Turning 27

This year I'm turning 27, and I'm not going to lie, it scares me. I'm entering into my late 20's and I feel like I still don't have anything figured out. I don't have long-term plans and I don't have any short term goals. 

But I really thought about it, and 27 is a year to really figure out what I want in life. It's a year that I can spend really figuring out what I want to do, where I want to live, where I want to go and who I want to surround myself with.

To celebrate my 27th, I wanted to share with you all 27 things that make up me:

1. I live to travel. There is something about getting in an airplane, a bus or a car and just going somewhere. I've seen almost 20 countries and I cannot wait to see more. I live for the adventure and excitement of traveling and theres nothing I love more.

2. I'm a celiac. And although there are more and more food options out there for people like me, I still miss bread. I live vicariously through my friends by smelling everything they get that contains it. 

3. I also have a million other allergies and they include things like chickpeas, kiwis, uncooked tomatoes and fish.

4. I love yoga. It can sometimes take a lot to get me out of my apartment after a long day at work, but when I reach my mat, everything drifts away and I'm so thankful to be there.

5. I also love boxing. You need to balance the zen with a bit of working out your aggression. I like the feeling out being in control and knowing how to box properly.

6. I idolize Kate Spade. All of my friends know that if it has polka dots or the words Kate Spade on it, I want it. I have a ton of housewares from her line and my all-time favourite find is a leopard print dress that is my go to for interviews, meet-the-parents dates and going out for fancy dinner parties.

7. I love to paddleboard. It's a hobby I picked up last year and have really loved keeping at it this year. It's so incredibly relaxing and I love how you get a mini core workout whenever you pop up.

6. If i'm feeling stressed, all I have to do is, while driving fast, roll down every window and have a full wind cleanse. I don't think there is a better way to describe it.

7. I love 50 cent. Enough said.

8. I hate doing dishes. Enough that my brother got me a book on how to do the dishes for Christmas...

9. I live alone, and I love it. I enjoy having my alone time.

10. I also get lonely, so I make sure to surround myself with lovely people and make lots of plans to fill my days with.

11. I generally hate my birthday. I always have such high expectations for it, and I end up disappointing myself. I've also had a string of birthdays that have ended very badly for me, partially because I never set them up for success. 

12. I have the worst car luck. 8 months into a new car and someone has already hit me, something has been dropped on the hood of my car and the windshield is completely cracked. My last car was totalled by a drunk driver, thankfully with me not in it.

13. I show my love for my friends by doing things for them. To the point that it exhausts me. But if I can do something for someone, be it make them dinner, bake them a birthday cake, drive them to the doctor, I will in a heart beat. Acts of Service are my love language through and through.

14. I cannot wait to get a dog. Once I'm rid of my long term travel bug, I want to settle down and get a dog. 

15. I went to 3 different universities. I struggled to find a major and went through all the options, like psychology, anthropology, computer science and then finally settled on a business and entrepreneurial degree. 

16. My favourite class in university was accounting. In another life i'd like to be an accountant. I enjoyed the black and white nature of it either being over, short or even.

17. I'd love to live in a different country for a little bit, even just 6 months. I'd love to get that opportunity to experience a different culture and really immerse myself in it. 

18. I'm terrified of getting injured. This often prohibits me from doing any activities or sports that have the potential of me getting injured, which is something I want to work on. But the thought of being out for 6 months after another knee dislocation, or sprain make my stomach turn.

19. I may be terrified to get injured, but I have no problem throwing myself off a platform and bungee jumping or hopping on a zipline through the cloud forest in Costa Rica. I live for that adrenaline. 

20. I also live for pizza. And being a celiac, that means I needed to find a really good GF pizza place and thankfully I found one a block and a half from my house. I go there way too often and Skip-the-Dishes more often than I should.

21. I can't drive standard to save my life. It's gotten me into a pickle a few times, but I cannot and people have definitely tried to teach me. 

22. If I could live anywhere in the states I'd live somewhere in California. I love San Francisco, Palm Springs, Monterey and everything to do with Big Sur. I'd live pretty much anywhere in that state. 

23. I love learning about Buddhism. After traveling through Thailand and learning more about the Buddhism values, I feel the most connected to something whenever I'm in a Buddhist temple. I cannot wait to go back someday. 

24. The sound and feeling of being by a body of water instantly calms me. All I need to do is be by a lake or the ocean and i'm good. 

25. I'm trying to work on my stress levels. As of late I've been getting sick and exhibiting all signs of stress and I'm just now taking it seriously.

26. Like I said above, I'm always sick. I'm taking steps to try and be healthier and happier everyday including changing my diet, increasing exercise, improving my social interactions etc. 

27. Turning 27 terrifies me, and I cannot believe I am this old. However I see it as an opportunity to discover and explore what I want in life and to make this a year of finding myself instead of something terrifying.

For my birthday and the week leading up to it, I'm going to be doing a lot of self care and setting up no expectations. 27 is going to be a year where I find out what I really want to do in the world and finding my path. 

I can't wait!

Love, E