Just last week I turned 21. It was a very quiet and low key affair. I ended up traveling to my parents for the week as my mom was unwell and my dad was away. So that took priority.
Yet, no matter how quiet it was, it really was refreshing to be living it at the present moment. Previously on festivals and holidays I have always wished for M to be there to share the experience. After being long distance for so much of our relationship I always would remember past memories or anticipate what the next birthday/Christmas would be like when we would (hopefully) get to celebrate together. Yet for my 21st I had no haunting memories or yearnings for birthdays to come. Instead, my 21st just was.
I am really happy that I could experience my 21st just as it was and it really highlighted how far I have come on the journey of myself!
As part of a birthday gift to myself, the weekend before I turned 21, I ran 10K around London in a race. After coming back from Uganda I was super motivated to run it and I thought it would be a fun day out. But as I got busier at my summer school in Germany, I stopped my training plan and then got more nervous about the race until I wasn’t so bothered about doing it anymore. Luckily, I still went through with the race and I managed to run 10k without stopping once and I even beat the time I had set myself by 15 minutes!
Don’t worry it is alcohol free!
This was such a huge achievement for me considering I had stopped running a while back. As I sped up through the finish line I was overcome with feeling that I could take over the world. Unfortunately no one was waiting for me to see me cross the finish line which I was sad about. Yet, I chose to run for myself and I was so happy that I completed it for myself. Even if no one was there to share that feeling with me.
Not only had I completed a run for myself but I also chose to raise money for the charity Bloodwise whilst I ran. I asked people to sponsor me as it neared my birthday and I was so happy at those who did as the money helped people in need!
Instead of being a huge party my 21st marked a symbolic turning point which I’ll continue celebrating all year by celebrating myself!