The 25th year, part 2

In exactly forty-five minutes, I'll officially have been in this world for 25 years.

My younger brother, Farm Boy, teased me today and asked me if I'd be going to bed any earlier. I failed to tell him I usally turn in before ten anyway.

As promised faithful friends, here's the big reveal for the 25th year. 

Over the last year, I've struggled with too much anxiety and stress. I blame part of that on getting married, moving three times, starting a new job, hating said job, struggling with discovering my career, financial issues, a sports injury, burnout from training/racing, health issues, and moving far, far away from my best friends(yes, that all did indeed happen within the last twelve months). And so, as I venture into a new year of life, I have decided I need to let go of my silly worries, because if I don't, I'm afraid of what might happen down the road.

I am choosing to stop the snowballing of anxiety, stress inducing insomnia, and stress in general. 

I am choosing to embrace life in all of the simple things.

And it boils down to these five, simple mantras:
Seek peace. Choose joy. Find strong. Live Faith. Breathe hope. 

One of my hopes is to be a creative mom fiction essayist someday (memoirs, travel writing, etc,) but to do so, I need to experience life. And so, like other writers, I figure a quest must ensue. I've made a list of 25 items (with a sub list for baking) that I hope to conquer over this next year. And in doing so, I hope to step away from anxiety and move towards peace. 

Without making you wait any longer, here it is:

1. Take a vacation with Music Man
2. Surprise him often
3. Go camping during the summer
4. Develop a game/friend/couples night
5. Nurture a herb garden
6. Run a marathon
7. Run 50 mileages weeks
8. Keep a yoga practice
9. Run a race out of state with a friend
10. Attempt a century ride
11. Go back to school
12. Write (start) a book
13. Look into becoming a certified running coach
14. Host a fancy-schmancy dinner party
15. Participate in a murder mystery dinner
16. Buy someone a completely awesome and surprising gift
17. Volunteer for Team RWB
18. Visit friends
19. Play with JJ  daily
20. Bake/Cook 25 items and indulge in them
21. Spend a year with Sarah Dessen Novels
22. Get a tattoo (start my sleeve) from my husband
23. Learn to play backgammon
24. Build my scarf and cardigan collection
25. Keep a prayer journal

I invite you to join me as I venture into this year, and maybe, just maybe, find some of your own peace along the way. 

_____