birthday wishes 2010

On Monday, it occurred to me that it was four weeks until my birthday. This usually begs the question: "What do you want for your birthday?"

As a kid, the list was long and plentiful. There were always toys, books and games (board and video) to be had. Even as a somewhat materialistic kid, I looked forward to my bday party with friends which started as a day at CJ Park and in later years evolved into slumber parties. And I'm sure an O's baseball game and apple pie (instead of cake) were involved somewhere. As an adult, it's a hard question to answer. If I want something like a book, I usually just buy it. If I want to see my friends, I just do - no birthday party needed. Now if I could just get my mom to send me apple pie...

Yes, the concept & celebration of birthdays do change as we get older but one thing remains the same - we all have birthday wishes. Each year, I have a friend who compiles her birthday wish list. Some of the items are material, some far-fetched, some realistic. Inspired by her, I have come up with my own birthday wish list for 2010:

• promote/develop my freelance design "business" (using that term loosely)
• a MacBook
• take more photographs (those of the artsy, landscape variety)
• learn to play bass
• catch up with friends I haven't seen much in the past year
• keep in touch with friends I actually see
• visit friends in faraway places - specifically those in Florida, Arizona and Connecticut - who I keep promising I'll visit
• teleportation to see said friends and my nephews more often
• travel internationally without my mom
• the adapter thingie that allows you to use your iPod in the car
• a Wii Fit
• lose that last 20 lbs
• manage my finances more effectively
• actually watch some shows I've DVRed
• become more involved with the K-Family again
• world peace (sorry I had to)
• instead of complaining about something, do something to change it

Is everything included on this list attainable? Doubtful...that's why it's a wish list. But I guess really don't need or want much of the materialistic this year. I've been fortunate, albeit too busy on occasion to do some of the things I'd like to do. Maybe the actual acknowledgement of those things in writing will inspire me to start on at least some of them.

As another birthday looms, I can't complain. I'm generally happy, relatively well-off in the grand scheme of things, loved by my family (for some reason) and surrounded by good people. A girl can't ask for much more than that.