Happy Birthday Sofia!

Happy 22nd birthday to me! :p

I actually tried to make Nathan write this post for me, but then he said that if I didn’t write it myself, there would be no b-day post – and I couldn’t have that could I…

So here we go with something “not-so-travel-related-but-still-kind-of”, I think you will get my point soon…

But really, I do find birthdays a little difficult.

There is so much anticipation about birthdays, but for some reason the “special day” means less and less to me.

Nathan keeps thinking that I fear turning older when I don’t talk about my birthday, but I really just forget.

Why that is, I don’t know: because I’ve done it 22 times already? because my family isn’t there? because I don’t get wrapped up presents?

No matter which, it doesn’t matter, because the last three years of my life – birthday presents or not – have been the best years of my life.

It’s not so much about the birthday that is special, but the year that has gone past and what I have achieved.

Really, I couldn’t care less about the number. If your birthday was only about a number it would be terribly boring, and soon to be something scary and daunting.

Your age is in your heart and mind, not your body.

So What Did I Achieve?

My 21st year can be summed up into one word: Trust.

I have learned how to trust more, not only in life but most importantly in myself.

I learned how to ski.

This is something I’m really proud of. I learned not only how to ski, but to do it really well. I started to trust myself on the skis, went down slopes and over bumps I would never have trusted doing before.

I moved to Switzerland with no money.

With money enough to last for two weeks, no knowledge of the German language and no job I moved to Switzerland with Nathan, one of the most expensive countries in the world.

I trusted that I would make it work, and soon enough I learned the language, got myself  jobs and created the perfect lifestyle that I was looking for (working 5 hours a week, skiing and enjoying the rest of the time).

We ended up staying for 4 months and I could have stayed for as long as I wanted.

I ended friendships.

I ended friendships I no longer wanted, and focused only on those I wanted. I started prioritizing the things that I wanted. I trusted that I knew what was best for me, in every aspect of my life.

Writing Blog Posts on AsWeTravel.

I feel like I have really developed my English over this past year. Of course I want to learn more and more, but I’m very happy with what I’ve been able to accomplish so far. I trusted that I could write articles and comments in English, and today it feels completely natural.

What Will I Achieve This Year?

Enough reflecting on the past – on your birthday it’s more important to start looking towards the next year.

What do I want to achieve this year?

Apart from all the awesome new things we are working on with As We Travel – here are a few extra things I want to focus on this year:

I will learn a few new skills.

This is something I’ve felt lacking lately. I want to learn a skill well, like stand-up surfing. I would love to create a sporty hobby, and the thought of surfing in Bali keeps popping up in my head.

I will take another step towards a self-sufficient independent lifestyle.

After having seen some scary but awesome documentaries like The American Dream, and Zeightgeist: Moving Forward, I really want to move away from the evil circle of debt, corruption, and materialism.

It’s a long way to go, but I think I can definitely achieve a few steps away from being stuck in the middle of it all.

Other than that, I think we’ll celebrate my day with some of that neon colored spongy, rather tasteless sugar bomb cake they have here in Thailand – can’t be without a birthday cake, right?

How do you celebrate your birthday? What do you think birthdays are about? Do you have any goals you want to achieve by the time of your next birthday?