Me & My Quite Contrary Life

NUDGED: "Check out a small town" BACKSTORY: I have lived in Sioux Falls for most of my life. It's a great city, but I get wrapped up in my bubble and don't venture out just a little further. There are many small towns around the area that I don't get to often (or ever!). My husband and I really enjoy exploring new places together and trying new restaurants. I'm grateful he is on board (or "in car"?) to help me this week. The challenges of this nudge? 1) Getting lost in a small town (a very real possibility for this directionally-challenged gal!).  2) Picking which small town to check out and what to do while there. Let's go! QUOTE: "Don't be afraid to expand yourself, to step out of your comfort zone. That's where the joy and the adventure life." - Herbie Hancock HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: We had many options for small towns to check out, but I ended up picking the town due to a restaurant I have heard really good things...

NUDGED: "Go to a new market" BACKSTORY: This nudge came from another nudges project and I thought it would be a good step out of my comfort zone. I am still proud of myself for going to two new places last week, so I am excited for another week of checking out a new-to-me place. QUOTE: "Food is a common denominator for all people" - Guy Fieri HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: I did a quick online search for ethnic markets near me and was surprised by the number and variety of results - Philippine, Asian, Mexican, East African, and Nepali markets. I recruited my hubs to come with me as he is adventurous with food, and let him pick the place we would visit. We went to the Philippine Oriental Food Store after lunch on Sunday afternoon. It was a place I had driven by many times but never visited. The store had a variety of items, some familiar to me and some foods I have not seen before. We took our time to browse all the aisles and found several items to purchase in...

NUDGED: "Try a new food from a menu" BACKSTORY: I am not known to be adventurous with what I eat. My tendency is to find foods that I like on menus and continue to select the same thing each time we go to that restaurant. I play it safe. The goal behind this whole nudging challenge is to get me out of my comfort zone. This week, I want to try a new food item from a menu at a restaurant - something out of my normal selections.   QUOTE: "Use everything as an opportunity to understand, grow, and expand." - Unknown HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: For over two years now, my husband and I have been trying new restaurants in our city. We made a list of all the places we haven't eaten at until that point, and included restaurants that recently opened. We intend to try all of them! We want to support new businesses and find new favorite places to eat. It is a slow process though as we usually only go out to a new place once a week, and so many places close/open that our...