26

So this is 26. I can proudly say that I did not have a nervous breakdown leading up to this birthday like I did with 25. Thank the heavens! 25 taught me so many life lessons and provided me with so many answers.

25 taught me that if you don't tell someone how you feel about them, they'll probably go and marry someone else and you'll be left feeling angry at yourself for not doing anything about it.

 25 taught me that it's okay to not know what the hell you're doing or where the hell you're going.

25 taught me that by being authentically unapologetic you, doors open that you didn't even know existed.

 25 taught me that being unhappy isn't an option.

 25 taught me that I am indeed the "master of my sails" and that I am the only one in charge of what I do with my life and how I feel about it.

25 taught me just how important it is to network.

25 taught me that I need to be diligent with my health and it also made me grateful for modern medicine.

25 taught me that everything really does happen in God's timing and that I need to trust him.

 25 taught me how to be excited again.


So here we are at the very start of my 26th year on planet earth. Honestly, I'm grateful I've made it this far. My teenage self would have told you that I would be married with at least 1 kid by now but my adult self will tell you how grateful I am that that is not the current reality of my life. And while my reality is not exactly what I would have planned for myself either, I'm grateful for it.

I'm grateful for the friends who have stuck around as well as the new ones.
I'm grateful for the new job I'm starting in a week.
I'm grateful for the opportunities that have presented themselves.
I'm grateful my parents are letting me live rent free in their basement.
I'm grateful that I'm no longer in school and I'm instead working my way up with a Dentist.

I'm grateful. I'm happy.

Cheers to 26! I'm going to celebrate this weekend by eating way too much food with my girlfriends and not feeling bad about it.