This is the Year

(source)

This year - 2018 - is the year. As my friend put it, "the big birthday year." When you are still being surprised by the world, and still feel like a goof ball faking at being an adult, turning 50 sounds ridiculous. It could also be the evolving timing of generations. When my mom turned 50, I was 2 years out of college and she and my dad celebrated their 28th anniversary. When my husband's mom turned 50, he was 8 or so years into his Air Force career. For my 50th year, I have a soon to be college freshman and a high schooler - definitely not retiring from full time mom duties anytime soon. 

I am not freaked out about the number at all. Life is good, the family is good. I am always working on some kind of improvement, mental or physical, and I know that won't stop. But 50 is definitely on this side of the middle, it's the start of the second half. My grandfather lived to 99 and my mom is an awesome, active 75 year old, so I hope to have a complete second half, but still.

So I intend to use this milestone to have a blast all year long, and as an excuse to do stuff I have always wanted to do. I don't need permission - it's A BIRTHDAY THING. The birthday list is completely not my invention but I am stealing it. Also, I couldn't think of 50 things, which leaves room to add more :-).  

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50 things to do when I turn 50

Sky dive (with my daughter after she turns 18)

Long board

Learn to knit socks

Surf

Make Pad Thai at home

Make croissants at home (did this over Christmas - yummmmmmm - and not that hard - here's the recipe)

Take a digital photography class

Finish my book

Make tortillas from scratch

Make macrons

Go to the opera

See something at Signature Theater

See something at Arena Stage

Go to an old school rock concert (have tickets to see Pink!)

Enter a bike race

Do another triathlon (like this very casual one in the spring)

Go on the mission trip to Haiti (leaving Saturday)