Older and Wiser

Tomorrow, January 7th, marks a new year of my life. I’ll be another year older and wiser, that’s for sure. Having my birthday one week after the New Year certainly results in double the reflection for me. And, boy do I have a lot to reflect back on. This past year of my life has flown by. As I look back on my birthday last year, I literally cannot believe an entire year has passed. SO much has happened, it’s not even funny. {To take a look back at some of the main events this past year, check out this post.}

Here’s what my birthday looked like in 2011…

Last year, I was living in Utah and was taken out to eat at my favorite restaurant of all time – Joe’s Crab Shack :)

We then proceeded to go home where I partook of that delicious coconut cupcake above and posed with some of my favorite flowers. I’m silly, I know.

It was an amazing birthday. I was pretty darn happy, if you can’t tell. But, you know what? I didn’t know a bunch of the things I know now. The experiences I’ve gone through and lessons I’ve learned this past year have definitely changed me… for the better. But, everything happens for a reason. You’ve heard that phrase a time or two on here :)

I feel like I’m finally getting a tight grasp on the woman that I am. I know some people learn that when they’re 18 or when they’re graduating college but for me, it’s taken trials, tribulations, and a few falling-on-my-face moments to get to know the real me.

I read something yesterday that said that our goal here is not to do things perfectly, to get it right, or to not get hurt. Our goal is to become so strong, so rooted in our faith, so available for love that it doesn’t matter if we fall or get hurt because we accept every bit of it as an experience that was created uniquely for us; custom-built just for us in this moment in time. When we change, when we actually make the decision to change and make a new choice – life opens up.

Maybe now that I’m finally discovering my true self and I’m finally making decisions based on what I think, life will truly start to open up.

I recently made the decision to go spend my birthday and the next few days in Las Vegas. It was a decision that was made while I was in Boston but, you know what, sometimes my last-minute decisions have ended up being the best ones. They’re the ones that are made solely based upon what I want; what my heart is pulling towards.

Las Vegas is one of my favorite cities in the world. I’ve never gambled in Vegas nor had a sip of alcohol so my stays in Sin City are a bit different than what most people are used to :) However, the splendor of that city mixed with the beautiful desert surroundings are beautiful to me. The next few days will be spent there to think, talk, and do some more reflecting as I figure out the next phase of my life :) Oh, and don’t worry – pictures will be taken.

So, here’s to the last day of being this age. Tomorrow when I wake up, maybe I’ll feel different. Maybe not. Maybe it will just be the jet lag after catching my 6:25am flight and jetting off to the other side of the country. Either way, I’m excited for being another year older tomorrow :) Oh, birthdays…