Operation: No Fried Food began today, June 1. The plan is one month, not one bite of fried food — no fried chicken, french fries, chips, doughnuts, nothing. I think it will be tough but I do feel confident that I can stick with it.

I find it sort of amusing. I grew up eating healthy food, well-rounded meals cooked by Mom pretty much every night of the week. It’s only recently that I have started loading up on fast food and take out. It’s not that I don’t like to or can’t cook or that I find restaurant food so incredibly delicious I can’t resist (most of the time I am disappointed in the meal and am sure I could produce a better tasting dish myself). I think it is a mixture of things. With the combination of working, owning a home, taking care of cats, sports/gyming, and spending time with family and friends, it’s tough to find the time to plan meals for the week and do the shopping on top of it. It’s a weak excuse I know, but that’s why I am focusing on turning things around this month.

As far as eating out is concerned, work itself is a big issue. Sure it’s great to pack your own meal, saving money and calories, but on the other hand, sitting in the breakroom for an hour makes me feel trapped. I really want to get away for that hour, be outside or see different people – anything but sit in the cold, austere breakroom reading the OSHA standards that are glued to the wall.

Aside from my lack of time and unappealing breakroom excuses, eating out is convenient. It’s quick and easy. The biggest problem with eating out though, is that it’s extremely difficult to eat a healthy and well-balanced meal (like Mom used to make). Even if you get the 6 grams of fat sub from Subway, they offer you the meal ($4.23 with tax if you pick the right sub on the right day), which includes a gigantic cup to be filled (and re-filled) with sugary soda and a mini bag of chips which alone contains 15g of fat. It’s no good and too tempting. Sure, there are alternatives like the pre-packaged apples, but who actually remembers to ask for those?

Regardless of all of my excuses: time, getting away, whatever, I plan to stick with it. I’ll work to remember to sub my fries for a salad and chips for pre-sliced apples. Overall I hope to curb my eating-out habits in general and will really work to plan meals each week for lunch and dinner to avoid the out-of-pocket expense of eating out regulary and hopefully notice the benefits in my health as well.

Yesterday, as my last fried meal, I loaded up on an 8-piece nugget combo from Chick-Fil-A. Next time I’ll have to stick with the chargrill sandwich and carrot salad in place of my beloved waffle fries with polynesian sauce…wish me luck!

JT and I were watching this show a couple weekends ago. Bad idea. This particular episode was about a woman out in LA who worked her ass off 80 hours a week and had nothing to show for it. Sure she was “successful” and good at what she did. She made some serious money but she didn’t feel like herself. That’s when she decided that it was time to break the chains and do something different, experience life and the world. She packed her bags and flew east to Spain where she bought a quaint apartment a block from the beach and in the heart of all of the city’s shops and cafes. She can still pick up freelance work over there, but she now has the chance to experience life, to take it all in and live.

During the show, her Realtor (Spanish, of course) said one line that really made me stop and think and I couldn’t agree more. “Americans live to work, while in Spain, we work to live,” was the line. A simple sentence, sure. And quite obvious as well. But when I pondered this idea, I couldn’t understand why we, as Americans, have chosen this path. OK, so you work 40, 50, 60, or 80 hours a week, but what do you have to show for it? Money? Stress? An over-sized home that could realistically house 5 families? A 60-inch TV glued to the wall? A fast car? A broken family? What?!

Of course, watching this show got me all riled up and ready to pack my bags and move my fiance, kitties, and myself to Germany.

Needless to say, I think that Americans are truly missing out on life. There is, shockingly enough, more to living than working nonstop with 2 weeks of vacation/sick time to pay a mortgage you couldn’t afford in the first place.

I feel lucky that at the still young age of 25 I’ve already been able to experience many things that most of my neighbors never have or never will. I have had the opportunity to work and study in Germany, to travel around Europe, and I met people from all walks of life in doing so. It can really open one’s eyes to meet people from other backgrounds and cultures, to learn a new language or try new cuisine. That’s what Americans are missing out on. Sure, we can score well on the SAT or pass our college courses in 4 years to get a high paying job out of school, but at what cost?

When I look now at some of the non-American students I studied together with in Germany, I notice this difference immediately. These students are doing internships or working in 2, 3, or 4 different countries. They speak at least 3 languages fluently and are usually working on a 4th or 5th. Most of them have completed a Master’s degree and may even be on their way to a PhD. They are proving that they are independent, open to change and new ideas, and always willing to adapt. With all of this, I truly believe they are making themselves more marketable than the average American, who typically speaks 1 language, graduates college with just a Bachelor’s degree, and has only left the country to party in Mexico for spring break. Sure, we may be winning the race in the short-term, but in the long-run, it seems to me we are shooting ourselves in the foot. In doing so, we’re missing out on a lot.

So, who’s right and who’s wrong? I don’t know and I don’t wish to delve into that topic at this point. I do, however, feel that we, as Americans, should open ours eyes. In America, we are bred to think that hard work equals success — that if you work hard now, you can retire comfortably at 65 and do all the things you never did while working. But like the ever-famous story of the Tortoise and the Hare, we need to realize that life is a marathon and not a sprint. There’s no need to rush into working, starting families, or being bogged down in debt. Who knows if you’ll even finish the marathon. Life should be enjoyed day-to-day, taking in each experience as a learning opportunity and seeking out new adventures outside of the daily drudgery of working 40+ hour weeks, no vacations, sitting in traffic, and running errands. It’s time for Americans to look beyond the almighty dollar and actually take in all that life and this world have to offer.

I originally started this blog about 3-4 months ago (I’m not good at blogging, I know), but this past week I read an article on cnn.com that solidified my thoughts again. The article (here) compares the American view on vacations from work versus the views of those in other advanced nations. It’s quite interesting to see the glaring difference between the US of A and some of our counterparts. Most interesting though are the comments. Take a look and enjoy!

What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before?

I completely gutted and rebuilt my 1970s kitchen with the help of my loving fiance, JT, and gracious father; visited Mayan ruins in Cozumel and snorkeled in ancient Mayan caverns; participated in a Viking cooking class; took a helicopter ride around Atlanta; got engaged; visited and biked around the rim of the Grand Canyon (ouch!); shot the Hooch; saw Daniel Tosh live; joined a kickball league; participated in my first beer olympics; and completed a 5k (I won’t reveal my time…always room for improvement).

Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for this year?

Considering I can’t remember what my New Year’s resolution was, I’ll go ahead and say no, I didn’t keep it.

For this year, I would like to start blogging on a regular basis, take more pictures, be less uptight in general, and quit sleeping on the sofa (runs in the family, but I’ll overcome that).

Did anyone close to you give birth?

I’ve seen a lot of updates and posts on facebook from old friends who did, but no one super close to me. JT had a couple friends who did though.

Did anyone close to you die?

Thankfully no.

What countries did you visit?

Mexico and that’s it. I guess I can’t complain, but I would have loved to hit a few more places. Hopefully this year!

What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?

More time and money to travel.

What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

July 9 — started my new job

August 22 – when JT and I got engaged!

What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Probably finding a new job in this economy, getting engaged

What was your biggest failure?

Not keeping up my German — pretty sure it cost me a job.

Did you suffer any illness or injury?

Nope.

What was the best thing you bought?

My new kitchen, with a little help…it definitely looks much nicer and is less drafty than before.

Whose behavior merited celebration?

I don’t know…there are a lot of people out there truly looking to help and make the world a better place who so often remain under the radar. I think they deserve some praise.

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Julian Assange (come on man!), Lebron James, the Jersey Shore crew (seriously…they drink too much, have sex too much, and get paid too much), Georgia Dawgs football team, Brooks Conrad

Where did most of your money go?

I really think the majority of my money goes towards either my house or food. Hopefully JT and I will be able to consolidate soon and save more money to experience new things!

What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Getting engaged, starting a new job, our cruise to Mexico, Braves making it to the playoffs once again

What song will always remind you of 2010?

Dirty Heads “Lay Me Down” — I love this song, so upbeat and very Sublime-y. Def a good one!

Compared to this time last year, are you:

(a) happier or sadder – happier

(b) thinner or fatter – about the same

(c) richer or poorer? – the same/poorer, income is def less stable than last year.

What do you wish you’d done more of?

Traveling, trying new foods/restaurants, hung out with old friends

What do you wish you’d done less of?

Lounge around all day watching football, complaining

How did you spend Christmas?

We had Christmas with my family on Dec. 18-19 since Bing and T-Bone were heading up to NY for Christmas Day.

The 25th was spent with the rents and JT, a relaxing day watching A Christmas Story, eating delicious food, and playing Pictionary.

Did you fall in love in 2010?

Already was, but we did get engaged (which you probably already figured out by now)!

What was your favorite TV program?

Food Network shows, Hell’s Kitchen, Bizarre Foods, Intervention, Braves, Teen Mom, Tosh.O, and Jersey Shore, which I’m embarassed to admit

Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

Nope.

What was the best book you read?

Ok, I’m a total nerd and Bing always gives me hell for it, but I truly enjoy reading nonfiction books. Last year’s favorites include The WalMart Effect, What Color is Your Parachute 2011, Drive, and Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture. And, since it’s prob the only fiction book I can remember reading, Der Hahn ist Tot.

What was your greatest musical discovery?

Hmm…can’t really think of anything specifically, though my taste in music has come back around to alternative in general.

What did you want and get?

I think this may be getting redundant but…a new kitchen, a fiance, a new job.

What did you want and not get?

That job at Porsche…everything happens for a reason, I guess.

What was your favorite film of this year?

I’m not a big movie person in general and at the moment, the only one I can think of is Avatar, which was good until the ridiculously long fight scene in the end.

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

See Christmas Day post. It was my 25th.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Actually taking our honeymoon trip to Fiji – we better start planning!

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?

Business casual most of the time…I love button-ups as well. At work, I’m pretty much a walking advertisement for Express.

Other than that, pretty casual with jeans and a shirt (prob button-up…ha).

What kept you sane?

My family, friends, and of course, JT

What celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Drawing a blank….

What political issue stirred you the most?

Health care debate and the wikileaks come to mind at the moment. In general though, it’s so frustrating to me that the 2 parties cannot seem to compromise and nothing important gets accomplished. If one side develops a solution, the other side just bashes it but doesn’t give any better alternatives. I could go on all day about this. Also, I hate that politicians tend to focus on unimportant things like renaming streets when there are clearly more pressing issues to be dealt with.

Who did you miss?

Friends who have moved away and family.

Who was the best new person you met?

I met a bunch of cool people this year and hope that 2011 holds the same.

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010.

Go after what you want. You can’t always try to fit into the mold that was set forth for you. If you want something, go get it. Who knows if it’s the right decision, but at least you tried.

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

There’s no need to complicate; Our time is short; I’m yours…Jason Mraz