Today’s a big day. I’m officially older than a quarter of a century.

Twenty-six.

That sounds so odd to me. Twenty-six years of age. It feels like just yesterday I was anticipating the arrival of my friends for a sleepover in our Disney Princess pajamas, complete with me blowing out the big 6 on top of my cake. That was 20 years ago.

And when I look back and think about everything I’ve done in that time, literally growing from a tiny baby to an independent adult, those 20 years flew by. In my 26 year journey, I was raised by the best parents and had an incredible childhood, met my hubs in my early 20s, graduated with two degrees, moved across the world, traveled around Europe for a few years, moved across the world again and here I am now, in California, celebrating my 26th birthday.

Every birthday I’ve had on the 10th of February, I was either snowed in or stuck inside to avoid 20 degree temps. Today, it’s 75 degrees and sunny as all get out and I couldn’t be happier about it. A summer birthday for the first time in my life! It only took 26 years. I’m also super grateful this birthday because my mom came all the way from Indiana to celebrate with me, bringing with her a piece of home that I’ve been missing. But, if I want to be completely honest,

I find getting older pretty traumatizing…

and not because I’m afraid of a wrinkly face or saggy boobs. With each year that goes by, I realize that I should be that much closer to having my shit together. When you turn 18 you think ‘yeah, this is it. I’m an adult now and can finally do what I want and become what I want to be.’ Little did I know at 26 that’s still not true, at least for me.

Getting older means a lot of things to me, like letting go of dreams to have an actual, realistic career. It means my biological clock is ticking and if I don’t want to be 50 with a high schooler, I need to start thinking about my future. Getting older means realizing that the moments you have with your loved ones are precious and their time with us is limited. It means letting go of birthday milestones, like legally driving or buying alcohol, and celebrate finding your own health insurance instead.

I also find getting older exciting…

mainly because at this stage in my life, everyone that surrounds me has chosen to be there. I have no obligations to fake friendships or be someone I’m not to try and fit in. Relationships become more natural and going out doesn’t seem to matter as much; my sofa, Netflix and take-out is simpler and cheaper. Prioritizing responsibilities, like opting for a new set of tires for the car over a new handbag, seem more important. With age comes new personality traits, like confidence, compassion, and empathy. The world becomes a little clearer, seeing it for what it is and being grateful for what I have. With that confidence comes the will of getting to know myself better, focusing on positivity and creating an encouraging aura. I can only look forward to the future when all of those traits heighten and I become 100% with myself. But, regardless of all that nonsense…

Today is MY Day

and I plan on celebrating it how I want which, oddly enough, would be to binge-eat my entire cake on the sofa with my mom, hubs & pup and watch Molly Ringwald in 16 Candles. Oh, how birthday celebrations change as we age.

With that said, I’m cheersing myself to a year of positivity and enlightenment, where I progress mentally, physically & professionally. Cheers to unearthing myself a bit more, learning the ins and outs of my personality and discovering that ultimate happiness we’re all seeking. Cheers to being a little kinder, a better listener and a harder worker. And, if all of those things I cheersed to don’t happen in the next 365 days, then I’ll cheers myself again on my 27th birthday because that’s life and we never stop growing.

Happy Birthday to Me!

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