It’s My Birthday…I can cry if I want to!

Lucky for you I don’t feel like crying. It’s been a very (VERY) low key birthday. It’s not a milestone…just 23, but even if it were a milestone I wouldn’t have done anything special. I didn’t do anything for my sweet 16…I don’t even remember it. I didn’t do anything for 18 either. My 21st, my friends throw me a tiny party, basically we went over a friends apartment, loaded up on all sorts of different alcoholic drinks and junk food and played Uno. It was one of the best birthday parties I ever had. This year I stayed home. It’s the same every year I always think that my birthday comes at the worst time. Really, I’m sure it’s for anyone who was fortunate to have been born  the early part of January. January is arguably the worst month for finances. Everyone has just received the bills from December and have made their various New Year’s resolutions to spend less. Most years I usually get the “this is your Christmas and Birthday gift”, when people remember that my birthday is two weeks after Christmas, but this isn’t why I think it’s the worst time to have a birthday. Nope, it’s the guilt I feel when people buy me presents or give me money. Because I know that most of the people I know don’t keep up with their finances so they really can’t afford to gift me twice in such a short period. Honestly I would be happy with Happy Birthday and call it a day. That way I know you were thinking about me. 

This year was pretty much I good year for that, I mean I graduated in December, Christmas, then my Birthday…too much I know that. So I stress the importance to everyone that I didn’t expect something for every event…in fact I didn’t want much (just a few dollars to ease the pain of unemployment :) ) I think a lot of people heard me, I got five text messages, 1 email, 2 calls, and countless facebook and myspace comments all wishing me a happy birthday. My Grandmother did write me a check, for how much I don’t know, I have to go pick it up. But I just felt loved to day and that was all I needed.  

The Dreams of B.J.

Four days before my 23rd birthday I have realized that, I have lost sight of my life goals. I believe that it happened sometime during college most likely during the end of my sophomore year. The next semester I switched majors and ever since then I’ve been kind of going with the flow. Not really knowing where I was going and why, it’s disconcerting to me. When I started college, I pretty much had my whole life planned and mapped out. But looking back now I realized that I really didn’t have much of a plan I just had a few dreams and ideas in my head. What about now, I recognize that I still have some of those dreams and ideas in my head, and it’s time to get them and the new ones in writing. I always feel a since of commitment to something if I write it out and put it on a list. I always make list, I guess it’s my OCD kicking in. I function on list, without a list, I’m utterly lost.

Right now they are all lumped together and not really defined as time goes on I will elaborate and probably add on goals. My life goals are:

1) I want to visit Egypt

2) I want to visit Japan

3) I want to visit England

4) I want to visit France

5) I want to visit New York City

6) I want to visit California

7) I want to visit Hawaii

8) I want to take a cruise through the Caribbean

9) I want to became a published writer

10) I want to custom build a house

11) I want a emergency fund = to 9 months of living expenses

12) I want a net worth of 1 million dollars

13) I want to be debt free by retirement

As you can see, that’s a hefty list. I have reasons for wanting all these things but like I said I’ll fill that in later. How close am I to any of these goals? Nowhere near close.