When I was 25...in no particular order

When I was twenty-five I…
*finally got my drivers license
*bought my first car
*got to live with my little brother and get to know him
*felt how hard it is to be hit by a car
*endured months of physical therapy but came out on top
*learnt to trust my chiropractor enough to let her do that scary-spin-your-head-around-thingy
*really truly began to value a body that works
*saw several friends become beautiful/kind wives and even mothers
*got to hold a new born
*learnt that I’m strong enough to leave a bad relationship
*rediscovered myself
*took swing dancing classes
*tried to buy a house and realized that I’m not ready for that just yet
*discovered that I can spend months organizing thousands of volunteers, have the event postponed due to flooding, and somewhere find the energy to turn it all around and do the entire event 3 weeks later
*danced at a Temptations concert (Otis is an original)
*went to Graceland
*realized that I’d like to have children one day, but only if it’s with the right partner
*ate a hot pink sausage that came in a wrapper with a pig on it, but upon closer inspection was made of beef heart and reprocessed chicken parts (ewww)
*joined the board of directors for Friends of McKinney Falls State Park
*made some amazing new friends and learnt to cherish the classics
*climbed a 14,271 foot mountain
*felt overwhelming gratitude for being alive after making it off of the sand dunes after a lightning/hail storm
*decided that my Daddy really truly is my hero (he covered my body with his during the hail storm and did his best to minimize my hypothermia)
*got to see my brother graduate from UT and become a working architect
*went sledding on pizza pans
*took up running and yoga on a regular basis
*had nude photos taken of myself, not for anyone else, just for me because for the first time I’m comfortable in my skin…and just in case I’m lucky enough to have grandkids one day it’ll be nice to freak them out a bit
*got a beautiful painting “Marion” from my sister
*learnt to make rice with just a pot and lid versus my lovely rice maker
*was invited for the first time to speak at a conference
*fostered a stray dog (Chaca…now Daisy)
*saw Town Lake become a roaring river
*witnessed and played in the greenbelt with lots of flowing water in July
*joined not one but two book clubs
*for the first time in perhaps my entire life became really excited about living and the future.

Who knows what’s in store for me as a 26 year old? If I have anything to say about it (and trust me I do), it’ll involve cliff jumping, climbing Kilimanjaro, learning to play the fiddle and speak Spanish, and completing a triathlon (even if it’s just a sprint). Bring it on!