I just turned 35 years old. I happen to be a pretty nostalgic gal, so sometimes the transition of a birthday comes with that good ol’ bittersweet feeling. It’s not that I’m sad to get older because actually I love the age I am and I feel like I’m getting to know myself better with each passing year. Rather, it’s a nostalgic feeling more like my recent move from Panama to Guatemala – excitement for the changes to come and adventures ahead, but a mutual sadness and reluctance to say goodbye to all the memories, moments, and experiences behind me. So, to do those memories proper justice and to prepare for all I want to accomplish in the coming year, I have a tradition that I’ve developed with Juan over the years. This tradition is my way of sending the last year and age into the past with love and gratitude for what I’ve learned and how I’ve changed, while envisioning what I want to “manifest” itself in the year to come. I am a huge believer in living with positive intentions and being aware of not only my actions but my thoughts, because those thoughts eventually become form. I try to be as conscientious as I can about how I choose to live my life. In the process I think I say “yes” to more things and I feel a bottomless appreciation for all the amazing people and opportunities that are constantly presented to me.
Imagine a busy restaurant, a lively buzz of music and conversation. Warm atmosphere, good energy, soft light, a bottle of wine on the table and a delicious meal, with nowhere else to be but there. Depending on what materials we can muster, Juan and I begin the annual List of Life, usually on the back of a paper menu or using a large corner of the white paper that covers whatever bistro table we’re sitting at. As Juan scribbles down a few numbers (at my most recent birthday dinner for example) 34, 35, and 40, I begin to think and imagine, remember and reflect. It starts with listing all the things that stand out to me from my 34th year; good, bad, difficult, surprising. Next it’s 35, the year to come. I list all the things I hope to realize, accomplish, experience, and complete. Lastly, we skip 5 years ahead (40) to a longer term vision and once more, on a broader scale, I list all the things that I imagine and hope my life will be made up of by the time I’m 40. It usually takes up all of our time during the dinner, it leads to conversation and laughs and debate, and most of all it is something I’ve come to look forward to on my birthday as my way of being aware of where I’ve been and where I’m going.
As 2013 and my 34th year come to a close, I can simply say that I am nothing but grateful for the adventure that I am living, for my incredible, healthy family and friends, for all the opportunity and creativity that surrounds me, for the endless possibilities that are presented to me, and for the luxury of having a choice in the matter. Beginning and maintaining this blog “The Berry and the Fox” is one of my proudest accomplishments from last year and I want to thank all of you who have read it, continue to read it, share it, comment on my work, and support this little love project of mine. It’s my way of not only being creative but archiving all the special things that make up my world and my life. Sharing it with you is the cherry on top.
So without further ado, I present to you a link below with a short video collage of all my photos and memories of 2o13 – an unforgettable year that I will remember with pure joy and gratitude.
Love and health to each and everyone of you in 2014!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2QkQMqBzPU&feature=youtu.be
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