Sometimes, we need to look back to look forward, and this is my month.
Here are 35 things that have made an impact on me and shaped my life as I turn 35.
1. Got a degree in business, became a teacher.
2. Met my soulmate on summer holiday at 15. Now married to him.
3. Had a child before the pandemic, didn’t sleep well for a year or two.
4. Bought land.
5. Started and gave up on a business.
6. Worked in retail and never will again.
7. Changed careers twice.
8. Moved 11 times in 10 years.
9. Got knocked off a bicycle by a car.
10. Changed cellphone company after 20 years with my number.
11. Got bitten by a slightly dangerous snake and learned I’m not who you call in an emergency.
12. Gave birth in level 4 lockdown 2020, this one didn’t sleep either.
13. Started jogging after always thinking I couldn’t, slow and steady counts.
14. Travelled a lot, didn’t contract any tropical diseases.
15. Fell in love with the Philippines, went back seven times.
16. Taught all ages, from kindergarten to adults.
17. Ate street food in Penang while tiny ‘Doctor Fish’ nibbled at my feet.
18. Cooked cake and banana bread in a rice cooker.
19. Grew an amazing vegetable garden with off-cuts and the Vervets won the battle that year.
20. Spotted a Narina Trogon in my garden.
21. Taught English second language and realised how much writing was a part of me.
22. Camped in the Mara Triangle without a fence.
23. Drove myself to work for a year in a left-hand drive car without English road signs.
24. Developed a love for kimchi stew.
25. Did a Facebook cleanse of 500 ‘friends’ without regrets.
26. Learned the Korean alphabet in a few days.
27. Flew business class at economy price and got to layover in the Seychelles business lounge for a few hours right next to the turquoise bay.
28. Unapologetically loved the whole Ender’s Game and Lord of the Rings extended book series.
29. Read through the Bible.
30. Started a garden from scratch in our new home.
31. Learned that scissors are also amazing for cutting meat and other food while cooking.
32. Fell in love with turtles, especially swimming with them.
33. Snorkelled in the Coral Triangle.
34. Found one of the last Pygmy elephants in the wild.
35. Became a Christian three decades ago and still learning daily how beliefs and actions can heal a world of brokenness.
Does my list remind you of how many things have shaped you?
Life is amazing when you think of how many steps you’ve taken to reach your current destination, and there’s more to come.
Keep discovering!
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