Twenty Six

Today I came back to the house at 4:30pm grumpy and worn down by anxiety, stress and the seven hours of staring at a computer screen.  I don't think the grey, drizzling New England kind of day helped, but none the less, I was grumpy on the eve of my birthday.  But as I walked up to my front door, my mailbox sat looking at me bulging to the brim with birthday cards. I love birthdays. There really is no greater feeling than, "I made it through another year" and I get to see what this next year has in store. It really is super exciting. Besides, who doesn't love a delicious funfetti cake with luscious vanilla icing and sprinkles?!

So I opened my "Aunt Bethy's" birthday card, and leave it to her to give me one that sings. It really is so fitting. And what is playing as I open the card?! The Rolling Stones "You Can't Always Get What You Want".  I exhaled deeply.
Oh 26.

It has been one hell of a year.  It has been a LOT of changes. As my best friend Anne puts it, there are 3 areas in life: Relationships, Career and Location. There are usually one or more of these areas in line with one another that make you happy and then there is that pesky last one that goes astray.  It has been a lot of "You Can't Always Get What You Want" in my career and job corner of life.  I have struggled with this over the course of the past 8 months. But in reality, "You Get What You Need" is what I got this year for my 26th year of life.  I have been blessed with the growth of my relationships, but personally and otherwise.  Andrew and I's love for one another would not be where it is today if I had not moved here to Newport, and for that I am eternally grateful. There is nothing better in this life than pure, unconditional love.

The other area, "Location", I am working on.  I am slowly but surely becoming a New England girl. For all you southerners out there, yes, it is hard to admit.  I will always pride myself on being from the south, but I am learning to adapt.  But let me ask, can we just get some good sweet tea and Chick fil a for crying out loud?!  And for the record, they don't even monogram things up here. People look at me like it's crazy to monogram computer covers and purses.  And shrimp & grits, well, that's a whole new subject!

I have had a lot of health issues for the past year as well...my bank account certainly knows it! But after the latest and greatest "photo shoot" as Andrew calls it, I come to find I have nothing serious and after all this time can confirm that I don't have Celiacs Disease. For this I am ever so thankful.

At 26 I spent another summer in Nantucket, rock climbed for the first time, bought my first car, moved from duffles to drawers, traveled to France, finally bought my first paddle board, bravely experienced my first season of winter laser frostbiting, completed my third boat delivery from Newport to Antigua, and put an offer on my first house, among other things. Whew. It's funny how nothing seems like an accomplishment at the time until you write everything down you did in 12 months!!

I am hopeful that 27 has big things in store for me.  I'd really love for my everything to fall in line, but if I can't get what I want, I hope I continue to...

                           "Get What I NEEEEED"