Happy Birthday to me!

Yes, I am enjoying the last few minutes of my 39th birthday. 

39!!....but not 40 like the majority of my friends celebrated this year. 

Despite being a proud member of the St. Ignatius College Prep class of '87 and Princeton class of '91.  I was not born in the "summer of Love" (although likely conceived shortly thereafter).  Thanks to my general smart-aleck nature and a decent dose of genetic smarts I skipped a grade many moons ago so for my whole academic life I have been at least a year younger than the majority of my classmates and friends.  This was mostly an embarassment and something I hid...I didn't have a sweet sixteen party because I didn't want to call attention to the fact I was younger and of course everyone had already had these fabluous parties the year before.  I didn't get a driver's license until senior year despite having taken driver's ed my sophomore year.  I was not allowed to offically date until senior year why because it was the ironclad rule in my house growing up that you couldn't date (or wear makeup for that matter) until you were 16....although I managed to skirt this rule to go to Junior Ring Dance.  Didn't vote in an election until my sophmore year in college and of course managed to have a college diploma and still be several months shy of legal drinking age.  Being able to tell people I finished college at 20 makes me seem like a genius... even if it is more of a fluke than anything else.  The bottom line is that over the years my age (relative to my peers) has been both a blessing and a curse...something to be sad about and bemoan when it prevented me from doing something and also something that I thought was extremely cool. 

Well this blog is about that.  I have watched all my friends this year reasses their lives as they approach the 40 milestone.  I even had one friend who suffered a fatal attack on her 40th birthday and subsequently passed away a few days later.  I count it as a blessing to have a whole year to think about turning 40 not to mention it is nice to have a whole year to plan a party.  So this blog is my birthday gift to myself...a way to chronicle how I change this year...what goals I want to set for myself...what plans I want to institute going forward.  I am looking forward to the second half of my life being even more amazing than the first and to go on an amazing journey you've gotta have a plan...or at least think about it long enough so that the path become clear. 

Join me in my year of exploration!!