43 things

Today I am 43.

Wow.

You know when you are young you can’t imagine 43? It seems so..middle aged.

I remember when my parents hit their 40s..I was like GOD they are OLD! 

Side eyes younger self…

But now I’m 43. And…I don’t feel old. 

Aside from this bum knee which keeps me from running like I want to, I feel fine. 

If I’m honest, I feel like life is almost right where I want it to be. 

It took me almost 43 years to stop doing what everyone expected of me and start doing what I expect of me.

If took me 43 years to be comfortable in my own skin.

It took me 43 years to learn that I need to start making myself a priority again. That just because I’m a mom and a wife doesn’t mean that I come last.

So in honor of these 43 years of life, here are 43 things I’m going to do in this 43rd year. In no particular order…

1. Get a housekeeper. Cause listen…it’s time
2. Stop feeling guilty when I sleep late
3. Eat the cake. But in moderation…
4. Enjoy Pookah, because he is a joy
5. Take a self-care weekend at a hotel, by myself.
6. Take my Mommy somewhere. Just the two of us.
7. Go to the Beach and not give two damns about what I look like in a two piece.
8. Hire help for my business. Cause I can’t do it alone.
9. Exercise for ME. Not because I’m supposed to, not to lose weight but because dammit I am tired of being out of breath going up the stairs.
10. Loc my hair again.
11. And add some color. These greys have got to go.
12. Learn how to make a good gluten-free sourdough bread
13. Go visit NYC like a tourist.
14. Be a great Auntie to my new niece and nephew
15. Embrace technology..and start using a digital calendar ( still not giving up my paper though)
16. Go to Disney and Ride Avatar with Pookah
17. Talk to more friends on the phone.
18. Forgive a lot.
19. Learn how to sew. Or at least hem some pants. 
20. Stop accepting and making concessions when I don’t mean it. ( practiced that one today)
21. Plan a trip to Hawaii
22. And Italy.
23. Learn how to apply eyeliner without poking my eye out.
24. Organize my closet.
25. Learn a new language..and not Spanish
26. Put my feet in the sand…at least 5 times
27. Run a 5K
28. Read War and Peace
29. Buy a Louis Vuitton Never Full Bag because I’m grown dammit.
30. Go to brunch with my girls more often.
31. Learn how to use chopsticks. Cause I’m tired of C Dub laughing at me.
32. Go to church more often.
33. Do something photography related that I’m not even going to put here…
34. Go ice skating
35. Ride in an hot air balloon
36. See the Grand Canyon
37. Have the whole family volunteer at a food bank.
38. Get in 10K steps a day…at least 4 times a week
39. Get a tatoo..maybe LOL
40. Take PROFESSIONAL family portraits.
41. Start scrapbooking 
42. Work on a pottery wheel
43. Be me.