hashtag 30 by 30.

so i was walking home from a workout class last week and managed to get caught up in thinking about my mortality. totally normal, right?

i guess it's started this summer. i started realizing how much faster time has started to go by (minus winter) and it kind of freaked me out. because let's be honest, this is really how i've really been prepping for 30:

so, i did some math and realized that i have just about 35 weeks until i hit the big three-o. i then did the incredibly trite thing of making a list of 30 things/activities i want to do to make the most of the last 6+ months of my twenties. my hashtag 30x30.

thus i am sharing the list below with a complimentary gif to add a little zest to your day. 

1. lose 30 pounds

2. learn 30 new gluten-free recipes 

3. workout at least 3 times a week every week until my next birthday

4. try a different kind of workout at least once a month

5. get back online dating and actually try (calm yourself, mother).

6. make a video of the nyc highlights for my grandpa who has never visited here.

7. visit new nyc neighborhoods that I never venture to

but probably not brooklyn.

8. re-read catcher in the rye

9. learn to do at least 5 real push-ups

10. take a random personal day to just do something that makes me happy

11. write real mail to relatives/friends that will appreciate it.

12. actually hang up artwork i own and make my apartment look more grownup

13. try and enjoy downward dog position.

14. save an extra $30 a month to use to splurge on my bday

15. complete a 30 day squat challenge

16. take a cooking/wine tasting/pairing course just for the fun of it

17. do a random act of kindness when people really need it

18. be irresponsible on a school night and enjoy every minute of it.

19. try surfing because it looks cool (spoiler alert - already doing this on saturday!)

20. give away/toss at least 30 items of clothing

21. spend at least an hour a week cleaning/decluttering my apartment

22. treat myself to a spa treatment just because

23. find a signature cocktail

24. spend way too much money on a cocktail just for the view

25. learn how to cook with dates (the fruit, not men, mother)

not going to lie, my fave gif so far.

26. see all the oscar nominated movies for 2015

27. watch the wire and see if it lives up to the hype

if only i knew what this meant.

28. learn how to put on liquid liner

29. get a tarot card/palm reading

30. blog about my adventures

not quite, other queen b. not quite.

i feel like i have a good balance of measurable general life improvements with some frivolous fun that should make the next 7 months one hell of a ride. i can't wait to tell you all about it.

it's not me, it's you.

Please begin this post by playing the song below as you read.



so as you can tell from the deeply personal song above, this is a post about a breakup. not with a boyfriend (sorry mom) but with an arguably bigger love of my life: beer. and bread. and all things gluten.

hold on, i need to wipe the tears off  my keyboard before i continue.

so, you know how sometimes you really like someone and things seem to be going well, but you have a gut feeling that it won't work out long term? because you don't see eye to eye on really important things that will never change? so you decide it's for the best that you both go your separate ways? that's basically what's happening here.

earlier this year, i got a full physical to check out my health state, as a part of the #yearofbetsy plan for better health. when the results came back, it turns out that, as i had pondered for most of my adult life, i have an underactive thyroid, explaining some things that have been plaguing me for a while. after this diagnosis, i began treatment and went on my way.

however, i continued to deal with some...less than desirable health issues that i couldn't figure out the cause of.

#overshare

so i decided to see a GI to figure out if it was just my new medication reacting with my body or something else. i have health insurance so might as well use it. 

after a first consultation and a follow up endoscopy, i was given terrible - at least to me - news: i had celiac's disease. 

in case you don't want to click the link for a detailed medical overview, i'll break it down for you. my body can't process gluten correctly and it leads to the damage of my small intestine, leading to malnutrition and a host of other less than ideal side effects. i'll spare you the gory details. 

now i know that giving up gluten is a SUPER trendy thing to do right now, but i've never understood why anyone would willingly give up some of the most delicious foods and drinks in the world. it's still not something that i want to do. it's something i HAVE to do. i mean, would i want to give up all of this?

nyc staples. 

birthday cake is the best kind of cake.

#3 on the list of loves. 

drunk food: the essential 4th meal of the day

practically professional at taking photos

beer is my best friend sometimes, guy.

no, i'm not an alcoholic. i promise. 

as you can see, all things carbs have been a big part of my life. i mean, buzzfeed told me once that i was going to marry a pizza.

we could've been really happy together. 

since getting the diagnosis yesterday, i've had an amazing outpouring of support from friends in the know - including lists of the best gluten free beers around. and since it is becoming a real hot-button issue in the US  - close to 1 in 50 americans have celiac's - it's becoming a lot easier to find solutions that are clearly labeled and marked as GF (as the cool kids call it, i'm learning). add in the fact that nyc is always the first to adapt to lifestyle trends, i'm going to be okay.

i'm seeing a nutritionist who specializes in celiac's next week who is going to help shelter me through the transition, including making sure my beauty products, medications and more all are under the gluten-free umbrella. i'll obvi share my findings.

until then, i'm just channeling my inner cersei and everything's going to be alright.