#86 - Visit a New National Park

While I wrote this item with the intention of exploring more U.S. national parks, I have certainly jumped at the chance to visit national parks in other countries, particularly the very beautiful Costa Rica--the most biodiverse country in the world. During our December trip, I took a trip to Manuel Antonio National Park with Chris Krone and then a second trip with my parents. 

Both trips were lovely, and we spent hours wandering the jungle and beach.

The capuchins in the park are so laid back and playful.

Mangroves are weird.

Squirrel monkeys

Land crabs, which only emerge during the day a handful of days per year. They were EVERYWHERE.

My favorite insect: The leaf cutter ants. I adore them.
They cut pieces of leaves from trees and then march them in a line, down the tree, making trails as they go, back to the hole where they live, so more ants can chew them up, spit them out, effectively farming and harvesting the mold they eat.

I have no idea how many flights of stairs we climbed that day. 20? 30?

And then we got to views like this:



And this:

When we came back down from the Cathedral Loop, we had a lovely time watching the capuchins at the beach.

On my second trip (with my parents), we got to see the capuchins frolicking in the mangroves, a whole family, including playful little ones. The capuchins at Manuel Antonio are pretty chill since they're used to people walking through their home every day. Also, visitors are not allowed to bring food into the park, so they don't look to people to feed them, which is important in keeping tourism in Costa Rica (and everywhere) eco-friendly, which is certainly a value on display in this beautiful country.

Chris & I had a fun time exploring the tide pools.
We saw an eel, fish, and many, many hermit crabs.

Just <3 

#48 = See a New Animal in the Wild

Costa Rica is the most biodiverse country on the planet, which is one of many reasons I love to visit. We saw capuchin monkeys, sloths, macaws, brown pelicans, white herons, caracaras, crocodiles, and many others I'd seen before. Here are a few that were new to me!

My favorite sighting started like this: 

"Hey, Chris, I think I just saw a fish jump."

"Where?"

"Oh, there's another one!"

"It must be running from a predator or something!"

...the next day...

"There's more jumping..."

...the next day...

"More jumping? Where are the binoculars?"

Turns out, the jumping beings were not fish but devil rays! For two weeks or so, nearly every day, we'd see the rays jumping, surfing, and splashing in the waves. While that made me much more anxious about surfing (though I think devil rays are related to manta rays, rather than sting rays, so I'm still not sure if they sting), I was fascinated by these playful beings. 

I couldn't quite catch the jumping on camera, and the videos I took of them splashing just aren't that great, so here's a link if you want to see them jump!

We also saw a ton of birds, which I logged on my Merlin app, but most were too quick to catch a photo.

Here are some of the many animals we spotted in Manuel Antonio National Park.

Some kind of eel

Hermit crabs

Land crabs. Apparently they are usually nocturnal but come out en masse to breed a few days each year, and we managed to be there during those days. They were EVERYWHERE in the forested areas of Manuel Antonio Beach.

Squirrel monkeys. A whole gang of these little creatures played in the trees around and above us on our way out of Manuel Antonio. They were very cute and jump huge distances between trees, like little flying squirrels.

Howler monkeys. It's quite easy to hear these monkeys but much tougher to spot them, as they spend their days lounging in the canopies. It was so cool to see several of them walking around the tree tops on this day.

#17 - Eat Vegetarian Every Monday (fail)

In an attempt to eat more sustainably, each year, I've been incorporating more

I love the fried tofu from Cozy Noodles
& am so stoked I finally found
a comparable recipe.

vegetarian and plant-based (vegan) meals. I decided to do meat-free Mondays for 2021 (in addition to some stretches and vegan days). I gave myself 5 exceptions, not because it's too hard, but I wasn't sure if I'd forget or perhaps be somewhere where someone else is providing the food and there aren't vegetarian options. I stopped working on this one in November, when I finished my 12 items for the year, but that means I only missed 4 Mondays through November, which is pretty darn good, and I had a lot of vegetarian days during the rest of the week because I learned a ton of vegetarian recipes that I liked, and business has been slow, and vegetarian food is much less expensive than meat.

After doing 8 days vegetarian last year, it's been shockingly easy to eat vegetarian once per week this year. I have so many great recipes in my arsenal; I know how to improvise well with plant-based ingredients; and I know where to go to easily find new, great recipes. 

I've included pictures and descriptions of some of my fav veggie meals.

Exceptions

1 - 2/8/21

Spanish tortilla!

I was so stressed about "moving" back to Chicago to teach one day/week in person. I was hungry after staying up late packing and was not pleased with my veggie options for snacks. I decided to make an exception and have some turkey bacon late night.

2 - 7/19/21

Hearty veg soup

It was my dad's birthday, and he wanted to eat outside with a water view. We wound up at X, and while the view is great, they don't have great vegetarian options. I went with a buffalo chicken sandwich and was also pretty pleased that miss #2 was more than 5 months after miss #1 and in the second half of the year.

3 - 8/16/21

Blip #3 was also intentional, as I was renting a house and doing group meals with 11 other people, 6 of whom were children. I just went with the flow instead of trying to go buy my own meals for the day.

4 - 10/25/21

This one was my biggest oops without planning. I'd had a rough day and just wanted some pizza, but business had been slow, so I opted for a frozen pizza. When I got home, I realized I'd gotten a pepperoni pizza, and it was a Monday. So I could have found something else, but instead, I said, well, here goes day #4.

Portobello burger with
mozz, sauteed onions, & spinach

#19 - Eat Vegan 12 Times

While I certainly have been eating more plant-based and vegetarian meals, I only managed to consciously eat vegan meals three times this year. Next year more!

1 - 2/15/21

2 - 5/6/21

3 - 5/17/21

#32 - Try 12 New Restaurants in Chicago

I was being a bit ambitious in attempting to try 12 new restaurants in Chicago during a pandemic, but I wanted to keep this one on my list to continue my support of the fantastic service industry in Chicago. Chicago's restaurants and bars not only employ tens of thousands of people, they're also, on average, damn good, better than the bars and restaurants of most cities. If you don't serve great food or have something special to offer, good luck competing in this market. It's stacked.

1 - North Buena Deli & Wine

3/20/21

I was looking for some delivery and craving a great sandwich. I thought I'd try North Buena out, and I was not disappointed. I had the Sicilian and will definitely be ordering again and looking forward to going in person.

2 - Figo Wine Bar

4/20/21

It finally warmed up enough to dive into some outdoor dining. Laura reserved a table for 4 of us at Figo Wine Bar on a Tuesday night (an exciting return of Two Bar Tuesdays). It felt so luxurious to split apps and bottles of wine with 3 of my very favorite people. We laughed, drank, ate, laughed, and then continued on to our second bar. 

I also can't wait to go back to Figo once indoor dining is safe again. What a cute little spot with a great wine selection and tasty food.

3 - Crushed Pizzeria

7/5/21

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I hate Chicago pizza. Deep dish is way too much. The first few bites are delicious, and then I don't want anymore, but that's all we've ordered because it's so much food, so I eat more, and then I feel like I've eaten several pounds of cheese and bread and I hate myself. The thin crust (a.k.a. pub style) is even worse. It's like cardboard topped with canned tomato paste, preshredded generic mozzarella, and then garbage toppings. It's tasteless grease. I hate it.

Luckily, some great woodfired, coolfired, and Detroit-style spots have opened up in Chicago. My favorite is Paulie Gee's, and they do squares (Detroit style), woodfired, and, newly, NY-style slices. Unfortunately, they're in Logan Square and do not deliver to my neighborhood, so it has to be a whole trip to go there. Then, wood/coal-fired pies just don't travel well (which I learned at Paulie Gee's, who refuses to do even take out woodfired pizza). 

So I've been searching high and low for some decent NY-style spots that will deliver to my place. On July 5, 2021, I FINALLY FOUND MY SPOT.

When I tried out Crushed, I ordered a salad and a simple Build-Your-Own pie: just mushrooms. The pizza was everything I was hoping for: crisp, chewy crust; that perfect bite to the cheese; delicious sauce; and just the right number of shrooms for great flavor. I had added on the garlic butter as a side assuming that if the pizza was mediocre (which it wasn't), I could dip it in buttery goodness, and wow, was I shocked. The garlic butter is mind blowingly good. Like, so so so garlicy and herby without being too greasy. It was great on the pizza crust, and then I used it in other ways: on my veggies, to fry eggs, every use perfect.

I'm so relieved to have a pizza delivery place that is satisfying!

4 - Immm Rice and Beyond

7/30/21

I walk by this place all the time, and on this day, tried to do takeout, but my phone said they were only taking orders by home, and I didn't have my wallet on me. But by the time I got home, I wanted Thai food badly, and this was one of the places still open at 9pm... and I could order online 😐

I had pad thai like a basic bitch and some coconut rice w/ mango (which is what I really wanted). The pad thai was fine. Like, fine. People must go there for other things. Because it was fine. The coconut rice was magical when combined with the mango. So I probably won't order delivery from this spot again, but I will give it another try and eat something more adventurous.

5 - Moxy Hotel

7/31/21, with Stephanie Souvenir

I was certainly drawn to this spot due to the name. Luckily, it also had tacos from 

Steph & I split a great dip trio and were recommended the carnitas tacos, which were great, and I can't wait to go back and hang/work in this spot.

#2 - Complete the 2021 Book Riot Reading Challenge

I only managed to get 4 of the 24 challenge items done (so far) this year, but I still really love working on this every year. It really gets me out of my reading comfort zone, and I love that Book Riot provides ideas for each of the categories. Can't wait for more next year!

__________________________________________________________________

1. Read a book you've been intimidated to read & 2. Read a nonfiction book about antiracism

Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi

4/27/21

I want to believe I was intimidated by this book due its length (515 pages + notes) but really, I think I was intimidated because I was concerned I'd learn about how ignorant I am to large swaths of U.S. history and the intricacies of racist ideas. Well, I was right. This book included 515 pages of things I should have learned in history class and instead was presented with a white-washed curriculum of American progress and exceptionalism, which just isn't accurate. Ironically, this book also showed that the uncomplicated, inaccurate version of history that I was presented with may also be why I hated history class. It was so boring. Kendi, on the other hand, tells stories and weaves ideas and narratives in a very compelling historical text. It made me want to read more, learn more, do better. 

I have one critique I feel compelled to share due to Kendi's own argument about how Barack Obama was a legal and policy scholar, not a history, race, and racism scholar, yet his supporters treated his ideas on race as expertise based on his identity. In the epilogue of this book and in his subsequent book How to Be an Antiracist, Kendi also speaks on topics on which he is clearly not an expert, namely gender identity, sexual orientation, and other aspects of identity. He rightly ties the freedom of and justice for all people of all identities to the freedom of all, as is required in antiracism work, but he sometimes speaks as if he is an expert in these others when he is not. Kendi is certainly an expert and a scholar on racism and racist ideas, currently and throughout history, and I learned so much from him in this book. I wish he would speak to the connection between racism and other forms of oppression, and then either do extensive research in these areas before writing on them or refer readers to the writing of other experts. This critique is focused on some pieces of the epilogue, which is such a small segment of the book, so the space I'm giving the criticism in this blog post may not be appropriate. It was just hard to leave on that note, especially after having first read How to Be an Antiracist, which dedicates entire chapters to identities on which Kendi is not an expert and often presents misleading, inaccurate, or sometimes harmful/hurtful narratives, much like the narratives Kendi worked so hard to counter and correct in his own work. 

That said, this is all a reminder to myself that I can do deep research, be an expert, and still have areas of ignorance, some of which I am aware of and some I am not. While intent does not equal impact, with the genuine intention of continual learning and growth, as it is clear Kendi has and I strive to share, the pursuit of justice can move forward.

3. Read a non-European novel in translation

The Disaster Tourist by Yun Ko-eun

9/17/21

This was a strange read. The idea for the story was fascinating, very compelling, but the writing was choppy, and the author took some really "easy" turns in the plot, removing some of the interest for both the story and the characters. I'd be really curious to hear what someone who read the story in the original translation and with knowledge of the culture thought about it.

22. Read a book set in the Midwest

Say Nice Things About Detroit by Scott Lasser

7/30/21

I picked up this book thinking it was nonfiction. Turns out it's fiction. It makes a good attempt at being loving toward a city I love, but it's also a bit... written by a straight, cis white man who isn't great at writing women or black people. So I see the love letter to the city, and also, it has a really limited, kinda dishonest view.

__________________________________________________________________________

Here's the rest of the list! I highly recommend the challenge!

1. 
   
2. 
   
3. 
   
4. Read an LGBTQ+ history book
5. Read a genre novel by an Indigenous, First Nations, or Native American author
6. Read a fanfic
7. Read a fat-positive romance
8. Read a romance by a trans or nonbinary author
9. Read a middle grade mystery
10. Read an SFF anthology edited by a person of color
11. Read a food memoir by an author of color
12. Read a work of investigative nonfiction by an author of color
13. Read a book with a cover you don’t like
14. Read a realistic YA book not set in the U.S., UK, or Canada
15. Read a memoir by a Latinx author
16. Read an own voices book about disability
17. Read an own voices YA book with a Black main character that isn’t about Black pain
18. Read a book by/about a non-Western world leader
19. Read a historical fiction with a POC or LGBTQ+ protagonist
20. Read a book of nature poems
21. Read a children’s book that centers a disabled character but not their disability
22. 
    
23. Read a book that demystifies a common mental illness
24. Read a book featuring a beloved pet where the pet doesn’t die

#12 - Practice Yoga 52 Times

1 - 2/12/21: I wanted to get this going, so I did a quick, 5-minute practice at home. At least I got started!

2 - 2/24/21: Another quick, at-home practice

3 - 2/28/21: Still quick, but hey, I'm still going!

4 - 3/9/21: Short, sweet, and becoming more regular!

5 - 4/18/21: Another short session, but feeling better and better.

6 - 4/21/21: Extending my practice!

7 - 4/25/21: Still short but more frequent!

8 - 5/12/21: Another shortie.

9 - 7/25/21: Resuming with a short practice!

10 - 8/3/21: May not make it to 52 this year, but at least I'm back doing this regularly!

11 - 8/25/21: Another shortie

12 - 9/12/21: Building it up!

13 - 9/17/21: Getting a little longer!

14 - 9/21/21: Even longer!

15 - 10/25/21: Short again. Haha.

#4 - Read 35 Books

1 - Under the Volcano by Malcome Lawrey

3/7/21

2 - In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware
3/17/21, as part of Bingo Book Club

**3 - Poems, Poets, Poetry: An Introduction and Anthology edited by Helen Vendler

3/20/21

4 - Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

4/7/21, for the second time, for class

5 - The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai

4/19/21, for the second time, as part of Bingo Book Club

6 - Master Harold... And the Boys by Athol Fugard

4/21/21, for class

**7 - Stamped from the Beginning: A Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi

4/27/21

8 - Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys

5/6/21, for class

9 - Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe 

6/6/21, for class

10 - Passage to India by E. M. Forrester

7/24/21, for class, for the second timepow

11 - Say Nice Things About Detroit by Scott Lasser

7/30/21

12 - The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

8/5/21

13 - Verity by Colleen Hoover

8/26/21

**14 - Circe by Madeleine Miller

9/13/21, first time reading it after 2 listens of the audiobook

15 - The Disaster Tourist by Yun Ko-eun

9/17/21

*16 - And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

10/3/21 for Bingo Book Club

**17 - Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado

10/4/21, gifted to me by Kevin Robitaille

18 - Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott

10/18/21

19 - My Beautiful Laundrette by Hanif Kureishi

10/19/21, for class

20 - Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid

11/20/21, for class

#8 - Walk 52 Times

 1 - 1/2/21, 40 minutes in Pittsfield Township

2 - 3/19/21, 30 minutes in Pittsfield Township

3 - 3/18/21, 5 minutes around the pond with my dad

4 - 3/29/21, 29 minutes in Pittsfield Township

5 - 4/9/21, 39 minutes in Pittsfield Township

6 - 4/17/21, 35 minutes in Pittsfield Township

7 - 4/24/21, 35 minutes in Pittsfield Township

8 - 4/27/21, 40 minutes in Pittsfield Township

9 - 5/10/21, 15 minutes to the store in Chicago

10 - 5/17/21, 47 minutes along the lake shore in Chicago

11 - 5/27/21, 16 minutes in Uptown

12 - 5/31/21, 47 minutes in Uptown

13 - 6/3/21, 42 minutes in Uptown

14 - 6/12/21, 110 minutes in Marbury State Park with Chris Krone & Jackie Schafer

15 - 6/14/21, 55 minutes in Pittsfield Township

16 - 6/26/21, 55 minutes in Uptown

17 - 6/28/21, 60 minutes in Uptown

18 - 7/5/21, 65 minutes in Uptown

19 - 7/17/21, 70 minutes in Pittsfield Township (Pokemon Go Fest 2021)

20 - 7/18/21, 81 minutes in Pittsfield Township (Pokemon Go Fest 2021)

21 - 7/20/21, 79 minutes in Pittsfield Township

22 - 7/30/21, 80 minutes in Uptown

23 - 8/4/21, some time around downtown and the Riverwalk with Nicole Green

24 - 8/5/21, 32 minutes in Uptown

25 - 8/8/21, with Grace in Bay Park

26 - 8/10/21, with Grace in Bay Park

27 - 8/15/21, with Corey Grassl and Christian Imboden in the Poconos

28 - 8/17/21, with Peggy Salsbury

29 - 8/18/21, 45 minutes in the Poconos

30 - 9/2/21, 30 minutes in Uptown/Rogers Park

31 - 9/9/21, 18 minutes in Uptown with Shaun Cooley

32 - 9/19/21, 32 minutes in Uptown

33 - 9/23/21, 16 minutes in Uptown

34 - 9/26/21, 34 minutes in Uptown

35 - 9/29/21, 90 minutes in Uptown

36 - 10/7/21, 30 minutes in Uptown

37 - 10/8/21, 32 minutes in Uptown

38 - 10/16/21, 30 minutes in downtown Chicago

39 - 11/3/21, 90 minutes in Lincoln Park because I ran out of gas and forgot my wallet at home

40 - 11/4/21, 110 minutes in the Morton Arboretum with Stephanie Souvenir

41 - 12/3/21, a very long time (3 hours or so?) in La Paz Waterfall Gardens with Jerry Krone & Kathy Krone