Goodbye Spring. Hello 26

Today was the last day of spring. As an Oregonian, I think I can speak for all of us when I say, Please god, we need the summer! I personally don’t have a problem with the rain, and I do love the dreary mornings (provided they are mornings I actually get to push snooze, stay in bed, and curl up with a book and cup of coffee). But ask any Oregonian, and they will tell you, that this spring was long, the weather was dismal (more so than usual) and as a state, we are ready for some sunshine.

I spent most of the day in a cleaning frenzy. One last spring clean before the season was over, and one last chance to wipe the slate clean before I celebrate my birthday tomorrow. Not that there is anything unusually special about 26, but still, it is another year older, and it is in fact, the oldest I have ever been, so it seemed appropriate to spend the day trying to tie up loose ends, so I can give myself a fresh start as I begin a new year of life. The kitchen is clean, the dishes are done, the laundry finished, the bathroom is sparkling, the recycling has been taken care of, my bed is made… and all is right with the world. I’m ready to take 26 by storm…

Realistically the laundry will come back, the dishes will pile up, and I’ll fall back into old habits, but right now I’m clinging to the potential of change… this COULD be my year of getting organized, getting up early, pulling it together. (which thus far, sounds more appealing than another year of perpetual awkwardness….)

I’ve spent the weeks leading up to tomorrow spending more money than I should. I think I began to slightly panic about finally reaching the mid-late twenties mark… well actually, panic isn’t the right word… I’m not full of angst (at least not about my age) and I have no regrets about twenty-five. I don’t have any of the “well at twenty-six I thought my life would be so different” emotions, because I honestly don’t feel that way. I love my little apartment, am obsessed with my vegetable garden, and though my work causes me a lot of stress, I’m still convinced that I have the best job in the world (or at least work at the best place in the world). I started my own business, and am actually making some money, I’m making new friends, I’m putting myself out there, and the Red Sox are having a phenomenal season… what more could a girl ask for? In reality my spending is stemming from the fact that I have been feeling a little frumpy, and have come to realize that the twenty-two- year- old version of myself was, yes, more naive, but way more fashion forward than the twenty-six- year- old version of me. And some days I miss the cute shoes, and the sassy skirts, and the polished, put together look I used to have. What can I say…. I’m working on it…. And perhaps splurging a little too much, but a girl’s allowed to indulge a little for her birthday, right? So I’m entering my mid-late twenties with a clean house, and a few wardrobe updates…. And some pink wine, and a fabulous cake…. And with twenty-six sun salutations of course.