The Birthday Questions: Goodbye 28, Hello 29

For every birthday, I asked “The Birthday Questions.”

The concept is simple: a series of 4 questions that encourages a healthy dose of reflection and speculation. It’s a fun way to reconnect with friends and spark thought provoking conversations. (Check out my answers for last year HERE!)

Today I turn 29, and I’m shocked at how much living I packed into the last 365 days.

 6 months of living in Australia with Jeremy (including a huge road trip from Melbourne up to Brisbane), 1 month in Virginia with my family, 7 weeks in New York City with a quick trip to Cabo, Austin to see my best friend, 2 months in Mexico, and now I’m back in New York City once more.

Wow…it’s been quite the lap around the sun. Reflecting and processing it all has been a journey in of itself.  

So, without further ado, let me take the hot seat for the birthday questions.

1.What was the best part about this past year of life?

Exploring Mexico, spending time with my family, and watching my best friend get married are all things I’ll remember when I reflect on this past year of life. I’ve also had exciting success and progress with The Frugal Foodies, and have written some pieces I’m really proud of.

The very BEST thing, however, was living in Brisbane for 5 months. I explored the city, went on adventures with Jeremy, and had time to think, write, share, and discuss challenging topics. I was able to really dive into Australian culture, and I loved every step of the way.

2.What was the biggest thing you learned?

27 was shaped by a full-fledged identity crisis. I’ve never just been “Katie who dances.”  I’ve been “Katie the dancer.”  Dance has been the essence of me, and the loss of it during COVID wasn’t easy, to say the least.

28 was shaped by figuring out who “I” really am and what makes me happy apart from a career.

It led me on a journey of starting a lot of things, but never having the passion to follow through properly. It also led me on a journey of slowly chipping away at the “Yeah, I’m always great!” façade I had built around myself. You see, I’ve always been the person who’s okay– Low drama, happy go-lucky, bubbly, and able to take on setbacks with a rational, level headed approach. “You don’t have to worry about Katie… she’s always good!”

 This year, I finally learned how to give myself permission to not be okay. And it’s been tough. I’ve discovered many facets of myself that I’m not proud of, and I’ve had days, weeks even, of feeling confused, unstable, and flat out sad. After decades of shoving everything under a rug, there was/is quite a lot of discover, process, feel, and examine. Funny how that happens….

I have been able to recognize projected judgements and let them go, I’ve been able to deepen relationships, and I’m finally ready to move forward into new career paths. Even the fact that I’ve been able to recognize and share these feeling is massive for me.

On a lighter note, I’ve also discovered that I really like tofu and the power of the air fryer.

3. What are you most looking forward to for the upcoming year?

I’m saying goodbye to my 20s with a bang. This year is dedicated to travel and adventure, and I’ve got some epic trips in the works. A bit of Asia, a bit of Europe… you’ll have to stay tuned to see what I have up my sleeve.

4. If there was one thing you could tell your 80 year old self to never forget based on a current mindset, what would it be?

It’s okay to ask for help.

The last 365 have been wild. I can’t wait to see what the next 365 days has in store.