On: Ryan Rocked His Half

"There will be days when I don't know if I can run a marathon. There will be a lifetime knowing that I have". - unknown

This weekend Ryan completed his first half-marathon race. 

"I did it" was all he said as I met him at the finish line. We proceeded to get our medals, take our finishers' photos, and of course get RB his free beer for running 13.1 consecutive miles. 

Then, as we debriefed the race, the excitement began to show in his voice. He crushed his previous 10-mile PR by eight minutes! His five weeks of training certainly paid off this past Saturday. 

When we started he was unsure if he was going to complete the full run, but by the time he had reached the 5K-mark he was running a sub-10-minute mile pace even with having to dodge the slower runners that started in the eleven corrals ahead of us. 

He really put his mind to this feat, and accomplished running a distance that only .4% of males will accomplish this year (RunningUSA). To say I'm proud is an understatement. "It was mostly mental", he said already thinking about how he could improve for his next race. I love seeing his indomitable spirit coming out into his running. Whatever you decide to do next Ryan Barry - you've got this. 

I've created a monster runner!

"In running, it doesn't matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last. You can say, 'I have finished.' There is a lot of satisfaction in that." -Fred Lebow

My Race Highlights: 

• They started the race playing, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger...".

• Waving and giving high-fives to the kids on the course.

• When the five-year-old little girl on mile seven was playing frogger through the runners.

• The group on mile nine chanting "I, I believe, I believe that you will win".

• Seeing Ryan's face as he crossed the finish line! 

My Race Stats: 

After not training (read My Marathon Diaries for my reasoning behind that), I was able to finish in 2:16. I had a fairly good 5K, 10K and a decent 10-mile split time even though I dropped pretty hard through the last three miles. I didn't break my PR (2:03), but I was still pretty excited to be close to the 2:15-pace group based on my current running shape. 

Ryan's Race Highlights:

• Lining up in the corrals and hearing the countdown to start.

• Settling into my pace and and listening to the music along the course.

• Seeing all of the signs and hearing the crowds cheering through the race, specifically the group giving out Jello shots for quitters.

• Crossing the finish line!

Ryan's Race Stats: 

Ryan knocked 8 minutes off of his 10-mile PR and ran a faster 5K than several of his training 5K paces. He was pretty thrilled to finish and even come close to his 2:30 goal. His training was split over five weeks running in our neighborhood about three times per week.

... and then we celebrated with some delicious fried seafood overlooking River Street and a trip to Hilton Head Island where we ate more delicious seafood, drank pina coladas, and watched the waves crash from our balcony - cheers to 13.1! 

And a few more photos as an insight to our race weekend: 

Expo Day

5:00 a.m. - Ready to Rock

and the race has begun! 

"I did it" -RB

post-race Phillip Phillips concert

The ferry that took us to and from the start/finish line.

 A little post-race fun in HHI!

Thanks for the fun Savannah! #RNRSav #RyansFirstHalf

On: My Bucket List

"I would rather look back at my life and say, 'I can't believe I did that' instead of saying, 'I wish I had done that'".

I continuously find myself saying, "I'll add this trip to my bucket list!"; however, I've never actually had a physical list. Often I research places I'm about to visit, and stumble upon others that I just have to add to my travel list. It's really a vicious cycle - and I think it makes Ryan nervous, ha!

Don't get me wrong, I do have a Pinterest board full of ideas, wants, and wishes! But getting it narrowed down to one list has been a challenge. While I’ve been fortunate to have had my share of trips and travel experiences—16 countries, 191 cities and counting—I've just barely skimmed the surface. TripAdvisor kindly reminded me the other day, that I've only seen 12% of the world. That is humbling. There is still so much more to explore, see, photograph, and, of course, eat! Here I go, in no particular order: 

Caitlin's Bucket List:

UPDATED APRIL 2015:

1. Scuba Dive the Great Barrier Reef off of Australia with my dad.

2. Walk the Sydney Harbor Bridge.

3. See a wild kangaroo in Australia.

4. Scuba dive off of the Galapagos Islands.

5. Take a gondola ride in Venice (Completed 1/14).

6. Tour the Vatican (Completed 1/14).

7. Make a wish in the Trevi Fountain (Completed 1/14).

8. Learn to surf in Hawaii (Completed 6/07).

9. Be a guest at the Golden Globes or the Oscars.

10. Compete as a professional athlete (Completed 7/09).

11. Sleep in an ice hotel.

12. Visit Niagara Falls. (Completed 4/15)

13. See the Northern Lights in Iceland.

14. Visit Anne Frank's secret annex with bookcase (Completed 1/15).

15. Sleep in a house boat on the Amsterdam canals (Completed 1/15).

16. Sleep in a castle.

17. Run a marathon (Completed 11/14).

18. Complete a triathlon. (Coming 9/16)

19. Visit all 50 states (38 down 12 to go! I still need Alaska, Maine, Vermont, Rhode Island, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, and Minnesota).

20. See Mount Rushmore.

21. Get paid to travel the world.

22. Visit Greece: specifically Athens, Oia, Mykonos and Santorini. (Completed 9/15) 

23. Become fluent in another language.

24. Stay for a weekend in Nashville.

25. Tour the White House.

26. Climb to the top of the Washington Monument.

27. Go on a shark dive.

28. See wild sea lions, penguins and baboons in South Africa. i.e. Cape of Good Hope.

29. Hike to the Mount Everest Base Camp.

30. Swim with dolphins in the Bahamas (Completed 8/11).

31. Go skydiving with a best friend (Completed 10/12).

32. Visit every Disney park across the world in 10 days.

33. Live in an RV and drive across the country (Completed various times - blogging soon).

34. Be a spectator at the Kentucky Derby.

35. See the Egyptian Pyramids.

36. Sail down the Nile River.

37. Visit Turks and Caicos. (Completed 11/15)

38. Publish a book.

39. Explore Montreal.

40. Attend an Olympic Games.

41. See Church of the Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg. (Coming 8/16)

42. Eat tapas in Spain. (Completed 1/15)

43. Sail through the Panama Canal.

44. Visit Poland specifically Krakow.

45. Walk the Berlin Wall line.

46. Travel to St. Petersburg. (Coming 8/16)
47. See a Premier League team play in their home stadium.

48. Travel to Europe on a girls trip with just my mom.

49. Visit the top-10 European Christmas Markets. (two down, eight to go!)

50. Take a tour of Alcatraz in San Francisco. (Coming 6/16)

51. Ice skating at Rockefeller Center (Completed 12/13).

52. Climb up the Statue of Liberty.

53. Volunteer as a secretary to Juliet in Verona.

54. Play laser tag in my wedding dress. (Completed 8/13)

55. Sleep in Cinderella's Castle. 

56. Eat Belgian waffles in Belgium. (Completed 1/15)

57. Drink afternoon tea in England . (Completed 1/14)

58. Visit Norway, Sweden and Denmark. (Coming 8/16)

59. Tour the Taj Mahal. 

60. Visit Thailand and tour an elephant rescue. 

61. Explore Tokyo, Shanghai, Beijing or Hong Kong. 

What's on your bucket list? Let me know! 

On: Seeing The World

“I haven’t been everywhere but it’s on my list.” – Susan Sontag

(Below is my interactive travel map of just about every city and/or landmark I've visited. If you have any questions or are looking for travel advice please let me know! I'm also always looking to plan my next trip and would love destination suggestions!) 

“We travel, initially, to lose ourselves; and we travel, next to find ourselves. We travel to open our hearts and eyes and learn more about the world than our newspapers will accommodate. We travel to bring what little we can, in our ignorance and knowledge, to those parts of the globe whose riches are differently dispersed. And we travel, in essence, to become young fools again- to slow time down and get taken in, and fall in love once more.” ― Pico Iyer

I have been fortunate to explore many countries, cities, cultures and landmarks. I wouldn't be who I am today without these adventurous learning experiences. Travel adventures are the most enriching and rewarding experiences that can teach you more than any college course. 

My goal in life is to see the world. I never want to stop learning about new cultures, being immersed in their history and educating myself via personal experience. I would rather see a city once than read about it a thousand times. 

Every year my goal is to explore one place that I have never been before; because, as Helen Keller worded it, "life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all". If you are in a rut, living the same year 75 times in a row, how do you call that a life? A life without traveling is like reading the same page of a book over and over again without turning the page to discover the next chapter. There is so much to discover in our world it would be a shame to not even skim the surface.

I don't want to ever say, I wish I would have traveled more. "Travel is the only thing you can buy that makes you richer". In addition it provides you with a sense of modesty that can't be taught. Traveling has taught me a sense of humility and patience. I'm far from perfect, but I will say that through my travels I have lost harbored stereotypes, many of my prejudices have been discarded, and I have learned to have patience with people from various backgrounds. I would rather spend my money to have these invaluable life experiences that have allowed me to discover myself verses purchasing a material possession. 

Imagine what the world would be like if everyone traveled out of their comfort zone and and let go of fearing the unknown. I think our world would become a more accepting place. As Shirley Maclaine said, "The more I traveled the more I realized that fear makes strangers of people who should be friends". 

I challenge you to travel the world, to lose yourself, then to find yourself. I challenge you to learn more about the world than the front page of the newspaper will report or than the Skimm will list. Travel to share your knowledge, but also to listen to others - never forget to listen, comprehend, and ask questions. Finally, I challenge you to be forever young - never lose your sense of wonder for the world.

On: Wanderlust

"The best gift you could have given her was a lifetime of adventures" - Lewis Carroll

I love traveling to new locations, exploring each city, and learning the local history. However, in my experience, half of the fun is planning each adventure. I love researching every historical site, reading travel guides, and scouring reviews. I end up adding items to my bucket list that I never even knew existed. And as I get closer to a trip the details and research completely consume all of my attention. I feel like I have already travelled to each location for months before I actually step foot in my destination!

This evening my wanderlust is spilling over and I wanted to share a quick glimpse of the marvelous houseboat I booked for our 2015 European excursion! Did I mention it has always been one of Ryan's life goals to live in a houseboat? This adventure is for you Ryan Barry! Genieten! Tot ziens!

Our "home" while in Amsterdam!

The view from our houseboat.

The living room shot, with a working fireplace.

TRAVEL TIP: This adventure is courtesy of AirBnB.com - I highly recommend using this site! If you would like a $25 voucher let me know and I will send you the code.

On: Another Chapter Begins

“The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.” –Elbert Hubbard

Here's to the beginning of the next chapter! #BeerCareer 

It was a tough decision to leave my distributor family, but by "changing nothing, nothing changes" and this was a good first step in the next direction for me. Here is a snapshot of my first week - enjoy!

The first day of training at Diageo HQ in Norwalk, Conn.

Successfully made it through the first day of training!

My counterpart in Denver, Brittany!

                      

Grant and I after I poured my first "Perfect Pint" of Guinness.

The view from the 7th Floor Bar at Diageo Headquarters.

The 7th Floor Bar at Diageo Headquarters.

Having some fun in Diageo's pool room playing the Harp harp.

Our training concluded with a tour of the Latrobe, Penn. brewery just outside of Pittsburgh. It was a fantastic program and I'm looking forward to this new opportunity!

On: Shampine Celebration

"It's about putting love stories back into weddings and real life into lifestyle... The magic is in the details" - Katie Selvidge via Sam Jones. 

If I was going to pick a different career I would choose to be a travel writer or an event planner. This past weekend I was lucky enough to be able to help Christa and Jessie plan/execute the Shampine Wedding reception at The North Harbor Club in Davidson.

Jessie and Christa already had some great ideas off of Pinterest, but figuring out the correct way to showcase the details from their wedding in Jamaica, enhance the beach atmosphere, and bring Christa's existing ideas to reality was exhilarating!

Jessie was fantastic with her chalkboard art and her creative ideas in the store, and we all collaborated  in the days leading up to the wedding to make it come together seamlessly. Below are a few shots from the fantastic up-and-coming photographer, Cris Anler, as well as a few from my iPhone.

Here's to a lifetime of happiness and laughter! xo, Caitlin #ShampineCelebration