41 Trips Around the Sun

41 Trips around the sun, and what have you done?

On Friday, I celebrated another birthday bringing my total to 41. I decided this year to break with tradition and not look at my life in perspective of where I going but instead look from where I have come. In other words, I usually think about what I still want to do but today I am looking at what I actually did! I was inspired by my friend Leigh Ann over at Genie in a Blog. She has started making "Did Lists" wherein she documents what she has actually accomplished that day. So here is my Did List for the first 41 years of this Star's Universe.

1. Was born -- thought that was worth noting on this auspicious day. ;-)
2. I learned to walk, talk, etc. -- I figured it wouldn't hurt to flesh out my a list a little bit
3. I learned to read and write -- creating life long passions
4. I learned to ride a bike, fish, and fly a kite
5. I made a best friend with whom I still share my secrets 32 years later
6. I have camped under the stars -- there may or may not have been a tent blocking my view but the stars were still there!
7. I rode a horse! More than once! -- would do it again a heartbeat
8. I was a Girl Scout
9. I hiked a mountain as an eight year old
10. I learned to swim -- the only sport I ever liked AND did well
11. I learned to water ski -- something I still like to do
12. I learned to snow ski -- something I haven't done in 20 years
13. I learned to read music -- resulting from many botched instrument attempts (guitar, piano, flute, guitar again) but let's focus on the win here
14. I have been to Disney world FOUR times -- 3 times as an adult
15. I traveled to Hawaii -- avoided life threatening sunburn, may have blinded a few people in the process
16. I traveled to Quebec, Canada -- making a romantic pen pal with whom I exchanged letters in French for over a year (Bon jour, Claud wherever you are)
17. I have seen the country through the window of an RV
18. I traveled to England -- my parents may still be paying for the long distance bill as I left behind my then-boyfriend, now-husband
19. I got my first paycheck -- which has happened sporadically since (ha-ha!)
20. I graduated high school
21. I have sung in public -- I am unaware of lasting damages to anyone's ear drums (if you hear differently, don't share!)
22. I tasted champagne -- the real stuff
23. I voted in an election (and a few more since!)
24. I received a Bachelor's Degree in Theatre, Cum Laude
25. I married my high school sweetheart and we are still together 17 years later
26. I survived the devastating loss of my brother -- I don't celebrate the loss but this fundamentally changed me; making me stronger and braver
27. I lived in San Francisco, my favorite city
28. I received a Master's Degree in Acting from ACT
29. I have been paid to act -- a dream realized (so often I don't look at it that way, as I am not currently acting but today I am acknowledging what I have done!)
30. I took an overnight train trip
31. I lived in New York, another dream city
32. I was in Manhattan on September 11, 2001 -- see #17
33. I became a military wife
34. I warrior-ed through weeks of magnesium drips and bed rest and gave birth to my beautiful Sonny-Bunny
35. I received another Master's Degree
36. I fought through another tough pregnancy and gave birthday to my Little Diva
37. I started a blog -- 38 and Growing; I made many, many friends from all around the world
38. I took a cruise!
39. I got paid to write -- another dream realized (and another accomplishment I often downplay)
40. I have shared my love of acting with hundreds of children
41. I started another blog -- but really, I started my own universe; one where I am a star!

So, there you go. Not such a bad list, after all. 41 Years and 41 Things Done! To wrap up, I have put my feet in two oceans and one Gulf; I have lived in three states; I have visited 30 states and three countries. I have traveled via air, land, and sea. I have performed and I have shared. But most importantly, I have created a family -- I have loved and been loved. At the end of the day, that makes these past 41 years very worthwhile indeed.