Happy Birthday to ME!

I am in the peak of my birthday celebration. A weeklong homage to the 50 years I have spent exploring this earth. I didn’t really know how I was going to take this. I am not depressed, so that is a plus. To be honest, I never visualized myself as a middle aged woman so my expectations are pretty casual. I mean, I knew I would dress well and be considered incredibly hip by all who meet me, but outside of that fantasy – I HAD NOTHING.

There are two saving graces for this:
1. I am super immature.
2. I made a bucket list for the 49th Birthday.

I think the bucket list helped because it was filled with things that I could accomplish. Everyone knows that when a human feels accomplished then the impact is positive. So, I had a number of things that I knew I wanted to do before I turned this magic number 50 and having goals feeds my competitive nature.

And now, for the first time, I am sharing my bucket list with the world (in no particular order).
• Celebrate my 5th year as a volunteer at Camp by becoming a Thunderbird. Mission Complete.
• Make sure I have girlfriend time at least once a month. Studies show that women who have girlfriend time have healthier lives. Feel used if you wish friends – but know, this time together helped your life too. Mission Complete.
• Take an off the grid hiking vacation with my man. And with that we left the world and ventured to the Upper Peninsula’s Picture Rocks. One of the best vacations ever! Mission Complete.
• Have a professional photo taken so my grandchildren would see that at one time in my life, I wasn’t all wrinkled. Mission Complete.
• Run a 5k a month. I once loved to run then I got fat, lazy and compliant. Once I realized that the pain in my back, the fat on my belly and the poor health I was having was completely my fault, I changed. Ran 15 races in 12 months – few highlights

o Ran a Halloween Themed 5k with a partner. . In the woods . .at night.
o A Girls on the Run mentoring experience helping a young girl complete her first race ever.
o New Year’s Day – in sleet and snow.
o Ran the River Bank Run 10K in a surprisingly good time.
o Ran a 200 mile relay with 11 other crazy friends and was given the honor of running the last leg of the race.
o Ran 3 races with my oldest daughter Megan.
o Mission Complete.
• Run the Mighty Mac: a 5.6 mile race over the bridge. The final race of my 49th year and I set a PR Pace! Mission Complete.
• Have an amazing, memory making, 50th Birthday celebration with family and friends. Mission EXCEEDED.

Now on to my goals for the 50th . . . . What will the year bring? At least a once a week posting to this blog will be one.

Assignment: Not happy with your daily routine? Change it up. I give you the permission you have been waiting for. . Now go. Go on. Shut off the computer and do something!