Today is the last day in my 23rd year, and I'm actually feeling a little emotional about it. Not because it's over, but because of just how full the year actually was.
Some years feel short, flying by and handing you a new age before you've even found anything you like about the old one. But not this one. This one was long and full, and when I think about how different life is and how much has happened in the last 365 days, I don't even know where to start.
There have been birthdays and holidays and failures and successes. There were applications and then interviews and then Match Day. There were trips to different states and movie nights at home. There were rough waters that I didn't see coming and there was so, so much love.
Sometimes life gives you what you didn't know you needed, and it is enriching and illuminating and fulfilling. Other times, life gives you something you didn't know you wanted, and it is exciting and enjoyable and fun. And sometimes, in moments that rarely come along, life throws you something that is both.
This year was my both.
Because 23 was the year that gave me Jack. My sweet, sleepy, snuggly, smiley little guy who completely turned my life upside down in the best possible way.
When I think about my birthday last year and all the things I wanted to get out of my 23rd year, I'm in awe of how much better my life is today than I ever could have imagined. It amazes me that it's possible to feel such fierce love for someone who I didn't even know was going to exist a mere 365 days ago.
So cheers to the next 365 days. To moving to a new city, to chasing new dreams, to staying wild and free and in love, to raising up a little babe to be a wild and free dreamer. Cheers to soaking up every single bit of life the next 12 months have to offer.
Cheers to 24.