Hey everyone!

Today is my birthday and I am so excited! And for those hard-core The Office fans, yes, the title is a quote from the time Dwight and Jim were in charge of throwing birthday parties.

This year has been quite a journey for my spiritual and emotional self. Throughout this year – and even as recent as last week – thoughts of inadequacy, of lacking purpose and everything the world says I should have at this age, flooded my mind. However, I have been able to combat those thoughts with truths more this years as well. And while I may not be where I want to be, my journey is unfolding exactly how it should be.

So instead of focusing on all that I don’t have, I wanted to focus on 28 of my favorite memories during this year. Why 28? I turned 28 today. And these memories are in no particular order…

1. Eating at Pioneer Woman’s restaurant, Mercantile
2. Listening to Pastor Michael Todd preach at Transformation Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma
3. Going to my first silent disco party
4. Continuing to step out of my comfort zone and lead a women’s Bible study group
5. Growing closer to the women in my women’s Bible study group, my other Bible study group, and others in my church
6. Growing spiritually and mentally
7. Reading/Listening to ten books so far this year (comment below if you want recommendations)
8. Throwing a birthday party for my father’s 50th birthday (although he looks much younger lol)
9. Highlighting some dope Black people that I know for Black History Month on my blog (check out part 1, part 2, and part 3)
10. Biking and riding around NYC with my father and sister
11. Experimenting in the kitchen. Some of my favorite dishes were: homemade apple hand pies, homemade linguine pasta and Alfredo sauce, teriyaki salmon, kale salad, homemade olive oil and rosemary sourdough bread, and zucchini noodles
12. Watching Gem of the Ocean and Fences by August Wilson (by next April, I would have seen all ten of his Pittsburgh Cycle plays)
13. Going to see Jonathan McReynolds (twice) and Tori Kelly with my mom
14. The Unashamed Forever concert. Literally, the.best.concert.ever.
15. Watching baby LayLay grow up and turn 1 years old
16. Hiking through the Shenandoah Valley with my sister and our friend
17. Putting myself out in the dating world
18. Making my jewelry organizer (minus the part where I burned myself with the hot glue gun)
19. Improving upon my makeup skills, especially putting on eyeliner without making the line too thick
20. Eating churros with hot chocolate at Boqueria in DC, which reminded me of eating them in Barcelona.
21. Watching my friend get baptized
22. Watching South Pacific at a local theatre with my sister, which made me nostalgic about the time I played in the pit band in high school for this play
23. Being consistent about going to 21 Days of Prayer at my church.
24. Going to the Poets in Autumn Tour and meeting some of my favs like Jackie Hill-Perry and Joseph Solomon (my future husband unless Lil’ Romeo and I work out lol)
25. Growing more into the confidence that God has given me
26. Treating myself and my grandma to a “treat yo’ self” weekend. Staying at a super fancy hotel, eating at a one Michelin-starred restaurant, and getting a massage to end off the trip
27. Finally trying duck…and yes, it was good
28. Being alive one more year to help others, love, learn, and experience all that God has created

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I want to leave you with two pieces of advice that I have received multiple times this year. One: don’t compare your journey with the highlight reel that other people post on social media. Two: you’re doing better than you think. Reflect on all that you have and not on what you don’t; and an easy way to do that is to start a gratitude journal. Life will pass us by always looking at the future or at others.

Comment below with some of your favorite memories from this year, I would like to read them! Also, stay tuned because I’m going to write a post of all the freebies I got for my birthday (and how you can too). See you soon!

Love,

Britt ♥