Writing a column and news stories for CultureMap. I started writing a column in August for CultureMap, a local digital magazine, and it has been really fun to share my stories with an audience larger than my blog. I have really enjoyed writing for publication and have even gotten to meet some food celebrities like Bobby Flay and Tyler Florence. Click here to see all the stories I’ve written.

Watching friends get married. We love weddings, and we love to travel. This year we went to Birmingham and Dallas for weddings, in addition to some local ones.

Solo trip to Foodbuzz Fest. Now really, going by myself to San Francisco to meet blog friends sounds kind of creepy and dorky, no? It was like a flashback to high school BBYO conventions of meeting people from around the country and becoming fast friends. A great weekend with making new friends in a beautiful city! Click here to read all the recaps.

Becoming a better cook. I have experimented with more foods and recipes this year than any before. I’ve cooked with tofu for the first time, lots of new grains and vegetables, and even tried to create my own baked good recipes from scratch. Trying new things in the kitchen is a lot of fun, and a good way to not get bored with eating at home.

Training for and completing my first half marathon. This was truly an accomplishment of the year. I enjoyed the training part and loved the long run routes I created. I liked spending a few hours on weekend mornings running, recovering, and having lunch somewhere. It felt great to increase miles and enjoy cooler weather outside and see some pretty neighborhoods. And setting a hard to reach goal and checking it off the list was pretty awesome too. Click here for all the posts where I talked about the race. It was a big part of the last six months!