It all started in 1990

President George Bush was working on America's debt during his 2nd year as the executive power of the US government. The 125th emperor of Japan was enthroned. Space shuttle Atlantis was launched. Margaret Thatcher resigned from her position as Prime Minster of the UK. The first Home Alone film was about to be released. All these important things in the world were happening in November of 1990. I, however, was here:


Dairy Queen. That's me on my 7th birthday, just before the candles were placed in my ice cream cake. Maybe it's because of all the photos that I have from that day, or maybe that day really was truly an awesome birthday...but I seem to still carry with me so many memories of that day. I remember feeling like a celebrity. I OWNED that DQ. And seriously, look at that sweet bow in my hair. I was rockin' the birthday.

What I remember the most from that birthday is something an adult (whose identity I do not remember) pointed out to me about my unique birth-date that I had never realized before: "Oh wow! Your birthday is on 11/11! You know, you are going to live to see your birthday be on 11/11/11." At that young age, I had never really thought too much about the distant future...I had never even thought about how in just 10 years, I'd be living in the 2000's! I remember this fact blowing my mind, and me sitting in the pink, plastic DQ booth trying to do the math in my head...asking my mom for help...and realizing I'd be turning 28 on 11/11/11.

I thought to myself "I'll be so old!" I wondered if I would be young enough to even enjoy such a fantastic day. Would I grow up to be a lame adult who didn't care about birthdays? Would I have so many kids by that point in my life that I'd be too preoccupied with them to celebrate my most amazing birthday?!? I remember wishing that I could turn 11 on 11/11/11 for both the amount of 11's in that as well as being young enough to enjoy myself. On that day, 11/11/90, I promised myself that I would make sure 11/11/11 is the GREATEST DAY OF MY LIFE.

Here I am on 11/11/10...exactly 365 days until said greatest day of my life. I'm 27 today. Definitely not feeling too old...actually, I'm feeling too young. Only one more year until 11/11/11? Really? I realize that day most likely will not be filled with fireworks, celebrities, diving into pools of gold coins, or any other ridiculous over-the-top ideas I had as 7-year old me. My non-existent children definitely won't be getting in the way of me celebrating my birthday as 7-year old me expected (unless things drastically change within the next 3 months...). I'm sure it won't be an earth-shattering, life-changing, is-life-even-worth-living-after-this-day kind of day...but I'm still curious and excited as I look forward to seeing what happens this year.

I started this blog for a few reasons. First, I'm excited to write again. I could care less if anyone reads these thoughts, I'm just excited to have some sort of creative discipline in my life. I think I've realized that is something that I need in my life...so, here goes. Along with that, I'm going to use this blog to document the things that make my life great. I really do have a wonderful life, and I want to keep that in mind as I travel through all my normal days this year towards the greatest day of my life...which hopefully will really just be ONE of the greatest days of my life.