twenty-eight

today is my 28th birthday.

or, as my grandfather would say... I am starting my 29th year.

[I love my Papa, but I'm not ready to have anything to do with the number 29 just yet. so we stick with turning 28.]

I woke up this morning with amazing second-day hair. I'm in desperate need of a cut and Taiwan is crazy humid, so that pretty much never happens. here's hoping my hair is becoming tame in it's old age. or at least that this is a sign for what's to come.

I hope to do my best to make the next year the happiest and most adventure-filled one yet. I think a great way to do that will be to not set a list of goals for the year. instead, I want to be open to changing plans. living in the moment. embracing the unexpected. looking beyond the to-do list.

today I will look forward to what comes next. I will wash my hair that doesn't really need washing, and head to Taipei with Husband for an afternoon of fun and adventure. without much of a plan.

but, you know me. I love my lists.

so I will leave you with 27 things I accomplished while 27 years old. [it was kindof a big year.]

1. quit my full-time job.

2. narrowed my wardrobe down to three suitcases.

3. moved to the other side of the world.

4. learned to live without a car, dishwasher, or dryer.

5. kicked my morning coffee addiction. twice.

6. got over my initial fear of driving a scooter and became a master of loading it up after a Costco run.

7. fell off the scooter. but more importantly...

8. got back on.

9. taught a month's worth of classes in total to grades 1, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12.

10. took a yoga class.

11. survived being served shellfish four times.

12. painted two chalkboard walls and one chevron wall in our apartment.

13. fostered two dogs.

14. added eleven stamps to my passport.

15. ... and one annoying stapled-in entry slip.

16. shot my first roll of film.

17. [accidentally] stayed in a hotel that rents rooms by the hour.

18. learned to bake in a toaster oven.

19. became infinitely less stressed and much more calm.

20. ate the world's best broccoli at a night market in Hong Kong.

21. wrote 15,000 words of a novel, and counting.

22. bought an instant camera, and started another 52 weeks project.

23. sang karaoke in front of people I had just met.

24. traveled by car, boat, bus, train, plane, tuktuk, gondola, tram, subway, and scooter.

25. came up with an idea for my future tattoo.

26. learned to be comfortable living in a place I thought I would never go.

27. started this blog and published 125 posts in just under a year. [friday is the blog's birthday]