celebrate the journey

It's going to be a different kind of celebration this year...

For weeks I've been thinking about what I should do for my 30th birthday. Nothing had come to mind that seemed  "thirty worthy." I've been a bit blah about the whole thing... about the number... about the fact that it's kind of the end of an era... and pretty much of the world as I know it to be right now.

Me and Liz in a bathtub on my 29th.

 Last year I threw a pretty awesome slumber party, celebrating friendship and childhood. Gathered a few of my longest-time friends, did make up, ate junk food, all to the soundtrack of the 90's. It was so epic, in-fact, that I do believe it cannot be topped.

However, upon further contemplation (and a few months worth of yoga practice... changed my life, but more on that later) I began to realize that what I should be setting out to do is not only celebrate what was,
but all that is to come.

One of my closest friends, Diane, turned 30 in early November. I wrote to her on one of those eco-friendly-plant-me-and-let-me-grow cards and in it I said something along the lines of ...this isn't the end of anything, rather the beginning of something great. That we spent our 20's living, learning, making mistakes, and slowly discovering things about ourselves, figuring out where we belong. Now, plant this card and let it grow along with the possibilities that your thirties will bring....

Now, I will be the first to admit, that while I may be verging 30 as we speak, I don't necessarily feel too much more wise or self-discovered than I felt at 22. There are definitely experiences I had that were pivotal in who I am at this moment. Mistakes I made, that I learned and am learning from. But I do strongly feel that there is still so much more discovery (and mistakes to be made) ahead of me. I don't really believe that the second I turn that magical number that I will have my life figured out completely and be ready to make new and drastic decisions. (A perm maybe.)
Going into this new decade thinking I should have everything decided and have just stuff in general set in stone is SCARY. The only things I know for sure is who I love and who loves me. Done.
So rather than celebrate this new-found wisdom all 30-somethings possess,
I want to remain grateful for what my 20's taught me and prepare to embrace all of the WONDROUS things that my 30's are bound to bring. But...

...You can't embrace if you don't let go.

Which brings me to my decision about the proper way to celebrate 30. First, about a month ago, when talking to some friends about what I should do, they said,  "how about one of our Sunday Funday bike rides along the beach?" We've done this a few times, usually ending at one of the really good cafes a few miles down. A few days later I came across a video, almost as a sign that truly inspired the events for the day.

So here's what I came up with: Sunday Funday= bikes, beach, bites, beverages, balloons, and the official buh-bye to my 20's Birthday Bash! 

Balloons to infinity at Coachella 2010

B is for Beginnings. The plan is to ride 15 miles one way along the Pacific Coast Highway on Sunday the 4th, while stopping at a few locations along the way that I frequented as a 20-something, get a drink or a bite AND leave a few signs of good will  and inspiration along the trail, posting them to telephone poles and stop lights.

Each person will be given a balloon, to which they can attach any sort of prayer or affirmation that is personal to them, and tie it to their bike. Once we get to our destination we'll go out to the pier and release the balloons  watch the sunset... it will, quite literally, be setting on my 29th birthday. ;) Instead of a Wish Release, we'll do Handouts of Happiness... giving the balloons away or tying them to secure locations. (While may have been visually cool, it'd be environmentally not worth it.) We'll then ride back to our starting point, completing a total of... 30 miles!

There are a couple points to all this. 

One is to simply learn to let things go. For years I have said, almost as a mantra,  

"Let go, Let God." 

I still repeat this and believe it to be quite necessary in life. It's that simple. 

In my yoga practice I've learned to breathe in life and love, 

and  "let go of that which does not serve you,"

a lesson repeated during sessions with instructors like Jenny at Ra.  This is probably one of the biggest lessons learned in my twenties, and really one that I grapple with daily. 

Two, it could possibly just be some way to fulfill some subconscious and existential need to leave my mark on the world... through uplifting and encouraging messages and gestures.... 

But, ultimately, it is to affirm the importance of celebrating and cherishing

  each moment of this journey, however long or short it is, 

and to be grateful for where you are and who you're with, 

at whatever point you are on your path.

Here is the link to the video by Holstee that inspired and confirmed 

that this will be a good way to spend the day.

Feel free to get on your bike between noon and sunset on Sunday (where ever you are) and
enjoy the ride.