Another Turn Around the Sun

Today is my 29th birthday. The last year of my 20s, before the big 3-0 creeps around and we are well and truly not a 'young person' anymore. Not that I feel like I'm a young person right now, really, but the speed of which life heads towards me only seems to get faster. 

I've lived 29 years on this Earth. With any luck there will be many more - two thirds more, for example, or who knows what kind of pill they may have invented by the time I'm a rickety old woman that means I can live even longer. If I want that, which I'm not sure I would.

Regardless, with 29 years under my belt I thought that maybe it was time for a Life (so far) in Review. It's so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day that we don't realise how much we have accomplished - it can often feel like we haven't accomplished much, like we're 'wasting time' or not living how we want to, or feeling like we've failed for one reason or another.

This year, I wanted to change that thought process. Remind myself of who I am, and the good and amazing things that I have done. Because I am worthy. I am loved. I am beautiful, clever, funny. I deserve great things. I deserve to be here. 

So. What have I done?

• Built houses in Cambodia for rural villagers (age 13)
• Ridden an elephant (age 12)
• White water rafting (age 12)
• Scuba diving (age 12 and again at 27)
• Sailed on a tall ship off the coast of Australia (age 14)
• Lived in two continents: Asia and Europe
• Made friends across four continents
• Been to private school, state school and boarding school
• Been on safari (age 28)
• Been on a seaplane / to the Maldives (age 28)
• Been a waitress / barista / shop assistant
• Worked as a design and travel journalist (5 years)
• Written multiple feature films (8 maybe?)
• Directed two feature films (we don't talk about the first two)
• Worked as a runner / AD
• Had David Beckham open a door for me
• Served Claire Foy pasta
• Had a poem published in an anthology and another in a magazine
• Went to university (twice - BA and MA)
• Been to Orlando Universal Studios / Disneyworld
• Travelled extensively: France, Spain, Italy, Norway, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Australia, Lord Howe Island, Canada, USA, Ireland, South Africa, Maldives, Hong Kong, (where else?)
• Met a boy. Fell in love (age 19).
• Bought a flat (age 25)
• Got engaged (age 27)
• Became a God(witchy) mother (age 28)
• Still friends with people I've known since I was 5 / 10 / 15 years old
• Written three novels (though one has been lost since 2007, still counts)
• Written a play. Had two 'scratch night' performances for it
• Learned to drive (age 18)
• Run a 10K (age 17)
• Got a tattoo (age 22) (and more to come)
• Shaved my head (age 17) and had it all grow back

All this to say... I've done a lot, because I don't think this list is even remotely finished yet. I've had a wonderful, weird, extraordinary life so far - and I think it's only going to stay that way. I can't wait.