Reflections...

I don't have anything stamping-related to share, but having just celebrated my birthday on Wednesday, I've been doing some reflecting on the past year and on some of my goals for the coming year. I thought it would be fun to look back on this a year from now to see if I've actually seen some of these goals/wishes come true!

By my 28th birthday I hope to...

1. Lose 25-30 lbs. Actually, I'm hoping to do this by Christmas - beginning the day after Labor Day, my mom and I are starting a contest to see who can lose 25 lbs first and our goal is that we'll both have lost at least that much by the end of 2008, at which point we'll treat ourselves to a (non-food related) reward!
2. Move. I've lived in my apartment for 5 years and I never thought I'd be here this long. It was a place my then-boyfriend and I settled on in a hurry because I was starting a job here in Connecticut and needed a place to live. I've never liked the apartment itself or the building it's in, so I really can't wait to move. With this currently being a buyers' market, I'm hoping to buy a condo and leave my renting days behind. I'd love to see this happen by Christmas too!
3. Be debt free. I've been steadily working on this over the past two years and I'm almost there. To be honest, I never thought I'd come this far. A little over 3 years ago, my life was a mess due largely to the previously mentioned boyfriend. But with a lot of determination, I've managed to pay off everything he saddled me with, paid off my car early, and paid off the money I borrowed for college! Just a small credit card balance to go and I'll be officially debt free. Just in time to start with a mortgage...!
4. Date. I'm 27 years old and have never officially been on a date. Sure, I've had boyfriends, both short term and long term, but it has always been a situation where we met through friends, went out in groups, and then it was just sort of an unspoken thing that we were exclusively "dating". But I've never just met a guy, had him ask me out, and gone to dinner or a movie and had the chance to get to know each other that way. I think it's time! This one's a little less within my control than the first three, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed and my eyes open!
5. Meet Michael Phelps. Ok, so this one will likely never happen, but a girl can dream! Just because I'm 27 doesn't mean I need to let go of ridiculous crushes, does it? I am somewhat ridiculously obsessed with Michael Phelps these days. I can't get enough video footage, interviews, articles, photos, you name it. His appeal for me is a combination of things - his amazing accomplishments in the pool of course, and the fact that he's just adorable in a hot yet "guy next door" kind of way. But what really caught me was his personality in all of the interviews I've seen and the relationship he has with his mother and sisters. For a kid who has every reason to have the biggest head in the room, he seems remarkably down to earth. I like it.

So that's that. If you've kept with me through this bit of reflection, thanks! Though I have a lot of things I want to change about me and my life, deep down I know that I am truly blessed. My timeline that I've always had in place may be off (I was supposed to be getting married at 27 or 28 at the latest, so my first child could be born when I was no older than 30 and so on...) but I guess life just doesn't work that way. I have a wonderful family, the best friends anyone could ask for, a roof over my head, too much food to eat, and the luck to live in the United States. It's easy to get swept up in complaints about our country, the economy, the president, etc. but I am so proud to be an American. Tears have come to my eyes with every single playing of our national anthem throughout these Olympic games and I have felt such a surge of joy for each and every one of our champions. Go USA!!