The 20's Guide to New Years and Birthdays.

I can't keep calm because its my birthday!!! I'm so thankful to God for keeping me thus far, like God has been so amazing. From all the drama of uni, law school, NYSC and then carrying myself to school in another country, I'm like "woahhhhhhh slow down life! You are happening a bit too fast" lol. Anyway, what is the point of this post, before I go off on a tangent. I realised that I don't feel the same way I used to feel about birthdays. When I was younger, lets say before my 20s, birthdays were like the most amazing days ever, when everything is about you, you get a cake, new clothes, might be excused from doing the dishes (he he) and you are one year closer to becoming legal, mature and having your opinion valued.

Fast forward to a my 20th birthday, and birthdays suddenly metamorphosed into check points. They became times to automatically ask myself "where am I now? what have I achieved? chai!" I was in that space for my last two birthdays, you know, where I was just evaluating stuff and feeling slightly unhappy that "it"( that thing that is meant to change and define my life- whatever that is) had not yet happened.

Fast forward again to this year and I will not say that my birthday isn't still a checkpoint, but I can say that my outlook is different and better. My change in outlook is due first to the realization that growth comes while I am oblivious, so while I think I am just going through the motions of life, I am actually developing relationships, ideas and qualities that will come in handy, probably sooner than I think. I also realised that life is not a race with anyone. For all I know, we may not be playing the same sport or even be in the same tournament! Isn't it silly for Rafael Nadal (my future husband by the way) to even slightly compare himself to Bolt or Phelps? Isn't that the silliest thing ever? Another thing that has changed my mindset is the realisation that I need not be in the know all the time. I do not have to see the complete picture in order to act. So many of us are waiting for the right conditions, for all the stars to align.. well, if that is you, all I have to say is wake up NOW, that cough medicine you drank is too strong! lol.

The start of a new year usually seems like a checkpoint of sorts, so I think what I'v shared above should be useful to you at this time and I hope this will help you on your way to finding fulfillment and realizing your dreams. Above all, I need you to realise that you DESERVE to be happy. It doesn't matter if you have a list of things you are yet to achieve or you feel so silly for not even having such a list, you still deserve to be happy.

With Love from Clare College Bridge, the oldest and I dare say prettiest bridge in Cambridge!

It's my birthday! I'm turning up in my room at Clare College with some chicken, cous cous, jollof rice, yoghurt and lots of tea (and something else I'm ashamed to add. lol before yhall disown me and call me a glutton! But its my birthday though!). Don't even ask me how everything is going to digest!lol.

I wish you good health, joy and lots of love and I pray that this year is going to be your best yet!