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\ni used to play for a living.  now i play for my blog.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n365 days was a jumpstart.  Now i can blog like a normal person.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nNew chapters.  42 in numerology.','52 Playdates','','inherit','open','open','','8681-revision-5','','','2011-12-30 16:30:04','2011-12-30 23:30:04','',8681,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/8681-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(8762,1,'2011-12-30 16:30:14','2011-12-30 23:30:14','Chapter Two:  The Year of Play\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll good things must come to an end, and <strong>Chapter One: The Year of Living Curiously i</strong>s finished.  365 curiosities lived, and 365 blog posts (+ extra credit bonus features) are completed.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe good thing going forward is that I can now like a normal person.  1 - 2 posts a week feels like Blogger Heaven.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nRemember origin:  monad beyond.  Learn through play -- kim c. Play-knowledge quote from digiart\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\ni used to play for a living.  now i play for my blog.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n365 days was a jumpstart.  Now i can blog like a normal person.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nNew chapters.  42 in numerology.','52 Playdates','','inherit','open','open','','8681-revision-6','','','2011-12-30 16:30:14','2011-12-30 23:30:14','',8681,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/8681-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(8763,1,'2011-12-31 16:46:56','2011-12-31 23:46:56','&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #008000;\"><strong>Chapter Two:  The Year of Play</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll good things must come to an end, and <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">Chapter One: The Year of Living Curiously </a></strong>is finished.  365 curiosities lived, and 365 blog posts (+ extra credit bonus features) are completed.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe good thing going forward is that I can now like a normal person.  1 - 2 posts <em>a week</em> (compared to last year\'s 1 post <em>a day</em>) feels like Blogger Heaven.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Why \"Play\"?  Isn\'t play for kids?  </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHeck, no.  Play is the fountain of youth, my friends.  Play keeps your body, mind, and spirit supple.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI used to play for a living.  For 16 years, I was an early childhood educator sharing the wonder of the performing and visual arts with young children.  You might say I was\r\n\r\nRemember origin:  monad beyond.  Learn through play -- kim c. Play-knowledge quote from digiart\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\ni used to play for a living.  now i play for my blog.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nNew chapters.  42 in numerology.','52 Playdates','','inherit','open','open','','8681-revision-7','','','2011-12-31 16:46:56','2011-12-31 23:46:56','',8681,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/31/8681-revision-7/',0,'revision','',0),(8764,1,'2011-12-31 21:33:51','0000-00-00 00:00:00','2nd post a week could be quote about play, movie about play, other articles about play, etc.\n\n&nbsp;\n\ntop 10\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>me and laney</strong>\n\n<strong>guitar hero</strong>\n\n<strong>top 10</strong>\n\n<strong>lessons learned</strong>\n\nansley\'s slumber party\n\nhaunted house\n\nwhat other days did you play?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Ideas ','','draft','open','open','','','','','2011-12-31 21:33:51','2012-01-01 04:33:51','',0,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?p=8764',0,'post','',0),(8765,1,'2011-12-31 16:47:49','2011-12-31 23:47:49','','Ideas ','','inherit','open','open','','8764-revision','','','2011-12-31 16:47:49','2011-12-31 23:47:49','',8764,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/31/8764-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(8766,1,'2011-12-31 16:46:56','2011-12-31 23:46:56','&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #008000;\"><strong>Chapter Two:  The Year of Play</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll good things must come to an end, and <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">Chapter One: The Year of Living Curiously </a></strong>is finished.  365 curiosities lived, and 365 blog posts (+ extra credit bonus features) are completed.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe good thing going forward is that I can now like a normal person.  1 - 2 posts <em>a week</em> (compared to last year\'s 1 post <em>a day</em>) feels like Blogger Heaven.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Why \"Play\"?  Isn\'t play for kids?  </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHeck, no.  Play is the fountain of youth, my friends.  Play keeps your body, mind, and spirit supple.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI used to play for a living.  For 16 years, I was an early childhood educator sharing the wonder of the performing and visual arts with young children.  You might say I was\r\n\r\nRemember origin:  monad beyond.  Learn through play -- kim c. Play-knowledge quote from digiart\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\ni used to play for a living.  now i play for my blog.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nNew chapters.  42 in numerology.','52 Playdates','','inherit','open','open','','8681-revision-8','','','2011-12-31 16:46:56','2011-12-31 23:46:56','',8681,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/31/8681-revision-8/',0,'revision','',0),(8767,1,'2011-12-31 16:48:29','2011-12-31 23:48:29','2nd post a week could be quote about play, movie about play, other articles about play, etc.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Ideas ','','inherit','open','open','','8764-revision-2','','','2011-12-31 16:48:29','2011-12-31 23:48:29','',8764,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/31/8764-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(8768,1,'2011-12-31 16:49:00','2011-12-31 23:49:00','&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #008000;\"><strong>Chapter Two:  The Year of Play</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAll good things must come to an end, and <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">Chapter One: The Year of Living Curiously </a></strong>is finished.  365 curiosities lived, and 365 blog posts (+ extra credit bonus features) are completed.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThe good thing going forward is that I can now like a normal person.  1 - 2 posts <em>a week</em> (compared to last year\'s 1 post <em>a day</em>) feels like Blogger Heaven.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Why \"Play\"?  Isn\'t play for kids?  </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHeck, no.  Play is the fountain of youth, my friends.  Play keeps your body, mind, and spirit supple.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI used to play for a living.  For 16 years, I was an early childhood educator sharing the wonder of the performing and visual arts with young children.  You might say I was v\n\nRemember origin:  monad beyond.  Learn through play -- kim c. Play-knowledge quote from digiart\n\n&nbsp;\n\ni used to play for a living.  now i play for my blog.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nNew chapters.  42 in numerology.','52 Playdates','','inherit','open','open','','8681-revision-9','','','2011-12-31 16:49:00','2011-12-31 23:49:00','',8681,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/31/8681-revision-9/',0,'revision','',0),(8769,1,'2011-12-31 16:57:33','2011-12-31 23:57:33','2nd post a week could be quote about play, movie about play, other articles about play, etc.\n\n&nbsp;\n\ntop 10\n\n&nbsp;\n\nme and laney\n\nguitar hero\n\ntop 10\n\nlessons learned\n\nansley\'s slumber party\n\nhaunted house\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Ideas ','','inherit','open','open','','8764-revision-3','','','2011-12-31 16:57:33','2011-12-31 23:57:33','',8764,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/31/8764-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(8770,1,'2011-12-31 16:57:11','2011-12-31 23:57:11','&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #008000;\"><strong>Chapter Two:  The Year of Play</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll good things must come to an end, and <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">Chapter One: The Year of Living Curiously </a></strong>is finished.  365 curiosities lived, and 365 blog posts (+ extra credit bonus features) are completed.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe good thing going forward is that I can now like a normal person.  1 - 2 posts <em>a week</em> (compared to last year\'s 1 post <em>a day</em>) feels like Blogger Heaven.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Why \"Play\"?  Isn\'t play for kids?  </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHeck, no.  Play is the fountain of youth, my friends.  Play keeps your body, mind, and spirit supple.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI used to play for a living.  For 16 years, I was an early childhood educator sharing the wonder of the performing and visual arts with young children.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd I wasn\'t one of those sit-on-the-sidelines types of teachers.  I threw myself into the middle of the kiddie mosh pit and sang, danced, and acted my heart out right along with them.  For art projects, I donned a smock, rolled up my sleeves, and got gooey.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI was very in touch with my inner child.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nToday,\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nRemember origin:  monad beyond.  Learn through play -- kim c. Play-knowledge quote from digiart\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\ni used to play for a living.  now i play for my blog.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nNew chapters.  42 in numerology.','52 Playdates','','inherit','open','open','','8681-revision-10','','','2011-12-31 16:57:11','2011-12-31 23:57:11','',8681,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/31/8681-revision-10/',0,'revision','',0),(8771,1,'2011-12-31 17:02:01','2012-01-01 00:02:01','&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #008000;\"><strong>Chapter Two:  The Year of Play</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll good things must come to an end, and <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">Chapter One: The Year of Living Curiously </a></strong>is finished.  365 curiosities lived, and 365 blog posts (+ extra credit bonus features) are completed.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe good thing going forward is that I can now like a normal person.  1 - 2 posts <em>a week</em> (compared to last year\'s 1 post <em>a day</em>) feels like Blogger Heaven.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nExplain concept:  live 52 playdates etc here.  and then elaborate below.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Why \"Play\"?  Isn\'t play for kids?  </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHeck, no.  Play is the fountain of youth, my friends.  Play keeps your body, mind, and spirit supple.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI used to play for a living.  For 16 years, I was an early childhood educator sharing the wonder of the performing and visual arts with young children.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd I wasn\'t one of those sit-on-the-sidelines types of teachers.  I threw myself into the middle of the kiddie mosh pit and sang, danced, and acted my heart out right along with them.  For art projects, I donned a smock, rolled up my sleeves, and got gooey.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI was very in touch with my inner child.  My students\' parents\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nToday,\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nRemember origin:  monad beyond.  Learn through play -- kim c. Play-knowledge quote from digiart\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\ni used to play for a living.  now i play for my blog.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nNew chapters.  42 in numerology.','52 Playdates','','inherit','open','open','','8681-revision-11','','','2011-12-31 17:02:01','2012-01-01 00:02:01','',8681,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/31/8681-revision-11/',0,'revision','',0),(8772,1,'2011-12-31 18:55:05','2012-01-01 01:55:05','&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #008000;\"><strong>Chapter Two:  The Year of Play</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAll good things must come to an end, and <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">Chapter One: The Year of Living Curiously </a></strong>is finished.  365 curiosities lived, and 365 blog posts (+ extra credit bonus features) are completed.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThe good thing going forward is that I can now like a normal person.  1 - 2 posts <em>a week</em> (compared to last year\'s 1 post <em>a day</em>) feels like Blogger Heaven.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHere\'s \"The Plan\" for The Year of Play:\n\n&nbsp;\n\n1 playdate a week.  That\'s 52 playdates a year.  And because I\'m one of those over-achiever types, expect bonus play throughout the year.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Why \"Play\"?  Isn\'t play for kids?  </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHeck, no.  Play is the fountain of youth, my friends.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI used to play for a living.  For 16 years, I was an early childhood educator sharing the wonder of the performing and visual arts with young children.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd I wasn\'t one of those sit-on-the-sidelines types of teachers.  I threw myself into the middle of the kiddie mosh pit and sang, danced, and acted my heart out right along with them.  For art projects, I donned a smock, rolled up my sleeves, and got gooey.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMy students\' parents used to marvel at my energy level.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n\"How do you do it?\" they would ask.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n\"Daily double shots of espresso,\" I would joke.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThe real reason?  I was very in touch with my inner child.  Play keeps your body, mind, and spirit supple and energized.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>I used to play for a living.  Now I play for a blog.  </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI \"retired\" from teaching in 2008.  As a result, my inner child doesn\'t get as much exercise as she used to.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nRemember origin:  monad beyond.  Learn through play -- kim c. Play-knowledge quote from digiart\n\n&nbsp;\n\ni used to play for a living.  now i play for my blog.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nNew chapters.  42 in numerology.','52 Playdates','','inherit','open','open','','8681-revision-12','','','2011-12-31 18:55:05','2012-01-01 01:55:05','',8681,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/31/8681-revision-12/',0,'revision','',0),(8773,1,'2011-12-31 19:19:07','2012-01-01 02:19:07','&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #008000;\"><strong>Chapter Two:  The Year of Play</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll good things must come to an end, and <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">Chapter One: The Year of Living Curiously </a></strong>is finished.  365 curiosities lived, and 365 blog posts (+ extra credit bonus features) are completed.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe good thing going forward is that I can now like a normal person.  1 - 2 posts <em>a week</em> (compared to last year\'s 1 post <em>a day</em>) feels like Blogger Heaven.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHere\'s \"The Plan\" for The Year of Play:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n1 playdate a week.  That\'s 52 playdates a year.  And because I\'m one of those over-achiever types, expect bonus play throughout the year.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Why \"Play\"?  Isn\'t that for kids?  </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHeck, no.  Play is the fountain of youth, my friends.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI used to play for a living.  For 16 years, I was an early childhood educator sharing the wonder of the performing and visual arts with young children.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd I wasn\'t one of those sit-on-the-sidelines types of teachers.  I threw myself into the middle of the kiddie mosh pit and sang, danced, and acted my heart out right along with them.  For art projects, I donned a smock, rolled up my sleeves, and got gooey.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy students\' parents used to marvel at my energy level.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\"How do you do it?\" they would ask.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\"Daily double shots of espresso,\" I would joke.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe real reason?  I was very in touch with my inner child.  Play keeps your body, mind, and spirit supple and energized.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>I used to play for a living.  Now I play for a blog.  </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI \"retired\" from teaching in 2008.  As a result, my inner child stopped getting as much exercise as she used to.  I realized this when Mondo Beyondo forced my soul to explode at The World Domination Summit.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIt\'s not as gruesome or weird as it sounds.  You really should read more about it<strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\"> here. </a> </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd if you don\'t feel like clicking over <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>, </strong>allow me to summarize:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe dynamic duo of Andrea Scher and Jen Lemen, founders of <strong>Mondo Beyondo</strong>, lead an audience of bloggers, entrepreneurs, and other creative peeps through an inspirational activity.  After pairing up with a fellow audience member, we were asked to share a pivotal moment in our lives with our partner.  Our partner then recited the 3 values that they felt were most significant in our story.  We were then asked to tattoo the value that resonated most somewhere on our body with a Sharpie.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_5936\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Tattoo of Great Significance\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/img00446-20110605-2309/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-5936\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-5936\" title=\"IMG00446-20110605-2309\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/IMG00446-20110605-2309-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nNew chapters.  42 in numerology.','52 Playdates','','inherit','open','open','','8681-revision-13','','','2011-12-31 19:19:07','2012-01-01 02:19:07','',8681,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/31/8681-revision-13/',0,'revision','',0),(8774,1,'2011-12-31 19:19:07','2012-01-01 02:19:07','&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #008000;\"><strong>Chapter Two:  The Year of Play</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll good things must come to an end, and <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">Chapter One: The Year of Living Curiously </a></strong>is finished.  365 curiosities lived, and 365 blog posts (+ extra credit bonus features) are completed.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe good thing going forward is that I can now like a normal person.  1 - 2 posts <em>a week</em> (compared to last year\'s 1 post <em>a day</em>) feels like Blogger Heaven.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHere\'s \"The Plan\" for The Year of Play:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n1 playdate a week.  That\'s 52 playdates a year.  And because I\'m one of those over-achiever types, expect bonus play throughout the year.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Why \"Play\"?  Isn\'t that for kids?  </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHeck, no.  Play is the fountain of youth, my friends.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI used to play for a living.  For 16 years, I was an early childhood educator sharing the wonder of the performing and visual arts with young children.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd I wasn\'t one of those sit-on-the-sidelines types of teachers.  I threw myself into the middle of the kiddie mosh pit and sang, danced, and acted my heart out right along with them.  For art projects, I donned a smock, rolled up my sleeves, and got gooey.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy students\' parents used to marvel at my energy level.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\"How do you do it?\" they would ask.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\"Daily double shots of espresso,\" I would joke.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe real reason?  I was very in touch with my inner child.  Play keeps your body, mind, and spirit supple and energized.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>I used to play for a living.  Now I play for a blog.  </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI \"retired\" from teaching in 2008.  As a result, my inner child stopped getting as much exercise as she used to.  I realized this when Mondo Beyondo forced my soul to explode at The World Domination Summit.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIt\'s not as gruesome or weird as it sounds.  You really should read more about it<strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\"> here. </a> </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd if you don\'t feel like clicking over <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>, </strong>allow me to summarize:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe dynamic duo of Andrea Scher and Jen Lemen, founders of <strong>Mondo Beyondo</strong>, lead an audience of bloggers, entrepreneurs, and other creative peeps through an inspirational activity.  After pairing up with a fellow audience member, we were asked to share a pivotal moment in our lives with our partner.  Our partner then recited the 3 values that they felt were most significant in our story.  We were then asked to tattoo the value that resonated most somewhere on our body with a Sharpie.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_5936\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Tattoo of Great Significance\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/img00446-20110605-2309/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-5936\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-5936\" title=\"IMG00446-20110605-2309\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/IMG00446-20110605-2309-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nNew chapters.  42 in numerology.','52 Playdates','','inherit','open','open','','8681-revision-14','','','2011-12-31 19:19:07','2012-01-01 02:19:07','',8681,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/31/8681-revision-14/',0,'revision','',0),(8775,1,'2011-12-31 19:27:30','2012-01-01 02:27:30','&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #008000;\"><strong>Chapter Two:  The Year of Play</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll good things must come to an end, and <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">Chapter One: The Year of Living Curiously </a></strong>is finished.  365 curiosities lived, and 365 blog posts (+ extra credit bonus features) are completed.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe good thing going forward is that I can now like a normal person.  1 - 2 posts <em>a week</em> (compared to last year\'s 1 post <em>a day</em>) feels like Blogger Heaven.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHere\'s \"The Plan\" for The Year of Play:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n1 playdate a week.  That\'s 52 playdates a year.  And because I\'m one of those over-achiever types, expect bonus play throughout the year.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Why \"Play\"?  Isn\'t that for kids?  </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHeck, no.  Play is the fountain of youth, my friends.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI used to play for a living.  For 16 years, I was an early childhood educator sharing the wonder of the performing and visual arts with young children.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd I wasn\'t one of those sit-on-the-sidelines types of teachers.  I threw myself into the middle of the kiddie mosh pit and sang and danced and acted my heart out right along with those kiddos.  For art projects, I donned a smock, rolled up my sleeves, and got gooey.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy students\' parents used to marvel at my energy level.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\"How do you do it?\" they would ask.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\"Daily double shots of espresso,\" I would joke.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe real reason?  I was very in touch with my inner child.  Play keeps your body, mind, and spirit supple and energized.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>I used to play for a living.  Now I play for a blog.  </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI \"retired\" from teaching in 2008.  As a result, my inner child stopped getting as much exercise as she used to.  I realized this when Mondo Beyondo forced my soul to explode at The World Domination Summit.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIt\'s not as gruesome or weird as it sounds.  You really should read more about it<strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\"> here. </a> </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd if you don\'t feel like clicking over <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>, </strong>allow me to summarize:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe dynamic duo of Andrea Scher and Jen Lemen, founders of <strong>Mondo Beyondo</strong>, led an audience of bloggers, entrepreneurs, and other creative peeps through an inspirational activity.  After pairing up with a fellow audience member, we were asked to share a pivotal moment in our lives with our partner.  Our partner then recited the 3 values that they felt were most significant in our story.  We were then asked to tattoo the value that resonated most somewhere on our body with a Sharpie.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_5936\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Tattoo of Great Significance\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/img00446-20110605-2309/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-5936\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-5936\" title=\"IMG00446-20110605-2309\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/IMG00446-20110605-2309-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe tattoo makes perfect sense to me.  In my past life career, I <em>play</em>ed for my supper.  When I wasn\'t consumed by a 365 day blog project, I used to sing and<em> play</em> guitar.  As a college theatre major, I performed in many <em>play</em>s.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nNow that I spend my days in\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nNew chapters.  42 in numerology.','52 Playdates','','inherit','open','open','','8681-revision-15','','','2011-12-31 19:27:30','2012-01-01 02:27:30','',8681,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/31/8681-revision-15/',0,'revision','',0),(8776,1,'2011-12-31 19:27:30','2012-01-01 02:27:30','&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #008000;\"><strong>Chapter Two:  The Year of Play</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll good things must come to an end, and <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">Chapter One: The Year of Living Curiously </a></strong>is finished.  365 curiosities lived, and 365 blog posts (+ extra credit bonus features) are completed.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe good thing going forward is that I can now like a normal person.  1 - 2 posts <em>a week</em> (compared to last year\'s 1 post <em>a day</em>) feels like Blogger Heaven.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHere\'s \"The Plan\" for The Year of Play:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n1 playdate a week.  That\'s 52 playdates a year.  And because I\'m one of those over-achiever types, expect bonus play throughout the year.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Why \"Play\"?  Isn\'t that for kids?  </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHeck, no.  Play is the fountain of youth, my friends.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI used to play for a living.  For 16 years, I was an early childhood educator sharing the wonder of the performing and visual arts with young children.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd I wasn\'t one of those sit-on-the-sidelines types of teachers.  I threw myself into the middle of the kiddie mosh pit and sang and danced and acted my heart out right along with those kiddos.  For art projects, I donned a smock, rolled up my sleeves, and got gooey.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy students\' parents used to marvel at my energy level.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\"How do you do it?\" they would ask.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\"Daily double shots of espresso,\" I would joke.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe real reason?  I was very in touch with my inner child.  Play keeps your body, mind, and spirit supple and energized.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>I used to play for a living.  Now I play for a blog.  </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI \"retired\" from teaching in 2008.  As a result, my inner child stopped getting as much exercise as she used to.  I realized this when Mondo Beyondo forced my soul to explode at The World Domination Summit.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIt\'s not as gruesome or weird as it sounds.  You really should read more about it<strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\"> here. </a> </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd if you don\'t feel like clicking over <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>, </strong>allow me to summarize:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe dynamic duo of Andrea Scher and Jen Lemen, founders of <strong>Mondo Beyondo</strong>, led an audience of bloggers, entrepreneurs, and other creative peeps through an inspirational activity.  After pairing up with a fellow audience member, we were asked to share a pivotal moment in our lives with our partner.  Our partner then recited the 3 values that they felt were most significant in our story.  We were then asked to tattoo the value that resonated most somewhere on our body with a Sharpie.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_5936\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Tattoo of Great Significance\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/img00446-20110605-2309/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-5936\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-5936\" title=\"IMG00446-20110605-2309\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/IMG00446-20110605-2309-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe tattoo makes perfect sense to me.  In my past life career, I <em>play</em>ed for my supper.  When I wasn\'t consumed by a 365 day blog project, I used to sing and<em> play</em> guitar.  As a college theatre major, I performed in many <em>play</em>s.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nNow that I spend my days in\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nNew chapters.  42 in numerology.','52 Playdates','','inherit','open','open','','8681-revision-16','','','2011-12-31 19:27:30','2012-01-01 02:27:30','',8681,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/31/8681-revision-16/',0,'revision','',0);
