Leaving on a jet plane...

It's 8 pm, and I'm packed and ready to go. My nibling (gender-neutral term for your sibling's kid), Ares, arrived this morning with their friend, Annalise. The two of them will be staying at The Love Shack taking care of Lulu this week while I escape to Ireland for my first solo international trip! I've been pretty burned out at work and with life in general for a while now, and I'm hoping this will be the rest and reset I need to shake things loose and feel right again. I've done my research and have a good list of places to see and things to do, but I didn't want to tie myself down to an itinerary, so I booked my first night in Dublin at a hostel and plan to wing it from there! I even managed to pack everything I need for the week(hopefully!) into a backpack I can carry on, and I picked up an international driving permit just in case I decide to rent a car. I'm hoping to document my trip along the way. It's too easy to forget details when you're taking in so much at once. Alrighty, well, I've gotta do some transcription and get some sleep. 4 am comes awfully early!

46

Today is my 46th birthday, so I decided to write something for prosperity. I can't believe I'm closer to 50 than 40 now. My body has started to feel the wear, and I think I should probably start bringing "readers" with me everywhere I go now. I'm trying to stay as physically healthy as possible, expecially given my family history. I'm grateful for Lulu giving me the death stare on a sunny day until I take her up top for a long walk. I'm setting the intention to ride my stationary bike for at least 30 minutes each day and hope to add yoga and/or a workout, too. The new job I started in October reimburses up to $35/month as a fitness incentive, so I activated a gym membership 3/1 that I still haven't gone to. I've learned and changed a lot throughout my lifetime, obviously, but especially the past few years. This may be part of the developmental stage I'm currently in, but I think it also has a lot to do with going to grad school and going through a global pandemic (which required a lot of isolation and forced self-reflection). I'm learning that less is more. Simple is better. Routine is important and allows me to be spontaneous when the right opportunity presents itself. I've learned that good friends are worth their weight in gold, and it's important to reserve time to be with the people who truly matter and quit wasting precious time on those who take you for granted or use you. I've gone from assuming good intentions to hoping for good intentions but not trusting anyone until they've demonstrated their trustworthiness. It may sound like I've become more cynical and isolated, but it really is more like I recognize the importance of reserving my resources for myself and those who genuinely matter so I can be kinder, more patient, and more generous. I'm hoping to start writing here more frequently, because another thing I've learned is how feeble the memory is and how meaningful it can be to reflect on details that may otherwise be forgotten. For instance, Tyson, Victoria, and the kids took me out to The Melting Pot for my birthday last night, which I've been dying to try for years! They gave me a beautiful hummingbird solar lamp and a crystal suncatcher.

My friend, Kate, took me to Thai food for dinner and then to see Princess Goes to the Butterfly Museum (Michael C. Hall's band) at the Star Theater in Portland Friday night. It was an absolutely wonderful and mellow birthday weekend, and I feel very loved.