Today I am 28

Not sure how I feel about that number quite yet, but as my Papa always said "it's better than the alternative." I was born at 9:11 PDT, so technically I am still 27. And I am going to take this opportunity and reflect on the past year.

It was a good year, Mason turned 2 and I got to attend his birthday party, I was also able to go white water rafting (check that off the bucketlist), I fed an elephant (still haven't ridden one yet, so that is still on the bucketlist), I caved and got a new laptop which is a huge step for me as I hate spending money, I am still gainfully employed and even took a new gig as a freelance writer, and my best friend got married.

I am sure I am leaving a lot of things out from the past year, but one of the things I am most thankful for is health. I am thankful that throughout the past year and all of the various health scares that my parents are healthy, my grandmas are healthy, and my family is healthy. I think this year more than ever the importance of taking care of yourself throughout your lifetime resonates.

Eat well. Keep moving. Wear sunscreen. And, stop stressing!

So my goal for my 28th year is to, as my coworker says, "tighten up your circle." Tighten up the circle of shit that you care about. It frees you from stressing about things that don't matter. This year I will tighten my circle, make decisions that, if for no other purpose, make me happy, and let things go. After all, to quote one of the wisest women I know "things have a way of working out."