37 Wishes.

The calls and emails have started trickling in, confirming the fact that my birthday is here! Last year I wrote about how my aging process is going, this year it’s like time has gone in reverse and I’m another year younger. I’ve thought about this, and come to the conclusion that the process of learning new things is almost regenerative…nothing makes you feel younger than tackling on a new skill, new thoughts, new knowlege. Starting at the lowest level, like a child, and working your way up. This past year has been an almost indescribable whirlwind of newness, openness, deeper awareness…it’s kept me on my toes and really flown by. I’m amazed that it really has been a year since I wrote my last birthday post!

Inspired by the always inspiring Kristin over at Maine Momma, I am compiling a list of 37 wishes I want to fulfill in this next birthday year.

In no certain order, they are:

1. Swim under breaking waves in an ocean.
2. Go to a Karaoke bar and actually sing something.
3. Find a real working photobooth on the street somewhere and use it (still looking, K!)
4. Go to a concert.
5. Take the time to do what it takes to really make a difference in someone’s life.
6. See Wagner’s entire Ring Cycle opera next summer in LA.
7. 4 nights a week, turn the computer off by 8 pm. And leave it off!
8. hopefully that will mean I sleep longer than 5 or 6 hours a night.
9. Learn more about using my Canon, either through a class, or online, or a friend who knows what they are doing.
10. Go on a couple more flickr walks with flickr friends!
11. Have each one of my kids teach me something they are good at, or know a lot about.
12. Remember that I can’t control everything in my life, but I can control how I react to it.
13. ack, I’m only on 13? This is going to take forever…
14. Learn how to cook a new recipe from a regional cuisine I haven’t tried before.
15. Take a swing dance class with Todd.
16. Paint a picture again.
17. participate in a race…not to win, but to finish…
18. More camping!
19. Visit at least 4 more National Parks I haven’t been to.
20. See Ashley again.
21. More roadtrips!
22. Visit a state I haven’t been to. Which means either Maine, Washington, or North Dakota.
23. learn more about Photoshop.
24. Do one thing with each of the kids that will be a lifelong memory for them.
25. write something that is published somewhere other than my blog.
26. laugh more.
27. Cry more.
28. Read out loud to the kids at night.
29. apologize less for the quirky things that make up me.
30. celebrate more the quirks that make up the people around me.
31. go bowling.
32. Fly a kite.
33. notice the small moments.
34. embrace all kinds of change, not just the stuff I have control over.
35. find ways every day to make Todd fall in love with me over and over again.
36. take myself on a journey…either spiritually, mentally, or physically.
37. For realz?! I’d love to go to Mexico…

But right now, I’d love to go to bed. And I’ll wake up another year older, maybe not really wiser. And I’ll get snuggles and breakfast in bed, and lots of birthday love. Life is good!