Thirty-Onderful Wishes

I turned 31 on Friday. I spent six hours of that day in the car on the way to Monterey to see my family. My completely badass sister Katy graduated from the Defense Language Institute this past Thursday, so all four of my parents flew in to watch her ceremony and celebrate. Naturally, I wanted to spend time with them and show them their new grandcar Pollyanna, so I put together a nice collection of road trip music and headed north on the 101.

Solo roadtrips are great for introspection. I tried to come up with 31 wishes for this particular birthday, but came up short. However, after a good night's sleep and a nice warm bath (my bathroom at home only has a shower stall), I was able to finish off the list. So, please allow me to channel my inner two-year-old and talk about what I want. Thirty-one times.


I want to go to Europe and experience what everyone is talking about -- Germany, France, Italy. I want to be able to let go of stupid, inconsequential -- sometimes embarrassing -- things that I’ve done in the past, especially when the “injured” party in each situation is probably over it. I want to go on a really good first date. I want a dachshund named Triumph who will sit on the couch and snuggle with me while I watch TV. I want to know why I always double knot my left sneaker’s shoelaces, but rarely my right. Furthermore, I want to know why when I have a cold, it’s always the right side of my nose that clogs up, but not the left. I want to be less shy and embarrassed by giving compliments. (I often don’t give compliments due to some strange fear of rejection.) Now that we’re on the subject, I want to get over fear of rejection. And now that we’re really on the subject, I want to get over fear. Period. I want my grandparents to all be around forever, even though my logical side knows they won’t. I want it that way. I want my Mr. Rubble. I want to be a better employee at work, a better friend to Dr. S, and a more prolific and focused writer. I want this party music down the street to stop by the time I go to sleep. (It won’t.) I want to be Jennifer Garner when I grow up. I want to lose fifteen pounds by Comic-Con. I want to be able to live like I actually graduated from college. I want to feel as close to God as my entire family seems to feel. I want to be friends with my friends forever. I want an old Spanish-style house with hardwood floors, a piano, and climbing roses. I want to never hear the term “sexting” again. I want my sisters to marry guys who make them feel good about themselves. I want to take my oldest nephew to Disneyland before it becomes “uncool.” I want to go back in time to make myself watch my mom and stepdad get married instead of hiding in the bathroom at the Justice of the Peace. I want to go back in time to make myself go to my senior prom, even without a date. I want all of my favorite television shows to be back next season. I want to make everyone happy, which is kind of a problem. I want to be as good of a mom to my kids as my mom and stepmom are to me. I want to be the most (genuinely) positive and enthusiastic person I know. I want to meet the current Tom Hanks, since I’ve apparently already met the future one. And finally, I want to go to there.


In conclusion, I had such a wonderful birthday. I spent time last Friday night with my friends at The Black Boar in Eagle Rock. On Thursday, my department at work threw a joint party for me and two other people who celebrated our birthdays last week. This included Tito's Tacos. Because I was sick, I didn't get to blow out the birthday candles, but Kyle lit me a special birthday match to blow out. Allison and Meredith took me out to Il Capriccio in Los Feliz for dinner. Thanks to a phone call on Friday, I might be able to mark one of those wants off my list next week. And finally, the birthday greetings I received via Facebook and Twitter made me feel a little like Pollyanna at the end of the movie -- and I didn't even have to fall out of an attic window. To borrow an expression from one of my favorite guilty pleasure movies Hope Floats, my cup runneth over.

Have a great Sunday, everyone!