Miss Quarter of a Century...

Today marks the celebration of my 25th birthday. I have mixed feelings about turning a quarter of a century, but if I'm being honest, they're mostly good ones. If I had asked my 18 year old self where I thought I'd be and what I would have achieved by 25, my answer would have most likely been completely different than my reality. Owning my own home, being in a long term relationship and well on my way to establishing a professional career are things I'm sure I would have listed, but truth be told, although those things haven't eventuated yet, I can't say I'm disappointed with what I've achieved and experiences to date.

I have instead travelled the world, worked in a number of diverse corporate businesses, lived in a foreign city and done all these things without boundaries or limits. When I sat down and broke up the past 7 years, I realised that I have had amazing periods full of adventure, others filled with personal growth and as expected, some that were what I like to call my "building block years" which allowed me to experience those amazing periods to the fullest.

As many regular Life After 20 readers will know, following my 22nd birthday I compiled a list of 25 Things To Do Before 25. I have to be honest and admit that although I gave it my best shot, there were some goals I must have been crazy to list in the first place, as they were more appropriate to make a "Lifetime Achievement" list. Learning the piano and being able to speak Italian were obviously not accomplished, but instead, I managed to tick off 20 out of 25 things on my list, with a couple of activities still pending for the very near future. Not bad odds, right? Amongst the items I've already blogged about, other successful goals included:

1. Going Skydiving
2. Volunteer
3. Go on a holiday with my sisters
4. Drink a beer and eat a hotdog at a US Baseball game
5. Put a $1 bill in a strippers G-string
6. Go hot air ballooning
7. Get a tattoo (of the henna variety)
8. Do the 12km leg of the City to Bay
9. Visit the Pyramids of Giza
10. Donate plasma 
11. Spend a weeks wages on something fabulous
12. Do a barrister course
13. Get a university degree
14. Drive a Mustang convertible on Route 66
15. Watch Gone With The Wind 
16. Going Speed Dating
17. Watching all 7 seasons of Sex and the City; and
18. to 25. are unfortunately too personal to list :)

As I embark on the first day of my 25th year, I've got a good feeling that there are exciting times ahead. I'm one month in to a new job which I'm loving and I can honestly say I think it's the beginning of a professional career that I'll continue to be passionate and excited about. I'm also developing a better relationship with my body, mind and soul and am gearing up for a big 3 months to cap off 2012.

I am also, by nature, a compulsive planner and with a vague outline of the next 18 months, I'm excited by the potential which is on my horizon. I'm not sure whether the next 12 months will bring with it the things my 18 year old self expected, but even if it doesn't, I'm in a great place and I know I'm heading in the right direction.