Another year gone by...

I'm finding things quite ironic right now. Here I am listening to the same song, "Fireflies" just before my birthday just as I was last year. I know this because I thought I'd go back and look at what I had to say before my last birthday. The answer to that is nothing. I never posted about my birthday. As my 26th year of life fades into the past I'm reminded of a time when I was little and how I just knew exactly where I'd be by now. Of course you realize that I'm no where near there and while this saddens me, it doesn't leave me despondent as I had expected. At 26 I was supposed to have a husband and babies, instead I have a few close friends and a budding career. I know that I'm part of the procrastination generation, but living is not something that I want to put off. I was thinking that for my birthday I'd write something truly great about my goals for the year. So here I was thinking I'd write this great thing and I can't seem to come up with what it is I should set as my goal.

Yesterday, I got up early and headed downtown to give a deposition in the industrial district just north of the Pearl District. Of course, even with all my planning the connections didn't work and I ended up having to walk about a mile from Chinatown instead of just a few steps. While this did make me late, I didn't let it get me down. I mean who doesn't want to walk a mile in the cold first thing in the morning? I was done with my deposition quickly and headed back out to the cold. This time I was ready for it and excited to be able to not have any responsibilities for the rest of the day. I slowly started making my way back downtown, even though I knew where I could catch the streetcar. I stopped and watched the horses at the MPU (Beautiful horses and cute guys in uniform), I wandered through a very interesting city park, strolled down the boardwalk and wound my way back downtown. I didn't have a destination in mind, and even spent part of the time talking on the phone. I just walked and took in my surroundings. I decided that I really could live and be happy in the city. It's the suburbs that kill me. There's no life here. Empty streets and lonely houses. I mean there's actually a house that we call the lonely house. It's this little old couple that live there and they park in their garage. They must only use the back half of their house because there are NEVER any lights in the front. They never have company either. I only know that it's a little old couple because I caught them pulling into their driveway and straight into the garage one day while waiting for the light to change. I just don't want that to become me. I remember a time when I had so much drive and I was so brave at trying new things. Now I'm terrified to do anything alone.

After I got home yesterday Gramma and I went to dinner at Ramono's, while our waiter couldn't write upside down very well he was a great server and very interesting to talk to. He seemed about my age, prolly a couple years older and he's been all over. He sings opera and speaks Italian. He was pretty cute too! He's currently saving up money for a new visa to go back to Europe. He does this all alone. I admire his courage.

This is prolly my longest post to date and I don't feel as if I've done what I set out to do. I don't know what this 27th year will bring me, but I have hope that there will be happiness, love and laughter. And just like last year, I'm still waiting for my prince.