Twenty-Seven

After a few hours of freezing in the rain while weeding one of the vegetable beds, then nearly dying of heat stroke while in the polytunnel. Also the most recent selfie I have. 

When I was in Iceland I ended up flying to the Northern Fjords to stay a week with the friends of the WWOOF site organizer for the farm I was at in Norway. The town I was staying in was about an hour's drive from the airport and my hosts said, oh just hitch hike, everyone does and someone will take you. When I got there I was the only person at the terminal and ended up having to call a taxi. I only had so much cash and the taxi driver ended up stopping the meter halfway to the town so I could pay her. She took me to this little garden, free of charge, and we talked and during our conversation I told her my whole sad story from the farm in Iceland and burst into tears. I was stressed, tired, hungry, and in dire need of a hug. The poor driver just listened to me and apologized for the behaviour of her countrymen, and was just the kindest person ever. She asked me how old I was and I said "I'll be 27 in August."  Her whole face lit up and she just looked at me with this wide, massive smile. "27 is the BEST year. I am not joking," she said, "I can tell you are in for an amazing 27!" I fully admit she might have been bullshitting me to ease my tearful nerves, but her words have rung in my ears ever since. And others have all told me the same thing. 27 is a good year to make big decisions, figure yourself out, and to just start really living I've been told.

I've always had a weird relationship with my birthday, frankly it has always depressed me. Another year and look where I am, nowhere. But this year, this year is different. I've been looking forward to my birthday for months now. I had all these plans, made mostly because I know that despite how much I dislike my birthday, I would really hate it this year not being with my favourites. But more than that I feel like this new year for me is going to be full of really amazing opportunities as long as I take them and make them.

One of the biggest lessons I've been learning while gone is how life doesn't just happen to you, you really have to go and make it. So many people in our world seem to think it will just happen, but you really have to grab it. I want to grab at it, chase it, tackle it, and just devour every opportunity. I am so excited about 27. I really enjoyed 7 and 17 and I have decided that no matter what, I will enjoy this year of my life, I will enjoy all the years of my life from this point on. No more Sad Ashley every August 24. No more Sad Ashley in general. Of course I wish I could be camping with my family, but I'm also learning that you have to invest yourself wherever you are. I am in Scotland, a place I've been dreaming of seeing for 13 years. Take all the opportunities I can while I am here, make this day the best that I can. And follow suit with everyday.

I know that there's going to be a part of me that is sad today purely because I am not with my peeps, but I'm honestly so excited for the coming year. There's a lot of things I've got planned that really scare me, but in a really good way. 27, let's do this. Let's take the world by the horns.