New #4: Help Haiti

OK, so this one may seem a little specific, like of course I've never volunteered to help Haiti before. But it really was unlike anything I've been involved in - and something I definitely hope to do again. As everyone in the world knows by now, Haiti was recently ravaged by an earthquake that killed hundreds of thousands and left even more homeless and without supplies. I really wanted to donate some money to help. But being as broke as I am, I decided to donate some volunteer hours instead.

I got hooked up with HELP International, a local nonprofit that specializes in volunteering abroad. I've always wanted to help out at a place like this, and I guess the Haiti disaster was just the push I needed to get there. I made an appointment to volunteer a few days in advance. I wanted to save a spot for myself, because I thought for sure lots of people would be lining up to get their hands dirty for the cause. But sadly, when Ben and I arrived, there were only about four other volunteers. Too bad, because there was so much to do.

HELP International operates out of a giant warehouse, with piles upon piles of everything from wheelchairs to high chairs that have been donated. These supplies are shipped to people in need around the world. Recently, the organization began collecting supplies for Haiti. Compared to the rest of the donations, not that much had been given for the earthquake victims. This also caught me by surprise. Aren't people always looking for a good cause to give their unwanted clothes to? Either way, there were still piles that needed to be organized, and we were ready to start chipping away.

Ben and I were put to work sorting infants' clothing, separating summer items (for Haiti) and winter clothes, which would be sent to Israel (where people apparently make pilgrimages without packing first and end up freezing. Who knew?). As we worked, each tiny shirt, hat and pair of socks had to be folded and put in a cardboard box. After each box was packed, taped and labeled, it was stacked on a palette, which will soon be loaded into a giant crate and shipped overseas.

Preparing the clothing wasn't too exciting, but I really didn't mind doing it. Actually, I found a lot of entertainment and gratification in the task by imagining the little child who would soon be wearing that tiny shirt or dress I'd just folded. It was really cool to know that in a few weeks some family who didn't have enough clothes since the quake would open that box and find what they needed to dress their baby ... in a small way thanks to me. It sounds cheesy, but to actually have my hands on something so tangible, that I knew would make a difference, felt really good.

We folded and sorted for two hours, which actually flew by pretty quickly. When it was time to go, the head volunteers couldn't stop telling us how thankful they were for our support. And all we did was fold some clothes. Still, our efforts may not have been much in the scheme of that warehouse, let alone the world, but it felt really good knowing we did a small part to get things moving in the right direction.

New #3: Become a Secret Shopper

Becoming a secret shopper is a new I've been wanting to try for as long as I've known it's existed. What could be better than getting paid to do something I already love? From what I'd heard about it, a company hires you to shop somewhere, report back about your experience and pays you for doing it. As it turns out, the job's not as easy as it sounds - but is still pretty cool.

I'd signed up to secret shop a few months ago through a third-party website that connects people to companies that offer shopping opportunities. I never got a response, until this week when out of the blue I received a request to help with an auto insurance secret shopping mission. It wasn't the most glamorous topic I could imagine, but I couldn't beat the $40 pay out (and of course the opportunity to try something new!).

My assignment started with a longer-than-I-expected phone conversation asking me more about my own insurance company than I thought I knew. This was way beyond "Who is your insurance provider?" No, no. There were literally 100 questions like "Rate how likely you are to purchase auto insurance for its price rather than the coverage the company can provide to you." Yikes. The poor people who were around me during my time on the phone had to listen to "3. 5. 1. 8. 7." for about 20 minutes straight.

After the pre-shopping survey was complete, I needed to go to an auto insurance provider to get a quote. I had to follow strict guidelines of what information I could and could not give them, all while acting like I actually wanted a new provider. I started getting nervous that I would somehow stumble and reveal the awful truth that I wasn't just a simple girl there for a quote, but instead a paid-for-hire sleuth there to expose all of their flaws and mistakes. Luckily, it wasn't like that at all.

The agent was really friendly and asked easy questions I could answer. We actually had some fun talking about different cars we've owned. And what do you know? In the end, she offered me about 10 times the coverage plus renters insurance for the exact price I'm paying now. Wow. So now I get $40 and I can switch to a policy with more protection. Win-win for Sarah.

To complete my secret shopping assignment, I had to fill out two more surveys after the meeting. They were over the internet and much shorter than the first. Now I really like this whole secret shopper detective work and have since been applying with more companies for similar jobs. I would say what jobs I have lined up next, but I think I can get fired for that. Plus I like the idea of being sneaky. You never know where Secret Shopping Sarah will strike next!

New #2: Cook chicken curry

Well, I'm into my second week of new adventures, (which, by the way, will fall between every Friday and Thursday). This time I decided to entice my multicultural side and cook some chicken curry. While this may not be much a feat for some, those who know me can probably understand how exciting it really was. I don't cook. And I don't really eat much Indian food, either. So it was kind of like a double whammy of new.

I don't know where the idea came from except that it's something I would never, ever cook unless I dared myself to. And I'm glad I did. It even tasted OK.

With my cooking skills tapping out right around pouring pasta into boiling water, I decided to go online to find advice on my curry creation. After a long Google search (and realizing how much one can make with curry), I found Simple Recipes' "Chicken Curry in a Hurry," which was, actually, very simple. A few onions here, two chicken breasts there, sour cream (who knew?), a dash of curry - and voila! An authentic Indian dish.

I was off to a slow start. Even measuring the oil took some time.

The actual cooking part went pretty well, too. As anything with curry often does, this dish was ... aromatic. By the end, my whole apartment began to smell. But the food itself paid off. The chicken needed a bit more salt by biting time, although that was enough to make it just right. Even Ben, who said he "hates" curry, ate the whole thing.

The finished dish.

I don't know if I'll cook it again (mainly because the smell is so pungent), but it was a good learning experience.

I had two other firsts this week, too, although they weren't quite as exciting as my curry adventure. They were: Seeing my first 3-D movie (Avatar), and avoiding my first pandemic (by getting a swine flu shot).

We'll see where next week takes me!

New #1: Start a Blog

I hate being bored. Because boredom is life being wasting. And what could be worse than that?

It's true. I'm one of those people who really tries to live life to the fullest, never leave room for regrets, and follow every other catchy phrase that helps remind me to make the most of every moment I have.

I don't know exactly where this drive came from. Maybe it's my parents' own sense of adventure that rubbed off on me. Maybe it was born simply from the fear that time and life go by too fast.

Whatever it is, this passion has led me constantly explore, discover and, well, live life big. I've done a good job of it, too.

But let's face it. This carpe diem way of living isn't always easy. Along with the joys and adventures come the necessities, like work, driving to work, winding down from work, catching up with friends, catching up on TV and catching up on the dishes. It's easy to get relaxed in the routine and lost in the comfort of it all.

So this year, 2010, I've made a promise to myself not to let that happen.

Short of leaving my husband, job and friends behind in Fort Collins and sailing a boat around the world (which sounds amazing but not so practical), I'm instead making the most of what I have right here.

My New Year's resolution is to try something new once a week for the whole year. Fifty-two something news. These mini-adventures don't have to be extravagant. They don't have to be something no one else has never done, either. In fact, this resolution may include things as plain as trying yoga or learning how to knit. Or hey, even starting my first blog ...

This mission of mine is not about going for the glory. It's just about breaking out of my norms and exploring everything that's out there, starting with the small stuff.

Franklin D. Roosevelt once said "Above all, try something," and that's exactly what I plan to do.

This way, hopefully, I'll never look back and wonder what happened to 2010, or my youth, or my life. And if nothing more, I'll have this blog and the experiences it chronicles of a time when I really did seize the day.