Today, I turn 39 and enter the last year of my 30’s. I’ve enjoyed this past decade so much, and I ain’t scurred to enter the next one. Here’s a random list of things I did in my 38th year:

• toured my old high school for our twentieth reunion
• bought an old Chevy Astrovan and turned it into a camper
• went on writing retreats in Indianapolis and Milwaukee with great friends and writers
• cried watching Wonder Woman in the theater
• saw U2 perform Joshua Tree at Soldier Field, recreating one of my first high school concert experiences
• became obsessed with Twin Peaks: the Return all summer
• swam in Lake Michigan and Waupaca’s Chain O’ Lakes
• had a sibling karaoke reunion at Sidekicks, my fave divey bar
• saw Arcade Fire play a Lollopalooza aftershow at the Metro and Winn Butler ran into me when he jumped into the crowd
• SAW A TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE
• sang karaoke at a pirate bar in Delavan, WI
• road tripped to Maine with my husband and our dog, checking off 4 new states
• hiked to the top of Cadillac Mountain then ate an ice cream bar
• saw Stephen King driving in his Jeep Liberty
• hosted our first Thanksgiving in our house
• added a Loch Ness monster to my early aught’s tramp stamp (it’s now a Triassic stamp!)
• started meditating every morning
• saw Magic Mike Live in Las Vegas
• took a train ride in a sleeper car and sang karaoke in New Orleans
• said goodbye to my beloved cat, Ginger Spice
• practiced yoga 27 out of 31 days in March
• visited two new countries, Denmark and Sweden

Looking at this list, I feel so hashtag-blessed to live my life. Who knows how many years we all get to share with each other, so I hope to cram each and every year of life as balls-to-the-wall as this one. OH HAI 39!