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By Vegasbab, November 27, 2011 6:33 am

Hi, I’m a self proclaimed commitment-phobe. But, I’m also one that is working very hard to change. Honestly, it’s one of my toughest struggles. But, I am proud to say it is one that I am chipping away at slowly but surely. One day, when I tell my kids of my fear of commitment they will just laugh and say, “No way, not you!”

With the commitment, 1 Year, 10 Projects, 100 Discoveries, I’m working to show myself that commitments are like trains; it doesn’t matter where they’re going. What matters is deciding to get on. Discoveries “#60-69″ are about commitments and plans. This post is part of that project. You can see all 10 commitments here and the entire project here. Focus on the plans, I sure am!

When put together, choices and commitments seem to be an oxymoron. On the other hand, the two words could mean the same thing. I made a choice. I made a commitment. What’s the difference between the two? Maybe a commitment is when you stick with a choice you made; see it through.

I made a lot of choices this year. I committed to traveling, spending more time with friends and experiencing new things. Recently, I also committed to a new job in a new city. I thought the change would be easy.I thought that as long as you had friends and loved your job, then it didn’t matter where you lived. I also thought that with all the work I’d done for a better work/life balance, that I could juggle both the commitment to the new job and the commitment to continue to experience new things and travel to spend time with friends.

After almost sixty days, I’m not so sure I’m doing a good job juggling. I look around and wonder if the choice to go back to the corporate world pushes me back into the same rut I spent ten months getting out of. Maybe it does. Maybe I have to work harder at sticking to my commitments. Maybe, I have to make better choices.

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By Vegasbab, November 25, 2011 7:22 am

Huxley said, “Memories are a man’s private literature.” Memories are private and you never know which ones will be picked up, stored away and treasured. In 1 Year, 10 Projects, 100 Discoveries, ten of the discoveries are memories- fun, sad, happy, I’m not sure what types there will be, but I do know that they will all be treasured. This post is part of that project. You can see all 10 memories here and the entire project here. Enjoy the memories, I am!

I’m not the biggest fan of Thanksgiving. It’s one holiday that I usually skip and rarely return home to Florida for. This year, I was spending Thanksgiving in my new city, Columbus, alone. It made sense. For the new gig, Black Friday is the biggest day of the whole year and there was no hesitation in my mind that I would be working it. In essence, I was trading working one holiday, New Year’s, for another.

One of my colleagues shared with me the Columbus Turkey Trot. A fun way to start Thanksgiving and feel guilt free about anything consumed that weekend Thinking it was a 5k (not 5 miles), I enthusiastically signed up. What the hell? I had nothing else to do that morning. Two days before the race, I checked the race site again, only to finally realize that it was a 5 mile run! Oy vey, I hadn’t truly run since Disney. But, it was too late to turn back.

For the first time in a race, I wasn’t worried about finishing last. I knew that even if I walked, I’d still make the finish. And, finish I did! With a time of 1:04:43 and an average pace of 12:57, I finished 640 out of 671 in my age group and 3,922 out of a total of 4,381 finishers. Surprisingly, I think it was a personal best for me!

With great weather and high energy, the event was the perfect memory for my first Thanksgiving in Columbus. It’s also one tradition I’ll continue (apparently there’s a Turkey Trot in every city)!

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By Vegasbab, November 20, 2011 11:59 pm

Huxley said, “Memories are a man’s private literature.” Memories are private and you never know which ones will be picked up, stored away and treasured. In 1 Year, 10 Projects, 100 Discoveries, ten of the discoveries are memories- fun, sad, happy, I’m not sure what types there will be, but I do know that they will all be treasured. This post is part of that project. You can see all 10 memories here and the entire project here. Enjoy the memories, I am!

About a year ago, the Fremont Experience in Las Vegas expanded to include a zip line down the middle of downtown – 800 feet long, 67 feet in the air and speeds up to 30 mph. It became the talk of the town and something even locals wanted to try out.

As part of a tourist-filled weekend of Babycakes, Tacos & Tequila and walking around Fremont Street, we decided to be extra touristy and try the zip line. For $15 each we strapped ourselves into harnesses and climbed 67 feet. When you’re afraid of heights, the first part can be a bit scary. But, the starting push is quick and then the fun begins!

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By Vegasbab, November 15, 2011 8:31 pm

Huxley said, “Memories are a man’s private literature.” Memories are private and you never know which ones will be picked up, stored away and treasured. In 1 Year, 10 Projects, 100 Discoveries, ten of the discoveries are memories- fun, sad, happy, I’m not sure what types there will be, but I do know that they will all be treasured. This post is part of that project. You can see all 10 memories here and the entire project here. Enjoy the memories, I am!

The first time “the” three words were said was a little awkward. We had fought and the outcome was saying those words sooner than we were both ready. Because it was awkward, I can’t “remember” when they were said exactly

But, I do know the act of saying, “I love you” is still new. And while we might feel them, the words are used sparingly. They still mean something vs. being tacked onto the ending of a phone conversation out of obligation or because it might be the last time to say the words.

Tiny butterflies inhabit my stomach before I say the words or when I hear them. The excitement of saying “I love you” and not only meaning it, but also feeling it is a thrill. It makes me smile. It makes me love him more.

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By Vegasbab, November 15, 2011 7:03 pm

Are you ready for a secret? Promise not to tell anyone? Okay, here goes… don’t tell… I’m naive and still have many life lessons ahead of me, both big and small. In essence, 1 Year, 10 Projects, 100 Discoveries is actually 100 lessons. But, this project of 10 lessons is about ones that hit me over the head, ones that maybe others already know and ones that will impact my life on a semi-daily basis. You can see all 10 Lessons here and the entire project here. Enjoy the learnings, I am!

At my new place of work there are no assigned parking spots. I can’t remember the last time I didn’t have an assigned parking spot. I also can’t remember having to park in a parking lot so huge.

As imagined, the best spots, aka those closest to the front door, go quickly. By the time I get there, the front lots are full and only the spots in timbuktu are left. Yet, every day, I drive down the second and third aisle hoping for a spot. About once every two weeks, I get lucky

Einstein said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results. Sometimes, I feel that taking the time to search for a “good” spot is insane. But, most of the time it’s an act of hope.

It may be silly, but searching for a “better” parking spot means I’m not willing to settle. It means that I believe I can impact the world. It means that continuing to talk about my visions of marketing’s future landscape are worthwhile. It means that while maybe others can’t see it now, if I keep trying and chipping away, one day they will.

All this from a parking spot search you say? Yep. Every morning. It’s my reminder to never give up. To never settle.

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By Vegasbab, November 7, 2011 8:31 pm

Huxley said, “Memories are a man’s private literature.” Memories are private and you never know which ones will be picked up, stored away and treasured. In 1 Year, 10 Projects, 100 Discoveries, ten of the discoveries are memories- fun, sad, happy, I’m not sure what types there will be, but I do know that they will all be treasured. This post is part of that project. You can see all 10 memories here and the entire project here. Enjoy the memories, I am!

The new “adage” – “it’s not true til Facebook says so,” holds most true for relationship statuses. Until it’s been publicly declared on Facebook, things aren’t quote “real”. More accurately, they’re real to those whom you interact with daily, but not the larger population. If it’s not declared on Facebook, then you still have the freedom to flirt or date around without anyone being wiser.

Sometimes, changing a Facebook relationship status feels more akin to posting a message on the jumbotron at a baseball game. It’s announcing to your close friends, family and lurkers from high school that this relationship is the real deal. It tells the person you’re with, “I’m proud to be with you; I want everyone to know.”

Nine months after the fact, my relationship became “real” As the boy jokingly said, “What was I doing up til now? Courting you?” The reality? To us, it was a step forward. It meant something. But, to the outside world? It was just another piece of noise in the river of news.

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By Vegasbab, October 16, 2011 10:56 am

For me, 2011 is about a year of change, fun and new experiences. With that in mind, I decided to create my own adventure, 1 Year, 10 Projects, 100 Discoveries. This post is part of that project. You can see all 10 Scares here and the entire project here. Enjoy the experiences, I sure am!

One of my favorite quotes is:

“How does one become a butterfly?” she asked.
“You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar.”

I hate change. It’s uncomfortable. It’s unsettling. It’s scary. Yet, I know it’s the only way to get better, to get ahead. In essence, it’s the only way to become a “butterfly”.

Knowing that, change is always in my plans. I know that it must be done and once past the initial uncomfortable zone, it will be for the best.

With that in mind, I pushed myself to make not only a career change, but also an address change. After six years in the same industry, things were getting mechanical. I was in the, “that’s the way it’s always done” rut and I could do what had always been done in my sleep. I knew all the players and I had soaked up a lot of their knowledge. Granted, there is always more knowledge to soak up, but I thought that it was time to leave.

Leave I did.

Unbeknownst to me, saying you’re leaving and signing the paperwork to do so is a lot easier than actually doing it. When the reality sets in, you realize that you’re in a foreign city with no one, nothing and no idea who to email

An old boss and dear friend always warned me that starting over in a new city would be tough. Since I had done it before, I didn’t think so. But, I forgot. I had forgotten how long it took to build my Las Vegas network. I forgot how long it takes to gain people’s trust. I forgot how long it takes me to navigate a city without getting lost.

Right now, I’m still in the stage of change that I hate. I’m scared. For me, I know in this situation, this phase of change will last at lease three, maybe six months. I just have to hold out until that bubble breaks. Why? Because the things that are the hardest are usually the most rewarding.

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By Vegasbab, October 3, 2011 7:05 pm

For me, 2011 is about a year of change, fun and new experiences. With that in mind, I decided to create my own adventure, 1 Year, 10 Projects, 100 Discoveries. This post is part of that project. You can see all 10 Scares here and the entire project here. Enjoy the experiences, I sure am!

I made jokes that not finishing meant that I would get to the wining and dining faster. Secretly, I was scared. Secretly, I knew that if I didn’t finish, I would be crushed. When I picked up my race bib and discovered I was in Corral D (one of the last), I got even more nervous. Corral D meant that I wouldn’t have a very big start from the end of the pack. Which in my mind translated to: there’s no leeway for the 16 minute pace.

Luckily, with a few hours left, my nerves settled in. Whatever happened, happened. It probably helped that the boyfriend came with me to the start and I knew he’d be at the finish too. He was one of the few spectators (and the only from our group) that rode the bus and hung out with the runners in the queuing area. While others chilled out at their hotels or got a jump start at Epcot, he hung out with me. To say it meant a lot would be an understatement.

At 10pm on the nose, the first runners in Disney’s Wine & Dine Half Marathon were off! The energy was high, the course was fun and the amount of runners was absolutely staggering… I never did see the end of the runners.

This is 13.1 things I remember about the race:

1. As we ran through Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, characters and entertainment lined the course. Pluto, Woody, Darth Vader, the Hippo from Fantasia and the boy from Up were all around for photo ops.
2. I started dying somewhere between mile 7 and 8. This is when my right knee and groin really started to hurt. Luckily, the knee pain abated shortly after. At this point, I was also low on energy. Originally, I wasn’t going to have any Clif Gel at the race, even though I knew it would be available shortly after mile 8. This is the point where I changed my mind. I ended up taking two packets of the stuff and my was it tasty and helped a little.
3. A little chafing from the new sports bra (I bought it at the expo that afternoon), but nothing crazy. Whew! The blisters on my feet weren’t too bad either.
4. For the past few months, I had been “training” to audiobooks thinking that they would help keep my pace slow but steady and be a nice distraction for 13.1 miles. But, they didn’t do the trick during the race. Music was the way to go for this one.
5. Everyone lies. The last 3 miles of the race were the absolute hardest. It also didn’t help that the majority of those last three miles were on sidewalk vs. pavement. Ouch!
6. Volunteers rock! Major props has to go out to all the spectators, volunteers and Epcot workers who stayed to almost 4am to make the race possible!
7. This was not a spectator friendly race and that was tough. The people along the race course were few and far between.
8. One of my favorite parts were the mile markers. There was one at each mile. While some don’t like seeing each mile tick by, I did. In other races, it’s rare to see mile markers or you only see them at the 5k, 10k and 15k marks. Having a mile marker at each mile helped to make the race seem shorter… I just had to make it to the next mile vs. the 10k, etc.
9. Another awesome thing was that you could sign up to receive text, email, facebook or twitter alerts of your splits (5k, 10k, 15k, finish). This way, friends could track you. My boyfriend was smart enough to sign us both up. The alerts were instantaneous and during the race it was a relief to see my splits and that my average pace was well below the 16 minute cut off mark!
10. One of my best last minute purchases was an SPI belt! Thanks to the BFF’s sister who wanted one last minute, I picked up one too. It was perfect for holding my phone, which for multiple reasons I’m glad I brought along with me. During the race I was able to take (bad) photos, check-in on foursquare and text my boyfriend my progress.
11. To me, the race was a well coordinated production. I read a lot of complainants on Facebook after the race about how awful it was. Granted, I didn’t have much to compare it to, but from the transportation, to starting on time to entertainment along the course and after party, I thought it was well worth the $160-ish entry fee.
12. I have the most amazing boyfriend ever! He was there for the start, the finish and all the miles in between (via text). After, he gave me a huge hug (amidst the absolute stink of my sweat) and spent the next two hours walking around Epcot with me at a snail’s pace.
13. For the majority of the race, I used a modified version of the Galloway method with a run/walk ratio of 2:1. In the beginning, I did a lot more running and towards the end, I did a lot more walking

And… 13.1: I FINISHED!

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By Vegasbab, October 3, 2011 4:36 am

Hi, I’m a self proclaimed commitment-phobe. But, I’m also one that is working very hard to change. Honestly, it’s one of my toughest struggles. But, I am proud to say it is one that I am chipping away at slowly but surely. One day, when I tell my kids of my fear of commitment they will just laugh and say, “No way, not you!”

With the commitment, 1 Year, 10 Projects, 100 Discoveries, I’m working to show myself that commitments are like trains; it doesn’t matter where they’re going. What matters is deciding to get on. Discoveries “#60-69″ are about commitments and plans. This post is part of that project. You can see all 10 commitments here and the entire project here. Focus on the plans, I sure am!

In the midst of Boot Camp and completing my first 5k in a long time, I was pumped. In fact, I was so pumped that when I stumbled on a magazine ad for Disney’s Wine & Dine Half Marathon, I thought, you can’t beat this race as a first half marathon memory. Running through two Disney theme parks, characters along the race course and ending at Epcot’s Wine & Dine festival? Nope, it doesn’t get much better of a combination.

I took the plunge and signed up. Then, I convinced my best friend to do the same.

Signed up is such an easy phrase to write. But, I must explain. I signed up in April… for an October race. AKA a race that was SEVEN months away. Big deal you say? Not for me. Before this project, I would have never signed up for something that far in advance. “What if my training went awry?” “What if I wasn’t in Las Vegas then and had to rebook airline tickets?” “What if I had a new job and I couldn’t get the time off?” “What if, what if, what if” were always the thoughts running through my head. I took a (really) deep breath, and pushed away all those thoughts. I even got a little crazy and invited my new boyfriend (at the time) to come along (yep, I had to lay down when I heard what I did too). I told myself, if he wanted to come, great, let him buy the plane ticket. And, if we weren’t together by October, well, the plane ticket was his to deal with.

As things always go, those seven months didn’t quite go as planned. Life happened. I got sick. I traveled, A LOT. I forgot how hot Las Vegas summers were and how hard it was to motivate yourself to run in the unbearable heat. By the time October 1 (half marathon day) came around, the longest run I had ever done was 5 miles… four months ago.

For this race, you had to keep a 16 minute pace or they would “sweep” you off the course. I kept telling myself even if I walked the whole thing, I could still finish. But honestly, I wasn’t sure. In all my practices, Nike+ said my run/walk average was 17 minutes. Nevertheless, the boyfriend and I boarded a plane for a fun-filled three days in Disney.

The race results? Well, that’s a story for another post

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By Vegasbab, September 23, 2011 1:00 pm

Huxley said, “Memories are a man’s private literature.” Memories are private and you never know which ones will be picked up, stored away and treasured. In 1 Year, 10 Projects, 100 Discoveries, ten of the discoveries are memories- fun, sad, happy, I’m not sure what types there will be, but I do know that they will all be treasured. This post is part of that project. You can see all 10 memories here and the entire project here. Enjoy the memories, I am!

After living in Las Vegas for six years, the lights started to fade. While The Strip always held magic, working where everyone else played took some of the tourist magic away. The lights, the sounds, the food, the amazing architecture, the phenomenal shows and concerts that were in town every weekend started to become a part of everyday life. To say that I took it all for granted would be an understatement.

Yesterday, for the first time in a long time, I got to experience The Strip through the eyes of a tourist. This wasn’t just any tourist. This was someone who had never been to Las Vegas. This was also someone who has been my dearest family friend since the day I was born. He’s also someone who is amazingly perceptive and sees the world like no one else I know.

With camera in hand, we walked about a third of The Strip. Every few moments, he’d stop and take pictures. He’d gasp in awe. Sometimes, he’d even stop to take pictures of things I had stopped seeing. I forgot how beautiful or unique they were to someone who had never seen them before.

His favorite (and still mine) were the Bellagio Fountains. We stopped and watched them twice through. To this day, they are my favorite part of the Las Vegas Strip. They never get old or boring. Some nights, I’ve even sat and watched them six times through.

These days, I have few friends who have never been to Vegas. I have even fewer who would allow me to tag along for their first time. And, I only have one that sees the world the way he does. Last night, was a memory and a reminder that will last a long time to come.